New Home Construction: Deciding Whether to Build Up or Build Out

Building a house requires you to invest a considerable amount of money. This is why it’s important that you take the time to consider the design as well as the features you want to have in your own house.

This stunning one-story House Plan 5086 is compact yet functional, with an attached garage and 1,528 square feet of living space.

One of the considerations you need to make when it comes to choosing a design is whether to build a single-story or two-story house. Which one will suit your needs best? This is the most crucial question you need to ask yourself to determine which option to choose. However, the answer will depend on a large number of factors.

This gorgeous two-level House Plan 2325 allows you to make use of the garden area for outdoor living.

Things to consider

Cost

Many people might immediately think that building a two-story house would be more expensive than a single-story. This may not always be the case. Deciding on building a two-level home allows you to build your dream home on a smaller lot, which can be more affordable. A two-story design allows you to add considerable square footage to your home without the additional costs of roofing and foundation. Choosing to go with a single-story home can mean that you’ll need a considerably sized lot if you are planning to build a large home. Consider how much money you have in the bank and how much you are willing to borrow when deciding which floor plan to go for.

This small affordable ranch house plan offers an open floor plan and functional kitchen with access to the covered patio.

Function

When deciding on the design of your future home, you’ll need to take note of the rooms and features you want included. If you were anticipating living with your elderly parents or in-laws, a single-level home without stairs would be more functional for the whole family. Having all rooms on the same floor also means gives everyone easy access to everything. If you want more flexibility, a two-level home would be perfect. Consider having the master bedroom on the first floor planning on spending your golden years in the same house. Extra bedrooms and flexible space on the second floor will give everyone some privacy.

Accessing Your Family’s Needs

Your lifestyle should be one of the considerations you need to make when choosing between a single-story or two-story house plan. This also includes the size of your family as well as your children’s ages. For example, families with small kids usually want to have their bedrooms and bathrooms in one area of the house, while those with teenagers want to have separate rooms.

If your family likes to entertain, a single level home with a wide foyer leading to open living space would be perfect.

To recap, here are the advantages and disadvantages of two-story and single-story homes:

SINGLE-STORY

Great for people with small children.
Perfect for aging couples or families living with older in-laws where stairs can be challenging.
An open floor plan provides easy access to all rooms.
A one-story home has high resale value.

DOUBLE-STORY

You can easily double or triple your square footage with a second level and basement floor plan.
Allows you to separate living and sleeping areas.
Is great for building in urban areas or waterfront areas where narrow lots are plentiful.

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Christine Cooney

Editor at The House Designers

Christine has over a decade of experience as a house plan and floor plan expert. Outside of providing her expertise to customers to help them find and build their dream homes, her passion and knowledge of the home building industry allows Christine to guide families and builders through all of the important steps from finding plans to building custom homes that meet the expectations of today’s new home owner. Christine’s years of knowledge of the diverse trends and needs of the modern homeowner has made her into an authoritative and trusted voice in the online house plan community.

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