Tell me about your split level home...

[Jaime4004]

I grew up in a split level ranch, built in the 80's. Because of that, I never wanted one. The basement was fully finished but still always felt like a basement to me, even with the windows. It always seemed a little damp and was a safe haven for spiders.
The split stairs at the front door didn't bother me. We usually entered through an attached garage. My parents still live there but plan on retiring and moving within a few years. The stairs will start becoming a problem for my mother...

 

[RadioNate]

Yeah, but it's not really 2 'flights' of stairs, because it's still just a 2 story house. It's 2 SETS of stairs, of maybe 6 steps each. Where 2 flights of stairs would normally be 2 sets of maybe 14 stairs.

Still annoying with little kids & older people who don't do stairs well.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

The market is hot where I live right now. However a there is a house two lots down under agreement for 40k more. Same sq ft but house is a colonial.... So I do see what your saying. I think the split is priced lower for the reason you mentioned. Also, we don't plan on moving for a very long time if ever.

Im sure there are lots of reasons for the price difference, foremost that it's a brand new house! When we've had our house appraised (and we've done it several times), it is always valued in comparison to similar homes in town, i.e. similar age, style and lot size. (Not necessarily ones that are right next door.) As far as desirability, plenty of people still like the split level style. Two around me just sold literally in the past month for more than they sold for previously a few years back. I often have people stop by when I'm out in my yard to tell me they love my house and if I ever want to sell it, to give the a call! I kid you not!

 

[meliss8599]

Our split is absolutely darling and I love the vaulted ceiling that starts at the front of the house from the entry and extends over the living/dining room up to the hallway for the bedrooms. It makes the house look larger and is very pretty. It's nice to walk out of our bedroom in the morning and be able to look out the front picture windows to the outside. With that being said,

I WOULD NEVER, EVER, EVER BUY A TRUE SPLIT LEVEL AGAIN.

There is ABSOLUTELY NO STORAGE SPACE. Our lower level is 6 steps down from our side entrance and is really our family room--not a basement. The only storage we have is a crawlspace which is off of a closet. It's incredibly inconvenient to get in and out of because we have to move the things in the closet to get to the crawlspace door and then crawl around in the crawlspace to get at anything.

I love all holidays, but find that I only decorate for Christmas b/c I don't want to dig around in the crawlspace.

I also give away a lot more than I would like to (children's clothes/toys to use for future kids) b/c I have no place to store it.

If you were to choose to use your living room as your family room and your lower level as storage, that might work; HOWEVER, then you WOULD have to worry about noise reaching sleeping children--especially if you have the vaulted ceiling as I do.

Best of luck in your decision.

 

[disykat]

Around here, people don't really have basements so split levels are a way of getting a larger house. Newer homes tend to be two story, but in certain price ranges slightly older split levels are the way to get more space!

I've always heard of them as "split levels", not "raised ranch."

 

[jodifla]

We lived in a split level, or raised ranch. The downsides are the lack of foyer and little dedicated storage space.

The big upside is, it's absolutely huge. It's got 5 bedrooms and 3 baths, so we've turned a bedroom into a storage room. The downstairs has a huge family room and fireplace, and a huge, huge, huge, rec room with a guest room and the storage room off it.

We have 3 bedrooms, a kitchen and a combined dining room and living room. We love that we can be upstairs doing adult stuff while kids are downstairs playing, and they have plenty of room. And then while our son is asleep, we can be down in the family room with a cozy fire and the tv on.

The downstairs is always cool, which is also nice. And yes, there are stairs, but only a half flight each way once you enter.

 

[mamamary]

My neighbor has this type house. When her mother got older she could no longer do the stairs to leave the house. Also, her deck out back is high and her dogs are starting to age so soon they will have trouble with the stairs leading to the yard.

 

[mnrose]

I do not care for them myself. We do own one as a rental property, and it works well for that. However, they do sell for LESS than the same square footage in either a true two story or ranch style home. If you are comfortable with automatically having a smaller set of buyers when you resell, fine.

You DO get more bang for your buck, which is why we have one as a rental. But, there is a reason for that. We are an "aging" population, and this type of home will not appeal to older buyers who want to live on one level, or have minimal stairs.

In our area (Minnesota) they are built because they are "cheaper" to build than homes with a full basement. You do not find "higher" end homes built in this style. Generally entry level homes.

 

[bellarella]

Around here, people don't really have basements so split levels are a way of getting a larger house. Newer homes tend to be two story, but in certain price ranges slightly older split levels are the way to get more space!

