Double storey living is a whole new story (couldn’t resist LOL) for this middle aged mama.
Over the past five decades I have lived in a highset house (my childhood home), a worker’s cottage, a drafty and rundown old Queenslander, a couple of grotty flats, in a caravan for six months while we travelled around Australia, and modern lowset brick and tile homes.
But this is the first time I have ever lived in a two storey house, and I’m learning that it does make a difference …
The Views – I think this house sold itself to us, as soon as we climbed the top of the stairs into what is now my office (was a rumpus room) and took in the view through the sliding glass door, out over a large deck. Located on a ridge, we have great views across our suburb towards the bay, and even have glimpses of the water. The view is enchanting even after dark, with all the lights twinkling, and being able to watch the moon rise.
If you’re a regular reader you’ve probably already noticed we spend a lot of time out on the deck, soaking up the views. If this house had been a lowset, we would have missed out on all that!
A Bigger Backyard – One advantage of double storey living is that it gives you more garden. This block is exactly the same size as our last one but the yard feels much bigger – we have even been talking about the possibility of a pool (it’s highly unlikely but just to have the option is nice!).
No photos of the yard yet sorry, it’s still a work in progress …
The Bedrooms are Private – This is one of the other things I love about living here. In our last couple of homes, the master bedroom opened right off the living area and as a result it didn’t feel very secluded or private. Visitors could look right into our private space, and it also meant that if somebody was up watching television or chatting, the noise they made was RIGHT THERE.
With double storey living, many visitors will never, ever go upstairs (except for a selected few that are invited out onto the deck). Which means I can relax my standards a bit (as I write this, I haven’t made my bed which would NEVER have happened in our last house).
Having our bedroom away from the main living areas really makes it feel like a sanctuary. And I can’t even hear the TV from our bedroom! Which brings me to my next point …
Less Noise – While it’s lovely being able to rest without being disturbed by music, TV, cooking and conversations going on downstairs, there is a downside – if one of us is downstairs and the other upstairs, we can’t hear each other speaking – unless one is standing at the bottom of the stairs, and the other at the top. In our previous home we could chat no matter what rooms we were in. And yes, I must confess I text Mr 25 most nights to let him know that dinner is ready!
Keeping Fit – Alas, I don’t always have time for fitness sessions. But I’m beginning to think I could get just as fit and strong, and burn just as many calories, by walking up and down the stairs dozens of times each day. Check out my pedometer reading from the day we moved in – AND I didn’t always have my phone on me!
And you know you’re adjusting to double storey living when you start gathering a pile of things at the bottom of the stairs, ready to take on your next trip up 😉 .
Squeaky Floor – Maybe it’s just this house, but we’ve found that certain parts of the floor upstairs squeaks when walked on.
Washing is a Chore – I’ve encountered this problem before, when I lived in highset houses with the laundry downstairs. Having to carry wash baskets up and down the stairs really does make a difference. No longer do I just quickly chuck on a load – it’s much more of a process now.
Multiple Vacuum Cleaners – Look, nobody loves housework and the last thing you want to do is make it any more difficult or challenging. Keeping a double storey house clean is much easier if you have a vacuum cleaner stored on each level. In fact, I am also keen to get a stick vacuum (anybody got a Dyson V6 going cheap?!) to take care of the stairs! It’s a far cry from our days in the worker’s cottage, where we could vacuum the whole house with one cleaner plugged into the same power point!
Did you seriously expect a photo of a vacuum cleaner here?!
Costs – Things like getting the house painted or having roof repairs done, tend to cost more when it’s a two storey house. That’s because these tend to need extra measures such as scaffolding etc!
Status Symbol – If I’m honest, part of the reason we wanted a two storey house is because it felt like we’d finally “made it” (even if it was rundown and in need of some TLC). It sounds terribly shallow but I think it has definitely given our self-esteems a boost, the husbear in particular.
The stairs have given me a whole new setting for taking photos, and Miss Fleur thinks they are great fun too.
Meanwhile Seth has managed to get himself stuck on the roof … don’t think he’ll be doing that again in a hurry!
While there are a couple of negatives, I’m finding there is much to love about double storey living and I’m glad we have the opportunity now, before we reach an age where a single level is much more practical, if not essential.
What do you prefer – single or double storey living – and why?!
I’ve always maintained that I’d rather live in a single storey house, but I do admit that after visiting my friend’s new home, I’ve seen how wonderful it must be to have their upstairs sanctuary! The rest of their home is just so spacious and well laid out (kids’ rooms etc) that it might be tempting one day when I won’t be scared about the kids falling from anywhere haha.
Definitely not a good idea to go double storey when you have small children. My Miss 22 was a right monkey as a toddler and she would have fallen over the balustrade for sure!
I’m with you, I felt like I’d “made it” when we bought our two-story house. Especially in the US, it’s the thing. In fact, they don’t build new single story homes anymore, unless they are huge custom ones. Now the kids have all moved out and I have a lot of extra space for my friends to come visit. But I do look forward to downsizing someday!
I’ve never been to the US Denise, but from what I see on TV the houses are all massive and on big lots (unless it’s a tiny home or an apartment in NYC). I love watching the House Hunters TV shows, but the couples usually sound a bit snobby when they look at homes in Europe particularly. “It’s a little small” they say … what do they expect it’s Europe for pete’s sake!!!!
The only thing I do not like about living in a double story home, is the cleaning pattern. I can do a large bungalow, but going the stairs up and down to vacuum, nah, not my thing.