Deciding Between a Ranch-Style or Two-Story Home
Deciding between buying a ranch-style or two-story home is tough. Mark Spain Real Estate is here to narrow your choice down and help determine which home will be the best fit for you and your family! We have curated the pros and cons of both ranch-style and two-story homes so you do not have to! We are grateful to serve our clients in reaching their real estate goals and making the selling or buying process as stress-free as possible!
If you are looking to sell your home and buy a new one, please visit our website! We would be honored to serve you in receiving an unparalleled client experience. We have various selling programs in place to ensure your goals are exceeded. Continue reading to differentiate between a ranch-style and two-story home!
Ranch-Style or Two-Story Home
Ranch Style
Pros
Deciding between ranch-style or two-story homes can be difficult, but if you are seeking a forever home that will age with you, ranch-style homes will be your best bet! When your children are young, you will not have to worry about them venturing off to the stairs unsupervised. On the flip side, when life becomes too difficult and you cannot get up and down the stairs, you will not have to worry about moving to a home that fits your new normal. You will also not have to worry about loud footsteps over your head in a single-story home!
A home can feel elevated in ranch-style builds. They have the ability to boast raised ceilings to make rooms feel larger and more spacious. Because there is not a top-level, you are not limited to the height of the ceiling. A major trend in 2022 is dramatic ceiling beams. These can add to the ambiance of the room and provide detail to a simplistic structure. With the addition of higher ceilings, larger windows can be added to create a bright and airy feel inside the home. Natural lighting creates an inviting feel to a room while also increasing the mental health of those working from home.
Additionally, you can create an inside/outside oasis by adding sliding glass doors to lead to your backyard. The desired open floor plan can be achieved with a ranch-style home. Your home will be the ultimate stay-cation for all of your guests. The combination of raised ceilings, open floor plan, and abundance of natural light will create the ultimate inviting space for you and your guests.
Cons
One downside of living in a ranch-style home is that it is not cost-efficient to build in comparison to a two-story home. More coverage in roofing will be needed as ranch-style homes are typically longer and wider than two-story homes. The cost per square foot is greater because you will need more foundation.
Also, if privacy is amongst the top of your priorities, a ranch-style home will not be your best bet. All bedrooms and shared spaces will be on the same level. To avoid the noise of rowdy family members, ensure the foundation of the walls are thicker. These are a few comparisons between a ranch-style and two-story home, continue reading to learn more about two-story homes!
Two-Story Homes
Pros
Two-story homes are oftentimes more energy efficient than a ranch-style. Two-story homes have the less square footage to heat and cool. Additionally, heat is brought in from the roof. In comparison, two-story homes boast less footage in roofing than one-story homes. So, less heat is brought into the home from the roof.
Another pro to two-story homes is the amount of privacy added between you and your family members. Bedrooms and living spaces have the ability to be spread out between the floors. Many adults prefer their bedrooms on the main level and the children’s rooms on the upper level. This allows for more privacy and safety. In the worst-case scenario, if someone were to break in the children would be the hardest to get to. You will also be able to have some peace while the children are at play upstairs.
Additionally, many two-story homes have attics and or basements. This means ample storage and utilized space for play areas, extra amenities, and guest rooms. You can have the office, gym, or play area of your dreams with the addition of a basement! You will also be able to store your holiday decorations and excess items in the basement or attic.
Cons
Accidents are at a higher risk in a two-story home. In comparison to a ranch-style home, two-story homes will not age with you. The stairs will be dangerous for both small children and the elderly. To avoid accidents, ranch-style homes will be your best bet. Also, to keep children safe from accidents, the distance between floors will prohibit you from hearing falls or screams.
It is also more expensive to heat and cool a two-story home because you will need two HVAC systems. A ranch-style home will only need one HVAC system. You will need to keep both upstairs and downstairs at a level of comfort. When you turn the upstairs system off, you will risk the downstairs temperature rising in the hot summers.
Mark Spain Real Estate is thankful to be able to guide our clients through the selling or buying process as stress-free as possible. You can trust you will be in the best hands from the beginning of the transaction all the way through to the closing table. Deciding between a ranch-style or two-story home can be hard, we hope to be able to narrow down your decision and guide you to the best option that fits your family’s needs!
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We are proud to be the most trusted name in residential real estate. We serve all of Metro Atlanta, including Athens in Georgia, Raleigh and Charlotte and Greensboro in North Carolina, Nashville and Chattanooga in Tennessee, Tampa and Orlando and Jacksonville in Florida, Greenville in South Carolina, and Birmingham in Alabama!
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