I've always heard of them as "split levels", not "raised ranch."

A split level is a home where one half of the home is half a level off from the other half of the home (splitting it in half). These can be tri, quad or even 5level homes, depending on whether there are basements, second stories or finished attics involved.

Raised ranches are two level homes where the bottom level is neither a true basement, nor completely above grade and you usually enter on a landing between the two levels.

(or so my architect friends tell me)

 

[DVCJones]

I see that some consider them to be "entry" level homes. That strikes me as odd. Around here, there are many split and raised ranches. Oddly enough this would be our 3rd home purchase and definitely not something we could afford when we were buying our first home. The home is located in a "desirable" neighborhood. We use to dream about living in this type of neighborhood. Maybe it is our location... As I know there were multiple offers. Some were even over asking....

I continue to enjoy all the responses. For those of you who do live in a split and like it, how did you deal with storage. I'm looking for ideas. Maybe ways to make the most of the garage space, attic... Etc.

 

[spima3]

My SIL and her new husband recently bought a split level.

They are very odd. The stairs on entry lead down to family room, which is very hard to furnish as it is L shaped. So she has almost like a huge entry leading to a small sitting area down there.

The first floor entry area she uses as a formal living room, as it's too small for anything else, and the dining table is stuck in the kitchen area w/ the island not to far away.

It is an older area, but the homes are all very nice and the view is incredible. She lived in a lot of cheap rentals during her first marriage, so she is thrilled to have her own home.

However, she admits, though there is a lot of space it isn't very usable and actually feels smaller than the 1/2 double she lived in before.

If they were all like this, I would never want to live in one.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

While researching something I came across a great website www.SplitLevel.net

Here they talk about the history of the split level home. Very interesting!! http://www.splitlevel.net/background.html

Looking to the future, the strength of the true split (or three-level) home is in its charm. A well appointed exterior, surrounded by mature landscaping, create a home that is tough to beat. Inside, these homes hark back to a kinder, gentler era; closer families, traditional values. As more and more buyers recognize these intrinsic features, existing splits will experience a renaissance similar to what the bungalow is enjoying today.

As for the bi-level, that unlikely offspring of Bauhaus efficiency, Levitt construction techniques and 1970s inflation, the picture is different but equally positive. While it is difficult to imagine a day when bi-levels and raised ranches will be recognized as a highly desirable design, you can never deny their versatility. Once homeowners recognize that they own a blank canvas awaiting their artistic imprint, they will realize that each bi-level and raised ranch has the potential to be transformed into a unique "dream house."

It's also significant that most divided entry homes were built in neighborhoods or developments. Often these homes are close together -- but not too close -- close enough to easily walk to numerous neighboring homes. With landscaping fully mature by now, these neighborhoods are aesthetically pleasing. Streets, sidewalks and lawns offer unlimited opportunities to share basketball hoops, laugh with friends, borrow tools, and greet neighbors in vibrant mini-communities. Although it may not reflect as highly in resale dollars, the real value of these neighborhoods is worth far more than any cavernous gated McMansion plopped atop a five acre lot.

 

[ilovepcot]

Some of these posts have me scratching my head. The term "split level" is being used here to mean many different things to people and I do know terms differ in various parts of the USA/world.

The house DH and I now live in is considered a "split level" but does not have a split foyer at the entrance, nor does it have *steep* stairs. It was designed over a period of time by my father who was an architect. This was the family vacation home and it was built around trees and a lake using lots of gorgeous wood and glass. Everything was done for "drama". It's the reason DH and I left FL. Yes, even WDW couldn't hold me.

We have 4 rooms that you either step up or down (2-3 steps) to enter off the main house. Due to the layout and use of oversized windows and 22 foot ceilings, it really is a dramatic effect. And, my father referred to this as a "split level".

 

[disykat]

Raised ranches are two level homes where the bottom level is neither a true basement, nor completely above grade and you usually enter on a landing between the two levels.

(or so my architect friends tell me)

I understand that's how they're known by many, however, around here what you describe as a raised ranch is commonly called a split level. We've almost purchased one twice and know many people that live in them and I've never heard the term raised ranch used.

There are definitions, and there are also commonly used terms.

 

[klj27]

Our first home was a bi level and it was great for us. We used the space under the stairs for storage. We also built a nice size closet in the lower level family room. It didn't take away much space but it hid most of the kids toys and games. We also stored things in the garage in plastic storage bins. We had a shed in the backyard for the lawnmower, tools, etc.

