One story home
plans can be any style of home. The homes can be small or large,
cottage-like or sprawling. It just depends on your preferences.
One story home
plans offer the advantage of not having staircases to maneuver.
This can be of particular benefit in several instances. If someone in your
family is wheelchair-bound or otherwise has difficulty maneuvering stairs,one
story home plans will provide fewer challenges in daily home life.
Everything being on one level makes every day a little bit easier for someone
who would have difficulties negotiating stairs.
Another situation where you might prefer one
story home plans is if you have small children living in the house. Not
having to navigate stairs can make things a little less worrisome with regards
to your childproofing in your home. You won't need to be sure to gate off
the access to the staircase in order to prevent falls. You'll have less of
a safety concern as far as open windows in the house too, if the farthest
distance between window and ground is just a few feet.
There are some potential negatives to
choosing one story home plans as well, and you'll just need to balance those
with your preferences and priorities when deciding on your home. Such
homes utilize a larger footprint than the same square footage in two story
homes. This may mean means sacrificing some lot space, and may limit your
choices for outdoor recreation at home.
Heating and cooling systems are likely to be
more spread out in a one story home, so therefore more expensive. Likewise
with the pipework in your home...the more the distance the plumbing needs to
travel, the higher the expenses. These things will tend to be more compact
in a two story home, so therefore less expensive.
One story homes will tend to have twice as
much roofing expense as their two story counterparts. This is an initial
additional expense you'll want to consider.
On the other hand, you may tend to have a
bit more built-in privacy with one story home plans, as the same square footage
may tend to leave more space between and around individual lots. It may
also decrease housing density for similar reasons, which can be beneficial in
many ways, including less traffic in the neighborhood.
One story home plans may offer some noise
benefits as well. If you can be on the opposite end of the house from the
piano practice (or band practice in the garage), you may get to enjoy more peace
and quiet than if that piano was in the living room below your den.
Likewise with the pitter patter of little feet...it can be just as adorable, and
perhaps more enjoyable, when that pitter patter is not right overhead.
When it comes right down to it, all styles
of homes are going to have potential positives and negatives. You just
have to decide for yourself which positives and negatives are the most important
for you, and decide on your home plans from there.
Preston Wood and Associates is a member the "American Institute of
Building Design" or "AIBD". The "AIBD" is a national organization with
chapters in every major city including
This article was published on Wednesday 27 January, 2010.
