March 17, 2016
So, What’s Your Story? One Floor or Two?
When you’re looking to buy new construction in Savannah, GA, you have a wide variety of choices. There are so many options available that sometimes the task of choosing the right floorplan for you can be completely overwhelming. One of the things our staff at Ernest Signature Custom Homes takes pride in is our talent for helping you choose the perfect home for your family, regardless of its size or your lifestyle.
One of the first – and most important – choices you’ll need to make is whether you’ll select a single-story home or one built on two floors. There are advantages and drawbacks to each, and only your family’s personal story will lead you to the right decision.
Let’s look at some of the factors that come into play!
Staying Single
Without staircases to take up space, you can capitalize on your square footage. You get more area for living in a single story home. For families with elderly or mobility-challenged members, the advantages are obvious. New parents or couples who are planning to start a family may also prefer a single-story home, as it provides faster and easier access to their infants and toddlers. No stairs also means fewer child safety gates. In case of fire, it’s often easier to evacuate a single-story home. From a safety standpoint, one floor is often the way to go.
Noise is also less of a concern, as you won’t be hearing the footsteps of the people above you while you’re using the downstairs rooms. You can often get away with fewer bathrooms in the home, because everything happens on one floor. This can potentially be a cost savings.
Single-story homes also give you more flexibility when it comes to varying the ceiling heights in certain rooms or installing optional skylights. If you live in an area where height restrictions for building are common, choosing a single-story home guarantees that you won’t have any problems meeting the requirements.
Doubling Up
Two-story homes generally cost less to build because the more expensive elements (laying the foundation, putting on a roof) can be averaged over a smaller area, although the total square footage of the home will be larger. They are usually more fuel-efficient due to less wall and roof space coming in direct contact with the elements.
From the second floor, you’ll usually have improved views from your windows. You’ll also get a larger lawn if you put a two-story house on your lot, because you’ll use less ground to get the same amount of square footage. Two-story homes can also allow more opportunities to add-on later, with more locations for porches, decks, connectors and bump-outs.
There is greater privacy when the bedrooms are located on the second floor, and the distance between rooms on the first and second floors can offer greater separation if you want to diminish the conflict of two radios or televisions broadcasting different channels at the same time.
Our wide variety of floor plans ensures that whichever style you prefer, you’ll find the right option for your family. Our experienced Sales Team can help guide you to the perfect plan…call us anytime at (912) 756-4135, or send us an email today!