 

[allison443]

I have a friend with a house like the OP describes. When you come in the front door, you can go up a short flight to the main living area (kitchen, dr, lr, bedrooms) or down a short flight to a huge family room which leads to the backyard. Personally I don't like having the family room down a flight of stairs from the kitchen (for access to food/snacks etc.) and also she had to go down a flight of stairs to bring food from the kitchen outside, etc. When my kids were young they were often in the family room off our kitchen while I was working in the kitchen, so that worked better for us.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

For those of you who do live in a split and like it, how did you deal with storage. I'm looking for ideas. Maybe ways to make the most of the garage space, attic... Etc.

I wish stores like IKEA and The Container Store were around when we bought our house and it was empty. (And I guess you could add knowing what I know today.) I would set up a lot of fun and functional storage systems in various areas of the house (like they do on some of the HGTV shows). If bedrooms are small with little closet space, there are lots of furniture options that have built in storage. And as I said before, keeping clutter to a minimum helps. I think you just have to be creative with use of space.

 

[Liberty Belle]

We own what people around here call a split level, but most people on the dis call it a raised ranch. It is like the home you're describing.

When we were shopping for a bigger home, I didn't think I wanted a split level, but we had a hard time finding something else we liked. I thought I'd hate the stairs, but I really don't mind them at all.

Our house is a little over 2400 sq ft, four bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. The rooms are large and ceilings are a good height entry is vaulted. We have a large closet downstairs under the stairs with a door leading to the garage from the closet, too. We also have a big garage (2 car with extra storage space) and an attic (pull down stairs). Storage is not an issue here.

There are a few things I don't like about it (laundry room isn't big enough, have to use coat closet as pantry, master bath is not big enough, dislike the wash in the exterior brick), but none of these are due to it being a split level.

It's in a nice neighborhood where about 1/4 of the houses are split level.

 

[BeachLove]

I have one right now and its actually great for my needs. You walk in and can go up or down about 6 steps. The bottom level is very comfortable, never any water issues. Its very bright down there as it has normal sized windows and two walk out areas leading to patios. The ceilings are a good height, rooms are a good size. Its also fully renovated which makes a difference. Our neighbors bottom level is terrible (paneling, drop down ceiling, concrete floors and useless imo but its their choice since they made it into a giant storage room, a dog area and laundry.

The homes sell for the same $$ square foot wise as the normal one and two level homes locally. Most market time is maybe 60 days, usually its about a month and its under contract.

Its very easy to expand them. Many neighbors add garages, bonus rooms, bump outs in the back, etc.

What else.... I don't know. I guess to get to the kitchen you have to go up 6 steps. Some people hate steps or feel confused on having to pick up or down once they walk in.

We call it a split entry around here.

 

[Wendy31]

In my area, a house like you describe would be called a "split foyer" - meaning, when you open the front door, there is a set of stairs going up to the main living area (living room, kitchen, dining room, bedrooms, etc.) & a set of stairs going down to the secondary area (den, extra bedrooms, laundry room, garage, etc).

It's not my favorite style of house because I don't like being immediately confronted w/ 2 sets of stairs in the foyer - especially in an older split foyer home. I also don't like the garage being on a separate level from the kitchen. However, if it were a newer build, I would consider it if the home had everything else we needed.

We are currently in a tri-level which I love. If we had one more bedroom, it would be perfect!

When you enter our house, you come into a traditional foyer with the living room to your right. The kitchen is straight ahead of the foyer, & the dining room is in between the kitchen & living room - the 3 rooms + the foyer kind of make a circle. To the left of the foyer is set of stairs that go up to our bedrooms. 2 steps down from the kitchen is our family room w/ only a lower section of kitchen cabinets separating the kitchen & family room, so our kitchen is open to our family room which is nice. Whoever is in the kitchen can still be a part of what's going on in th family room - when I'm cooking, I can still hear & see what the kids are doing, which was especially nice when the kids were younger. Our laundry room is off the family room, and our garage is also off the family room. We have a daylight basement play room which is about 10 stairs down from the family room.

My parents have a ranch over a finished daylight basement. A foyer, living room, kitchen, & 3 bedrooms are on the main level. The lower level (basement level) has the family room, office, laundry room, & garage. What I don't like about it (& what my mom has hated from the day they moved in) is the family room (the main place where the family gathers) is on a separate level from the kitchen. Also, since the garage is on a separate level from the kitchen, lugging groceries up the stairs is a pain.

So, in looking at a "split foyer" design or a raised ranch design, my top concerns would be the garage being on separate level from the kitchen & the kitchen being separate from the den/family room.