Split levels - pros and cons

[Anonymous]

There are different styles (or maybe I’m confused). We have a split foyer with 2 levels. Others have 4 levels with more stairs. I like our 2 levels, esp when the kids were little. Bedrooms were on the main floor but there was also lots of space on the lower level. The stairs were only 1/2 flight at a time which seemed more manageable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How can you say “besides aesthetics”....how can you avoid that elephant in the room? Split levels are butt-ugly. Period.

Genuinely, can you explain why? On the outside or inside?

[Anonymous]

Pros: more useable space ( full size living room on main level and a large family room that is 4 steps down that is on ground level but doesn't feel like a basement like in a colonial-- perfect playroom). there's basically no hallways in our house so all the space is usable-- we can fit more furniture and stuff in surprisingly compared to a colonial that we had first bid on that had much smaller rooms.

Cons: no bathroom on main level-- we either have to walk up or down to use the bathroom

We LOVE ours. but we have a side by side split-- we also looked at a few back/front splits (and had bid on one) which felt like a lot worse sound separation from the living room to the bedrooms.

[Anonymous]

I love split levels but there are very few in the area where we are looking. It is pretty much all colonials and cape cods!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How can you say “besides aesthetics”....how can you avoid that elephant in the room? Split levels are butt-ugly. Period.

The elephant in the room is that they are a good value if you want to live in an otherwise unaffordable school district. There are lots in the W schools in MoCo. They are priced about $100k less than a similar sized colonial. Many are updated very nicely and neighbors have split levels and ranches so you are among other families in your price level. Some neighborhoods are tearing down the ranches and splits but in others people are doing a nice job adding on or renovating.

[Anonymous]

We are closing on a split level next week and I am so excited about it! It has a front porch, a bay window in the kitchen that will soon have a window seat, a large storage are on the bottom floor that will serve us well in multiple ways, a hang out space for kids, and pretty brick as opposed to the one color red that is so prominent among colonials.

[Anonymous]

Is this even a question...zero PROs ALL cons. Stupid architecture - that’s why this is the only style of home no longer replicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this even a question...zero PROs ALL cons. Stupid architecture - that’s why this is the only style of home no longer replicated.

How is it “stupid architecture”? Maybe the split foyers, but some of them are very practical and good use of space. Much better than the 80’s homes with 2-level foyers and lots of wasted space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this even a question...zero PROs ALL cons. Stupid architecture - that’s why this is the only style of home no longer replicated.

What are the cons?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is this even a question...zero PROs ALL cons. Stupid architecture - that’s why this is the only style of home no longer replicated.

+1

[Anonymous]

Split levels you say?? What are they good for! What are they not good for!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Pros: more useable space ( full size living room on main level and a large family room that is 4 steps down that is on ground level but doesn't feel like a basement like in a colonial-- perfect playroom). there's basically no hallways in our house so all the space is usable-- we can fit more furniture and stuff in surprisingly compared to a colonial that we had first bid on that had much smaller rooms.

Cons: no bathroom on main level-- we either have to walk up or down to use the bathroom

We LOVE ours. but we have a side by side split-- we also looked at a few back/front splits (and had bid on one) which felt like a lot worse sound separation from the living room to the bedrooms.

That seems like a very small con to me!

We almost bought a split 20 years ago, and I was not thrilled with it, we had a colonial in another region of the country. It was a crazy market like today, but in a small New England town- houses were selling within hours before they went on the market. We lost 5 houses before we got a Cape Cod. We love the 2 up 2 down floor plan and I feel like we would have also loved a split. Pretty sure this is my last house, but we will never buy a colonial and I'm so happy we didn't.

[Anonymous]

DC is very conservative aesthetically. Mid century splits are and have been highly desirable out west for at least a decade, if not longer. DC is slowly starting to catch on.
Coming from CA I love split levels. You can find some really nice ones in Forest Hills and along RCP.

[Anonymous]

No long staircase for kids, dogs, and grandparents to fall down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's rarely a bathroom, or even a powder room, on the main floor. This will not work for many, many families.

I also think they're just ugly, no matter what you do with them.

I would never, ever consider a split level.

Many 40s colonials don’t have main floor bath either. It’s fairly common.