Among the myriad factors to consider in building or buying a new home, deciding between multi-story or one-story house plans is one of the first decisions you’ll encounter. Single-story house plans come in plenty of different architectural styles, sizes and floor plans, potentially fitting the needs of many potential homeowners.
However, one-story house plans have disadvantages to consider as well. But, how do you know if a one-story house is right for you?
One-story house plan pros
- Perfect for open floor plans: If you’re in the market for an airy, open-concept home, single-story designs provide the perfect starting point.
- Easy to clean and maintain: There are cleaning and maintenance advantages to single-story homes, such as the ability to use robotic vacuum cleaners to cover the entire square footage of the house.
- Accessibility advantages: Young children, elders and people with mobility hurdles or disabilities benefit from single-story homes because they don’t have to worry about getting up and down flights of stairs.
One-story house plan cons
- Less separation between shared and private spaces: single-story homes have every room on one level, which means bedrooms are relatively much closer to shared spaces like kitchens, living rooms and entryways.
- Often built on smaller lots: Homes built on a single-story take up more lot space, and therefore leave less room for outside living areas like backyards, porches and patios.
- Ground-level disadvantages: In some locations, having your bedroom at ground level can be extremely noisy and uncomfortable. You might not find it ideal having street and foot traffic right outside your window.
Is a single-story house plan right for you? Only you can decide, but considering these key pros and cons will help you make the most informed decision.
About the Author
Judy Szablak
With over 30 years in the industry, Realtor Judy Szablak has been on national television for her real estate expertise on the HGTV Network, featured on Martha Stewart Living Radio "Morning Living” , NPR radio as an expert real estate panelist, It’s Relevant News channel, and quoted in the Wall Street Journal for her in depth knowledge of Fairfield County Connecticut real estate.
She was also on the local NPR radio station (WSHU) as a Fairfield County CT real estate expert. Judy has provided multiple online respected news sources with her real estate expertise including The Daily Easton, The Daily Weston, The Daily Fairfield, The Daily Stamford and The Daily Greenwich, as well as in print in the New York Post. She is a weekly Real Estate Columnist for WestportNow.com, another real estate column "Real Estate With Judy” is syndicated through Hearst CT Media Online and seen in The Connecticut Post, The Danbury News-Times, The Stamford Advocate, The Greenwich Time, The Hour, Fairfield Citizen, Westport News, Darien News, New Canaan News and the Wilton Villager.
Judy is also the author of the book, The Art of Buying or Selling a Home, available at all major book retailers. Additionally, Judy has been nationally recognized in a number of national real estate trade magazines, some with distribution to over 1 million members. She was featured in Real Estate Today as early as 1994 for her commitment to, and implementation of technology in real estate. Judy appeared in the Certified Residential Specialist Magazine, as she provided advice on marketing strategies and ethics in the article titled "Marketing Makeovers.”
Judy was also featured in REALTOR® Magazine, regarding image enhancement for Realtors. She was again featured in REALTOR® Magazine, in an article on "Achieving Flow” and operating at optimal peak performance. In another article in the same publication, Judy offered guidance to fellow real estate professionals as she explored the topic of implementing and maintaining personal websites. She has appeared in The Council of Residential Specialists Magazine, which featured her ideas regarding technology. Additionally, Judy authored an article on marketing and technology for the Certified Residential Specialist (CRS) Online Magazine. On two occasions, in 2015 and 2017, she appeared as a featured agent in Top Agent Magazine. I have a few other websites- www.TheCtrealtyBlog.com www.CtHomesAndRealEstate.com www.BestWestportHomes.com www.ThePetitePowerhouse.com www,SzablakConsulting.com
