ᐅ Why choose 2 stories instead of 3? Aren't 3 stories more practical?
Created on: 14 Mar 2015 08:51
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baunewbiene
Hello everyone,
Can someone tell me why so few people build houses with three floors, and most opt for just two? Personally, I find it more practical if the parents have one floor and the children have another (in our planned case, without a basement, but with storage and technical rooms integrated on the different levels)... Is this significantly more expensive than two floors plus a basement? Or why do people prefer building underground rather than adding an extra floor above?
Sorry if this sounds like a silly question, but it’s something I’m wondering about...
Good luck
baunewbiene
Can someone tell me why so few people build houses with three floors, and most opt for just two? Personally, I find it more practical if the parents have one floor and the children have another (in our planned case, without a basement, but with storage and technical rooms integrated on the different levels)... Is this significantly more expensive than two floors plus a basement? Or why do people prefer building underground rather than adding an extra floor above?
Sorry if this sounds like a silly question, but it’s something I’m wondering about...
Good luck
baunewbiene
Umbau-Susi14 Mar 2015 11:01A vacuum cleaner on each floor and a cleaning closet help a lot. I’m already "middle-aged" and not as mobile as before. However, with proper planning, a 3-story house with a basement is still manageable.
And if necessary, a stairlift might be installed at some point. We have already checked that this is possible.
And if necessary, a stairlift might be installed at some point. We have already checked that this is possible.
Yes, there are quite a few things to make the work easier, no matter how many floors there are.
We have a broom closet or a built-in cupboard on each floor for the vacuum cleaner, mop, cleaning supplies, toilet paper stock, etc. I find this—despite having three floors—much more comfortable than a 1.5-story house without any storage options upstairs.
A laundry chute in both bathrooms (upper floor and attic) will ensure that laundry effortlessly reaches the ground floor, where it can be taken straight outside after washing through the utility room’s patio door.
Getting the clean laundry back upstairs is up to each person. Everyone gets a basket for clean clothes. When the wardrobe is empty, the basket will be picked up. Our older kids are already 9 and 12 years old.
We are not fans of basements anyway. (a 1.5-story house with a basement also has three floors).
Besides, soon we won’t need to go to the attic much once the two boys have their own floor with a shower bathroom. The attic will then only be my “zone” to get decorations and such.
As I said, it depends on your needs. A bungalow can be nice too, but with three children it’s currently not very practical for us.
We have a broom closet or a built-in cupboard on each floor for the vacuum cleaner, mop, cleaning supplies, toilet paper stock, etc. I find this—despite having three floors—much more comfortable than a 1.5-story house without any storage options upstairs.
A laundry chute in both bathrooms (upper floor and attic) will ensure that laundry effortlessly reaches the ground floor, where it can be taken straight outside after washing through the utility room’s patio door.
Getting the clean laundry back upstairs is up to each person. Everyone gets a basket for clean clothes. When the wardrobe is empty, the basket will be picked up. Our older kids are already 9 and 12 years old.
We are not fans of basements anyway. (a 1.5-story house with a basement also has three floors).
Besides, soon we won’t need to go to the attic much once the two boys have their own floor with a shower bathroom. The attic will then only be my “zone” to get decorations and such.
As I said, it depends on your needs. A bungalow can be nice too, but with three children it’s currently not very practical for us.
Oh yes, there are thousands of possibilities nowadays... just to name a few:
Laundry chutes
Water connections on every floor
Central vacuum systems
and so on.
All of this is possible... however, the zoning regulations usually say otherwise, as many have already mentioned here... our neighbors were not even allowed to build 1.5 stories because they are located in the third row...
Laundry chutes
Water connections on every floor
Central vacuum systems
and so on.
All of this is possible... however, the zoning regulations usually say otherwise, as many have already mentioned here... our neighbors were not even allowed to build 1.5 stories because they are located in the third row...
It just goes to show that everyone has their own preferences.
My husband and I are very particular about cleanliness and organization. But personally, I want everything to be in a single utility room, rather than having to duplicate everything on every floor.
We also don’t collect or hoard anything. Everything that’s no longer needed gets removed.
Even though I clean frequently and thoroughly, I don’t want to face this issue on every floor. I prefer to have just one room where everything is stored and where it’s easy to keep track of what’s available and what’s not.
Perhaps this is also because we both work full-time, have a child, and a very large family. We want to keep things clean, tidy, and still very cozy. I find those ugly “cleaning closets” quite bothersome.
When you build your own house, you can of course plan in all the conveniences, as long as the budget allows.
But with existing properties, it’s not always that simple!
My husband and I are very particular about cleanliness and organization. But personally, I want everything to be in a single utility room, rather than having to duplicate everything on every floor.
We also don’t collect or hoard anything. Everything that’s no longer needed gets removed.
Even though I clean frequently and thoroughly, I don’t want to face this issue on every floor. I prefer to have just one room where everything is stored and where it’s easy to keep track of what’s available and what’s not.
Perhaps this is also because we both work full-time, have a child, and a very large family. We want to keep things clean, tidy, and still very cozy. I find those ugly “cleaning closets” quite bothersome.
When you build your own house, you can of course plan in all the conveniences, as long as the budget allows.
But with existing properties, it’s not always that simple!
Umbau-Susi14 Mar 2015 11:32If you gut an existing property and renovate it according to your own needs, and if you have a skilled carpenter, the cleaning cupboard simply doesn’t look like a cleaning cupboard.
But ultimately, it’s a matter of personal taste how you do it. I would put it this way: “If something runs out, I can always borrow twice from myself.”
But ultimately, it’s a matter of personal taste how you do it. I would put it this way: “If something runs out, I can always borrow twice from myself.”
I once lived in a townhouse with 4 levels (basement + ground floor + first floor + attic). It was just frustrating. Going up and down the stairs, having a bathroom and shower on every floor that also needs cleaning. I never want to live like that again.
One question: do you already have children? Do you know how complicated it is with small kids when you have to go up and down the stairs five times at night because the child is crying? Many children are scared if their parents are not nearby (on the same floor).
Storage room on every floor—okay—but where do you keep the toilet paper? Where do you put the vacuum cleaner? A vacuum on each floor, or hauling it up and down three flights of stairs? It will always be the case that the vacuum cleaner is needed where it isn’t, because it’s on a different floor.
So, building across three floors is always a last resort for me. We have our living space on two floors, and we keep the attic as storage space and an additional play area for the children.
One question: do you already have children? Do you know how complicated it is with small kids when you have to go up and down the stairs five times at night because the child is crying? Many children are scared if their parents are not nearby (on the same floor).
Storage room on every floor—okay—but where do you keep the toilet paper? Where do you put the vacuum cleaner? A vacuum on each floor, or hauling it up and down three flights of stairs? It will always be the case that the vacuum cleaner is needed where it isn’t, because it’s on a different floor.
So, building across three floors is always a last resort for me. We have our living space on two floors, and we keep the attic as storage space and an additional play area for the children.
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