When you’re building a custom home in Tennessee, you have several decisions to make. You’ll be focused on square footage, which rooms you’ll need and more – but before you get to any of that, it’s a good idea to settle on whether you want a sprawling one-story home or you’d rather have a multi-level home that lets you enjoy more space outdoors.
Building Up, Building Out… Does it Matter?
Whether you build up or build out is a personalized decision. If you’ve always wanted a bedroom that overlooks your backyard pool and the tree line behind your home, it’s no question – you’ll want more than one story. However, if you anticipate stairs being a problem for you or a family member, you might opt for something with very few upward steps.
A single-story home may have fewer constraints on the placement of load-bearing walls, and it allows you to have higher ceilings in most places, but you can get a mixture of vaulted ceilings and upper floor functionality with a creative floor plan. Single-story homes with the same square footage as their two- and three-story counterparts take up much more of your home lot, but they afford you the convenience of having everything on one level.
Most people choose a hybrid of the two. You can enjoy the best of both worlds – and the best part is that you’re making the decisions that will make your house a home that you can truly enjoy.
What to Ask Yourself Before You Settle on a Floor Plan
- Do you want a guest room or a mother-in-law suite? Sometimes it’s best to have guest bedrooms upstairs, away from the commotion common in downstairs areas.
- Are you planning a home theater or rec room? You’ll need something with high enough ceilings that’s also private enough to enjoy; these are often good lower-floor rooms.
- How much space are you willing to give up outside for room inside? A multilevel home generates a smaller footprint than a single story house of the same size does, which can leave you plenty of yard space for entertaining or gardening.
- Would you prefer to set apart some rooms from others? Nothing divides a space like gravity does. If you need quiet for a home office, consider the benefits of building up rather than out. Conversely, you may have kids’ bedrooms and a playroom in mind for your new custom home (a playroom needs to be easily accessible from anywhere in the home). If that’s the case, it might be better to build a single-story home.
Still Not Sure What’s Right for You?
Call us at 615-824-6970 or contact us online to discuss your options. We build some of the most beautiful custom homes in Tennessee, and we’d love to hear your ideas so we can get started on yours, too.[gravityform id=”9″ title=”true” description=”true”]
