With all the listings available on the market today, you’ll have lots of choices for the type of home you’d want to buy. But it could also be time-consuming (and at times overwhelming) if you don’t narrow down your search.
Buyers looking for family homes usually opt for a house with at least two floors because it gives enough space for everyone. You might even be able to squeeze in a basement or small yard where the little ones can play.
Now, while most homes will have the typical 2-story layout, there’s also another type of home that not many people know about—split-level houses. Here’s a quick walkthrough of this type of home.
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What is a Split-Level House?
A split-level house is a type of house that usually has three or four floors arranged in a staggered manner.
The designs vary, but typically, what you see on the main floor are the living room, kitchen, and dining room.
Then, when you go down a short staircase, you’ll reach the basement or recreation area. This also usually connects to the garage.
When you go up a short staircase from the main floor, you’ll see the bedrooms. There could be another level above the bedrooms, but these three levels are essentially what make up a split-level house.
You could have either a back-split or side-split house. But the point is, you’ll have to go up a short staircase to get to the front door of the house and onto the main floor. The basement and bedrooms are atop each other, either beside or behind the living area.
Split Level House Benefits
Here are some split-level house benefits to help you appreciate what this type of home has to offer.
Allows for a Little More Privacy
Split-level houses allow for more privacy. Since you’re dedicating the floors for certain purposes, you get to define what the spaces will be used for, thus making it more efficient.
With the bedrooms being on one floor and separated from the living area, you can experience less noise even when you sleep at unusual hours of the day.
The same also goes for a home office that’s set up in your basement. It’s a little more private and quieter than when you have it on the same floor as your living area.
Great for Sloped Lots
A split-level house is also a great way to build on sloped lots. Instead of spending thousands of dollars on leveling the foundation of your home, you can just go for a split-level design. It’s more cost-efficient for you and easier for the people who will build your home.
With a sloped lot, you can have your main floor on the higher point of the lot and the two other floors beside it.
More Affordable
The popularity of split-level houses took off in the 1960s. People wanted a then-modern design to break away from the typical 2-story house.
It’s not as popular today, which is why you’ll probably find split-level houses to be more affordable than 2-story houses. You might be able to find a split-level house in great condition with a smaller price tag.
2-Story House Benefits
Now, here are some 2-story house benefits to consider when deciding which type of home would be better for you.
More Accessible
A 2-story house is more accessible in the sense that it doesn’t have a lot of staircases. You won’t need to climb a set of stairs before you get to the front door. You also won’t need to go up and down multiple flights of stairs all day just to get to different parts of the house.
More Versatile Designs
2-story houses are much more common nowadays. They come in different styles and designs. And this is why you’re more likely to find a house that perfectly aligns with your tastes.
With split-level houses, you’ll have very limited options. And the best way to have a house that’s perfect for you is to have it custom-built.
Have a Higher Resale Value
Since the value of split-level houses is a little lower, you can also only expect that it would have a low resale value in the future.
But since 2-story houses are still popular even today, they generally have a higher value in the market. If you plan on selling your home in the future, you’ll get a higher profit in selling a 2-story house.
Choosing Between the Two
Image source: Brenda Coulter
Both split-level and 2-story houses give you more square footage for your home. Since these types of homes utilize your vertical space, you won’t have to spend on a bigger lot size. You also won’t have to give up your yard space just to have room to accommodate all your needs in a house.
Again, here are the benefits of a split-level house:
- It allows for a little more privacy and efficiency.
- It’s great for working around sloped lots.
- It’s more affordable since there isn’t a lot of demand for this type of home.
And here are the benefits of a 2-story house:
- It’s more accessible since you won’t have to go up and down multiple flights of stairs every day just to get to different parts of the house.
- It has more versatile designs and styles since it’s more common in the housing market.
If you ever decide to sell your home in the future, it would have a higher resale value than a split-level house.
