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Original poster

Thoughts about three story townhouses?

57 replies

Pepperwand · 31/07/2020 18:23

Our estate agent encouraged us to view a house that we'd initially discounted because it's on three floors. Kitchen, living room and a WC on ground floor, three bedrooms (one ensuite) and family bathroom on middle floor then master bedroom with ensuite on top floor.

We have two young DC and the thought of their bedrooms being on a different floor to us have always put me off plus I think townhouses can feel a bit top heavy where the living space doesn't match up with the bedroom space.

Surprisingly though both DH and I really liked it. We wouldn't need to do any work, the garden is particularly good and the master is like a hotel suite. Bedrooms are all very good sizes but it's not ideal one being ensuite that isn't the master.

Does anyone live in a townhouse or have any thoughts? I can't decide whether I'm letting preconceptions get in the way of a great house or whether it would drive me mad running up and down stairs all the time!

OP posts:

Skybooks · 31/07/2020 21:01

My DS 4 sleeps on a different floor to us. 3 story town house here too, he always manages to get to us. no issues with the stairs and if he needs us he'll shout (children are loud.)

The house you described sounds weird. I assumed the en suite was part if the master suite.

Toomanycats99 · 31/07/2020 21:03

I have a house with a loft conversion so similar layout. My dd have been on separate floor since they were 9 and 5.

Because it's a Victoria mid terrace the doors to their room are eigjt at the bottom of steps to mind so really just like a corridor.

I love being up the top. If someone is watching tv in the evening or you are having a lie in it's that bit further away from the noise and bustle.

I fee like I have some space from the children.

Goingdownto · 31/07/2020 21:08

I discounted any houses with bedrooms separated, I would not want the dc on a different floor. OTOH we might need to convert the attic at some point - I would be ok with it being a teenager on a different floor. I worry about fires too much.

Chewbecca · 31/07/2020 21:14

That’s not what I would describe (and discount) as a townhouse, it’s a pretty normal layout & the 4th bed and bath on the top floor is no reason to discount IMO.

I would discount a townhouse that had living areas on the first floor so groceries need carrying upstairs and there’s no access from living areas to the garden. A friend lived in a house with the garage, utility and downstairs loo only on the ground floor.

helly29 · 31/07/2020 22:10

We have almost identical layout, but only 2 bedrooms on the middle floor. 2 small kids, as PP have said easily manageable with staircases and monitors for a bit longer.

I love my master suite. We're moving soon, but not because of the layout. I would be more concerned if the living areas were on the upper floor.

neatknottedfinger · 31/07/2020 22:13

I love them but the top floor always gets awfully hot on days like this.

TokyoSushi · 31/07/2020 22:28

We lived in one, I loved the three floors and it was absolutely massive! BUT, is the one you're thinking of a new build terraced type? We eventually had to move out of ours because the noise transferrance between the houses was absolutely horrendous,and we had horrible neighbours so had to basically creep around our own house!

I often look if there's a 3 storey detached as that would be perfect!

I say go for it, but be very careful about the noise issue!

Original poster

Pepperwand · 31/07/2020 22:32

@TokyoSushi it's a new build, probably about 7 years old but detached.

@Goingdownto I'm not going to lie, the fire safety aspect crossed my mind too.....but I assume you could get really good smoke alarm systems or fire doors, that sort of thing?

OP posts:

TokyoSushi · 31/07/2020 22:33

Oh if detached, 100% yes!!

lazyakita · 31/07/2020 22:37

We have one and it's great. The slightly quirky layout is what drew us to it. Just make sure you have good smoke detectors. It might have fire doors already being relatively new.

hgaj · 31/07/2020 23:06

Agree with other posters that that layout doesn't really sound like a huge problem. Three floors is more of an issue if for some reason the kitchen / reception rooms aren't on the ground floor eg mid twentieth century townhouses with integrated garages.

hammeringinmyhead · 31/07/2020 23:12

We have one, 7 years old. Kitchen, toilet and living/dining room, up to master, en-suite and small bedroom (study), then up again to 2 double bedrooms and bathroom. DS is nearly 2 and has slept up on the top floor since he was 6 months old. It's great as we can have a normal volume evening with TV or music, cooking with extractor fan on, or have people round and he never hears anything.

Nomorescreentime · 31/07/2020 23:39

We have one! Living space downstairs, my kids are on the next floor, I have the top floor. I have enough space on the top floor to work from home and I love that I have a space away from the kids. They adore their big rooms too. We have fire doors and crazily sensitive smoke alarms that go off at the hint of the toaster being on. We are moving now as I have a new partner and baby so need more space, but we have been very happy with the layout.

PeachandBee · 01/08/2020 01:38

I currently live in a really weirdly shaped terraced townhouse with kitchen, living/dining room and a cloakroom on GF, 2 beds and family bath on 1F and a large bedroom with no ensuite on top. We share top room with DS(1) and other 2 children (DDs 9&3) on 1st floor. It's been fine, other than lack of a ensuite on the top- pregnancy bladder was hell!

