Here's a couple examples of pretty split level exteriors - in my opinion. They seem to be very much a product of the 60s/70s, so you have to be OK with the building norms of the time, low ceilings, etc.

We bought a 1959 split level and it's the most comfortable house either of us has ever lived in, and we've had 4 houses before this one. It has 3 heating zones, so that's not an issue. We added on to the back, so now the main level has a bathroom and open kitchen/dining area. I love that each level is only 6 steps away, and the laundry area is only one story down vs. 2 in most colonials.

Lots of pros

Biggest con for me so far is that roof replacement is about twice what it would cost for a basic colonial with similar square footage.

I think that a the noise issues and heating/cooling are super dependent on when and how well the house was originally built. Which is the case for basically any other style house.

We almost bought a split level similar to this one, which was technically 5 levels, with each level offset by half a staircase. I thought it flowed really well with secondary bedrooms on the top floor with a large bath, primary bedroom on the next level with an additional bedroom for office or nursery, then entry level with living room, dining room, and kitchen, then den with half bath, then a proper basement, which not many split levels have.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like the separation/noise buffer they kind of naturally provide, depending on where you are in the house. Plus they're more aesthetically pleasing/interesting than cookie cutter colonials any day.

Really? I live in one and I feel like you can hear everything. It’s only a bonus if you have kids and want to keep an eye on what they are doing.

Same, we live in a split and can hear everything.

Pros: More living space for your buck (each of our floors is pretty open, so even though the house is only 1800 sq ft, we have an open kitchen/dining/living space, and an open family room below.

Cons: heat distribution SUCKS. We had to run space heaters downstairs and upstairs was hot this winter. This might just be a function of it being a 1950's house. If you can redo the duct work and put in insulation in the walls, this may be less of a problem.

The number of stairs is also somewhat of a con; I twisted my knee and having to go up or down all the time is difficult.

Anonymous wrote:

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.

No bathroom is a huge con..

+1 I hated this and it was a big reason we moved. If you were on the main level you had to go upstairs or down for a bathroom and guests ended up using the kids hall bathroom.

We bought a split level right before the Amazon HQ2 announcement in Rosemont Alexandria. It is definitely the odd ball in the neighborhood aesthetically being surrounded by older Colonials and Craftsman homes. But we absolutely fell in love with the functionality of this house. We have multiple living areas, all above grade, and with smaller children it's easier to keep tabs on what they're up to. No bathroom on main level, but it's only 7 steps away. We haven't had issues with widely varying temperatures. We do adjust the vents to force more cold/warm air where we want it to go, but otherwise no more than a few degrees difference. Biggest pro in this neighborhood is the large lot size typically associated with splits. Our kids can run and play soccer in our yard, whereas most other lots here have postage stamp sized yards. Biggest con is that the original main level is choppy. We have plans to remove walls, add a big island kitchen, and vault the ceilings into the attic.

I never thought I'd live in a split level, but here we are.

Biggest con for me would be the curb appeal. I just wasn't into the exterior and still don't love it but it's growing on me and with time and work I think it will look really nice and not so old school retro.

Pros I've found to be many but others have already listed - good light, nice zones, not too many stairs between floors. We don't have a split foyer or a bathroom on the main floor which was an issue for me at first, but like someone else said, it's like seven steps up or down to get to one, and nice separation for privacy.

All in all I really like it.

I loved our split level when our kids were babies. I had friends who lived in colonials who were always freaking out about the stairs. If a kid falls down the stairs in a split level, they may have a few scrapes but no broken bones.

No bathroom on the main floor is also no big deal for us. 8 steps up or down gets you to a bathroom and then you have more privacy than if you were just off the main living area.

Temperature regulation is an issue in our house. I think that we should have a zoned system for the AC. The heat has 3 zones and it works really well.

Anonymous wrote:I personally dislike having a bathroom on the main floor. Unless your house is huge, I can always hear the flush of the toilet (if not other "sounds"). This is the worst when entertaining. I personally love having bathrooms both half-a-flight up and half-a-flight down. It's not inconvenient and offers so much more privacy.

Split levels where we live (in upper NW) are expensive, just like other housing stock. What I've found is that people live a lot longer in split-levels than in colonials. I think that because 6 steps are so much easier- and less scary and dangerous- to navigate when you're older, people live in them well into their 80s. In our neighborhood with several splits, people hold onto their houses well into their 80s.

IMHO the best thing about splits is that they tend to be designed with large, open windows. Modern design focuses heavily on maximizing natural light, which colonials do not.

Yeah most colonials don’t have an away part for private bath unless it’s had a long multi room addition