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| One-story | 40% | 126 votes | Total: 318 votes | |
| Two-story | 60% | 192 votes |
One-story
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Add to FavoritesA century ago, large families were in vogue. Mothers were homemakers, fathers went to work to support the family, the older children helped with chores, went to school and looked after little brothers and sisters in their spare time. That was just the way things were.
Then, large families were needed to help with farm chores, or in the family business. Having many children was the parents' old age insurance, in the days before Social Security. Large sprawling houses were built to accommodate the quickly-increasing broods..
Today the trend has changed. With the improvement in contraceptive methods and the appearance of the birth-control pill in the 1950's, family size began to shrink, as the numbers in the work force began to grow.
During the World War II, many men joined the armed forces and women began to take their places in the domestic labour force. When the troops returned, many women kept their jobs and their husbands returned to work as well.
Through the years, the economy grew, and salaries increased with it.
As a result, families soon had larger disposable incomes, and many chose to save for a down-payment on large, luxurious homes with amenities that their mothers and grandmothers could only have dreamed about. Admittedly, the mortgage payments were large, but with both spouses working, they could just manage to meet them.
Fast forward to 2008. The recession hit. One or both spouses lost their jobs and couldn't meet the mortgage payments. The bank foreclosed on their loan and they were forced to file for bankruptcy.
They have lots of company. The recession, which may well become a depression before it's over, is world-wide in scope.
When the dust finally clears, what will the housing market of the future look like?
Many families will find themselves starting over and beginning anew to build their financial resources. This time they will look for smaller, more reasonably-priced living accommodations. With the trend to smaller families, bungalows will provide sufficient space for everyone.
The baby boomers will be reaching retirement age. One-story homes, with fewer stairs, will be most attractive and will relieve the strain on arthritic hips and knees. They are also easier to clean and maintain. Cleaning eaves troughs and polishing second-floor windows is a challenge those middle-aged and older.
What of the younger generation? Many of them have eschewed marriage and instead embarked on a series of "relationships", in an effort to discover their true soul mates. These temporary liaisons are best carried out in apartments, just in case they don't work out.
By the time the younger generation finally decides to settle down, both partners will be approaching middle age. Bungalows will be very attractive to this group also. If they decide to start a family, everyone will still fit handily into a one-story home.
Just as family size has changed in the past century, so has preference in housing. The post-recession house that will sell quickly and easily will be a single story, low-maintenance model with lots of labour-saving features.
The average buyers will be in their mid-thirties or older, career-oriented, and hoping to find a home in which to be comfortable until they reach their sunset years. One-story homes, up for resale, won't last long in the post-recession real estate market.
Learn more about this author, Carolyn Tytler.
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Two-story
A two story home has a better resale value than a one story home for many reasons. A two story home takes up less square footage on a lot and thus gives one more room to do whatever. For instance if you are considering adding more garage space for a family then having a two story home on a lot will give you that extra room that is needed, or even if you are considering just widening the driveway to have an area to put an extra car or park a trailer beside the home a two story gives you the lot size in order to do this.
Another reason a two story home has more value is that there is less roof to cover. Anybody that has had to put a roof on a one story or a sid split will tell you the cost of roofing is rather expensive. With a two story home you are in fact rooming only half a home as the other half is already roofed by the second story of the structure itself. So you save money on the next roof job.
Also, a two story home is cheaper to heat as the first floor is always warmer than the second floor. The first floor tends to heat the house. The second floor receives the residual heat from the first floor and give better sleeping conditions at night by being just a little cooler than the first floor. The heat circulation is equal but the area is less and the warm air tends to rise up to the second floor naturally.
The stair well tends to be a high traffic area as there are usually two sets one for the upper level and one for the basement level. But on the otherhand one keeps the house much tider as the concentration of people is usually in the family room whether it is on the first level or the basement. Stairs are a great deterent from moving up and down to the bedrooms and thus you have less activity in these rooms over a week and less work in cleaning and carpeting or flooring of your choice.
When it comes to redecorating this home you are more apt to doing it in phazes 1, 2 and 3. Therefore you don't have to come up with a large amount of money for the whole house due to living spaces being open concept or rooms that lead on into another area. With a two story house one can budget more easily their finances and can space out the cost of each area over time. Sometimes because you are doing most of the redecorating your self you can keep the mess in one area and the rest of the house is still under control. Unlike a one story house when one room is in a state of disaray everyone can see and has to manage around the upheavel.
From a housewife's perspective you can manage the weekly or monthly cleaning of a two story home much better. As you can do a level a day or whatever your choice of program is you can alternate from one schedule to another where in a one story you are more compelled to do all the level at the same time as each room is viewed each time someone goes down the hall. For instance the powder room is usually the same room as the bathroom in a one story home for convenience and cost in building this type of residence. Thus the powderroom quasi bathroom needs a daily once over to keep the guest who visit happy.
Cost of building a two story is cheaper as the plumbing stacks are usually lines up over top of each other and the electrial wiring is shortened by the foot by going up instead of lengthwise. Distance verses height makes a difference in price of building a two story over a one story. A ranch is always more expensive than a two story but a bungalow is less expensive than a two story provided the square foot age is equal.
All the way around if you have a family the best house to buy is a two story with an entrance from the garage to the rec room in the lower level and an entrance to the kitchen also from the garage plus a front and back door will give you more ease in living than any other type of home. Also in the two story make sure the stair well up to the second level and down to the basement level is not part of another room. This too helps to keep the work and traffic down in the other areas of the home that you may use for company or show.
Taxes and homeowner's insurance are generally cheaper on a two story verses a one story although this is not the reason to buy this house but cost is a factor all the way along.
Over all I would buy nothing but a well planned out two story home if I were raising a family and had to be cost efficient.
Learn more about this author, Aria Quill.
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