Single storey or two storey?
The layout is the decision you will live with longest, and the hardest one to change later. Here is how to work through it before you fall for a drawing.
One level or two
There are genuine advantages to both, and the right answer usually comes down to two things: what your lot allows, and the ages of the people living there.
Single storey
If stairs are the constraint
- No overhead noise. Nobody walking above the living room while you are in it.
- Works at every age. Stairs are a problem for older residents and, differently, for the child who likes riding down them in a sleeping bag.
- Easier to heat evenly. A central living area with rooms around it lets heated and cooled air move naturally. Two storeys need more complex and more expensive mechanical systems.
- Simpler to maintain. No cleaning an upper exterior, no vacuuming stairs.
- The family triangle. Living, dining and kitchen merged into one generous space, often under vaulted ceilings with tall glazing.
- More freedom in the layout. Rooms can go where you want them, without a floor above dictating where structure has to land.
Two storey
If land is the constraint
- More house on less land. The right answer on a smaller lot, and you keep the back garden.
- Views instead of a neighbour's window. Height buys outlook, which matters more on an infill lot than anywhere.
- Real separation. Living and kitchen below, bedrooms and bathrooms above. Noise stays downstairs and guests never pass a bedroom door.
- Private space per person. Easier to give everyone somewhere of their own.
- The staircase as a feature. It is a large object in the middle of the house and it can be the best thing in it.
- Storage under the stairs. Built-in shelving in space that would otherwise be wasted.
If you are planning to stay in the house through retirement, it is worth deciding now whether a main floor primary suite belongs in a two storey plan. It is a common modification and much easier to draw than to add later.
Four questions worth answering honestly
Choosing a layout is fun and frustrating in roughly equal measure. These are the questions that tend to decide whether you still like the house in five years.
Where should the bedrooms sit?
This changes with the ages of your children, and it changes again as they grow. Families with young children usually want bedrooms and bathrooms grouped together in one part of the house. Families with teenagers and young adults usually want them separated from each other.
Does the flow work?
Walk the plan in your head, in the order you would in real life. Coming through the front door, is there somewhere for coats and shoes? Entering the main living area, do the proportions feel right? How far are the bedrooms from the noise?
Flow is what people most regret getting wrong, because unlike finishes it cannot be fixed afterwards with money.
How much do you actually entertain?
Plenty of plans are built around it. A wide foyer opening to living and dining makes guests comfortable immediately, and an open kitchen with a large island works because people gather around whoever is cooking whether you plan for it or not.
But if you would rather not have the whole house on display every time the front door opens, a formal living room next to the entrance gives guests somewhere to gather while the rest stays private. Both are valid; they are just different houses.
How much outdoor space will you maintain?
A covered porch, lanai, patio or fire pit genuinely improves how a house lives, and it adds value. It is also expensive to build.
Floor plan questions
It depends mostly on your lot and the ages of the people living there. Single storey suits anyone who wants to avoid stairs, is easier and cheaper to heat evenly, and is simpler to maintain. Two storey puts more house on less land, gives better views than looking into a neighbour's window, and separates sleeping from living. If land is your constraint, build up. If stairs are your constraint, build across.
It changes with the ages of your children. Families with young children usually want bedrooms and bathrooms grouped together in one part of the house, so everyone is close. Families with teenagers and young adults usually want bedrooms separated from each other. Worth thinking about where your family will be in ten years, not just where it is now.
Walk through it in your head, in the order you would in real life. Is there somewhere for coats and shoes as you come in? Do the proportions feel right as you enter the main living area? How close are the bedrooms to the noise? Flow is the thing people most regret getting wrong, because it cannot be fixed with furniture.
As much as you will genuinely maintain. A covered porch, lanai, patio or fire pit adds to your lifestyle and to the value of the house, but outdoor space is expensive to build and looks poor if it is neglected. Be honest about the upkeep before committing the budget.
Once you have decided on the shape of the house, how to choose a plan covers narrowing it down and checking the size against your budget.
Talk it through before you commit to a layout.
Tell us about the lot, the family and how you actually live. A Build Specialist has had this conversation many times and will tell you what usually gets regretted. Design is included in the package.