In addition to neighborhood, number of bedrooms and baths, architectural style, house hunters typically have a preference of single story or two. George and I purchased our two story La Canada home nearly twenty years ago. We wanted a single story but fell in love with the two story. Recently I have been getting lots of telephone calls from homeowners wanting to sell their two story home because they can no longer take the stairs; seems that there are a lot of people with knee problems. So what’s better for you – single story or two?
If you are in the market to buy a home, remember to plan for the future. My most recent call was from La Crescenta homeowners who have lived and loved their home for nearly forty years. The thought of selling is breaking their hearts.
Advantages of a two story home:
The two story may have more yard space:
Let’s assume that each home on a block has a lot size of 10,000. A single story 3,000 square foot home is going to take up more of the lot than a two story similar sized home.
The two story home often provides more definition of sleeping space:
I typically wake early, while George is a night owl. When I wake early, I can go downstairs and bang around in the kitchen, go to the grocery store, unload groceries and never disturb him. And, he can watch television late into the night (downstairs) without disrupting me.
Although, stairs can be a nuisance, you do get a bit more exercise:
Not that I am up and down my stairs non-stop, but I am likely to make at least five trips up and down daily and every little bit helps.
Two story homes often have more curb appeal:
I think two story homes often have more presence.
Advantages of a single story home:
Stairs are a nuisance and can be dangerous:
I have tripped over the dog and fallen and another time just slipped while in a hurry (no broken bones)
As far as resale, I have more home buyers requesting single level homes:
In my experience more home buyers request a single story home, often due to simplifying their life. Although many condo buyers prefer a two level townhome. So perhaps this is just a preference as to where you are in your life.
Related Post: How much home do you need?
