When you’re looking at building a one-storey home, you’ll find a wide variety of homes that are beautiful and functional. While conventional wisdom has often focused on utilizing vertical space to maximize square footage, there are many reasons why it may be time for you to consider a one-story home.
While “building up” may seem like a great way to fit more home onto your lot, there’s actually a fair amount of wasted space. Staircases take up a considerable amount of room, but a one-story house uses all the available space for living areas. In addition, one-story homes need fewer bathrooms, because everyone is on one floor. The space you would’ve used for bathrooms, then, can be allocated to more functional rooms.
A one-storey house has more ceiling options. You have more leeway with things like ceiling height and skylights when you build a one-story house, and you gain storage space through the use of an attic.
One-storey houses are, in many ways, safer. Not only does having a one-storey house mean you don’t risk a fall down the stairs, but it’s also easier to evacuate your family in case of fire.
It’s easier – and cheaper – to heat and cool a one-storey home. Two-storey homes tend to have inconsistent temperature zones, which necessitates using separate HVAC units. However, that also means more opportunity for expensive HVAC repairs. Circulation in a one-storey home is more fluid, because all the rooms flow into each other. In addition, it’s easier to shade a one-story home, which means lower energy costs.
Ultimately, a one-storey house is more convenient. With a two-storey house, you inevitably want what’s on the other floor. Having a one-story house makes it easier to keep an eye on children, and noise is less of a problem when there’s no one overhead. It’s easier to keep a one-storey house neat, too, because you don’t have to carry things “all the way upstairs” to put them away.