We've just bought another 3 storey though we said we wouldn't but we couldn't find anything else with the space we wanted in our budget. This time it's a semi detached with kitchen/diner, utility, cloakroom and reception 1 on GF, 2 beds and reception 2 on 1F (we plan to add an ensuite) and 2 beds, family bath plus master with ensuite on the top. We plan to have the 2 youngest with us on the top floor, and DD9 on the 1st floor. I'm beyond excited.

I dont know why 3 storeys get such stick, it's a great way to get the space you need without a huge footprint.

longtimecomin · 01/08/2020 03:24

Ooo I like this thread, I've just had an offer accepted on a 3 storey townhouse. It has guest bedroom en suite utility and playroom downstairs, living room bathroom kitchen dining room on 1st floor and 3 bedrooms with en suite to master on top floor, I am beyond excited, it's HUGE!

Newbiehere123 · 01/08/2020 03:31

I really don't like town houses it feels weird and feels as if the house doesn't have a flow. Each floor you go up to, you are surrounded by doors on a tiny landing which feels like little flats. Some town houses have their living rooms on the first floor and I never liked that idea. Each to their own I suppose but I did turn down town houses as I like more open space and a flow.

Dollywilde · 01/08/2020 06:01

I grew up in a similar house. Mum and dad had the ‘middle floor’ master and had always intended to move to the (better) attic room when we were older but never did! It was a guest room when we were little and then as we got older it became our teenage den - we had the big TV up there and would have sleepovers with our mates in there, worked really well as it was permanently messy but the rest of the house was designated ‘adult’ space and therefore immaculate

Its now a problem for my parents due to mobility but tbh they should have moved when both of us kids moved out post university and I assume that’s a while off for you!

Dollywilde · 01/08/2020 06:03

Oh and mum always said she liked our ‘den’ being upstairs as it meant that while we were ‘out of sight’ she could hear any excessive shenanigans from upstairs and if she slept with her door ajar she could hear any attempts to sneak out to meet boys/sneak boys in (not me, I was an angel, definitely all my sister )

Original poster

Pepperwand · 01/08/2020 07:16

@Dollywilde yes mobility issues hopefully a while away, I'm 32.

I do kind of agree with the PP about 'flow'. The living space in the house we've seen is adequate, living room slightly smaller than we have now, kitchen diner slightly bigger but the bedrooms are much better. The primary reason we want to move out of our current house is no hallway, downstairs loo and DS2 is in a tiny bedroom so this house does tick the boxes on paper. We'd be going from having one loo to 4!

OP posts:

Dollywilde · 01/08/2020 07:29

4 loos! The life of Riley we’re about to upgrade from one to two and just that is getting me SO excited.

Sorry, phrasing wasn’t great above - I meant that kids moving out and thinking about downsizing was a way off rather than mobility issues! I’d been on at mum and dad to think about downsizing so it’s just a bit of a bugbear. One of the few negatives I can think of on the townhouse front. All in all I’m very for them (we’re currently making the move from a flat to a small house but having lived in one I’d happily consider one for our next move).

marmiteloversunite · 01/08/2020 07:39

I rent a 4 storey townhouse and I find all of the stairs difficult. I do have dodgy knees though!
I have teenagers and when they go off to their bedrooms on the top floor the house feels lonely. Also the top floor is either boiling hot or freezing cold even though it is a modern house. I can't wait to get back to two floors.

Chewbecca · 01/08/2020 09:59

If it's detached as well as not having living spaces on the first floor, it really isn't a townhouse & doesn't suffer any of the townhouse disadvantages.

WombatChocolate · 01/08/2020 13:00

3 storey houses with the same number of bedrooms to 2 storey houses tend to have smaller floor-print and smaller gardens.

They are often new-builds and the layout is used to fit more into the development or they are older houses which have had a loft conversion.

A standard 2 floor house, as long as it's got decent size bedrooms and living space is usually more expensive and desirable.

That said, as kids get even a little bit older, people often like a separate floor for a bit of distance. Worth remembering that the phase which children are very small and it's easier to be all on one floor, is pretty short. Shen you've got babies or toddlers, it's hard to imagine them managing with you on a different floor.....but things move on extremely quickly and it's important to imagine the house with older kids, assuming you won't move in a very short timeframe.

Essentially, for size, including garden and desirability, 2 floors is usually better. 3 floors might just mean you can afford an extra bedroom or other space.

WombatChocolate · 01/08/2020 13:03

Chewbacca, good point.....the town houses which are very small foot-print often have few rooms on the ground floor and are terraced or semis. If this has all the usual living space on ground floor and is a detached, it's probably fine.....not really town house, but standard house with a loft conversion or one of the bigger detached that always had attic rooms?

SueEllenMishke · 01/08/2020 13:05

We live in a 4 story Victorian terrace - it's fab as there is always somewhere to go for some peace!
I'd highly recommend

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