Based on floorplans, which house would you buy? 2/3-storey?

[StrawberryCreamCake]

With a family of four (2 young children), working from home situation, and a budget for either of these two small 4-bed houses, which one would you go for?

The two-storey or the three-storey house?

The first one is very top heavy - small ground floor living space and lots of bedrooms.

The second one would only suit me if I could use bed4 on the ground floor as a home office or snug. If it was needed as an actual bedroom it would be a hard no.

1st one. Looks easier with children.

I honestly think you will outgrow that living space (house one) by the time your kids are at primary school.

Virtual tour of the 3-storey: my.matterport.com/show/?m=eK2CTGF3HMG&qs=1&lp=1&st=4000&play=1&hl=0

Unfortunately you only have room measurements on one floor plan, but I would take the 3 storey as it looks like it's much larger rooms which will give you more space to play with!

How old are the children? Second looks better as they get older. However i wouldn't like preschool or younger on a different floor at night.

What's the parking like on the 3 storey?

I think in your shoes I would go for the 2 storey, purely because all your living space is on one level which is important with small children.

You can squirrel the office away upstairs too.

Have you added up and compared the total floor space for each one? The first one seems a lot smaller but it doesn't give a total.

The 3 storey one has much larger bedroom sizes. Bedroom 4 is the size of a cupboard in the first house.

The 3 storey seems good - home office on the ground floor, away from "home life". The only issue is if your DC are too young to be on their own floor. It will be a godsend when they are teens though.

Second one if you don’t mind the children being on a different floor to you. I’d use the ground floor bedroom as a home office.

The rooms are tiny in the first one and I think you’d outgrow it pretty quickly.

Are they both off-plan/newbuilds? Older homes often have a better living space/bedroom ratio and are usually a bit cheaper.

Neither is ideal…
What’s the potential to extend?
With young children, better to have all bedrooms on the same level but the two storey one doesn’t offer enough living space or office space.

Three storey looks bigger but better suited for bigger children

The living space on the 2 storey looks tiny.

If it had to be one of these I would go for the 3 storey and use the 4th bedroom on the ground floor as the office.

Personally I would keep looking as I don't think either are great. I prefer bigger living space to bedrooms. All you do is sleep in bedrooms!

Bear in mind that a three storey will be very hot at the top in Summer.

Am currently enduring this issue!

Just had another look at the dimensions and the Cloakroom in the 3 storey is only fractionally smaller than the 4th bedroom in the 2 storey. That's bonkers!

My kids slept a floor up from me at 3yo. I'd have put them up there at 2yo but we didnt live in this house then.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz
Yes, I totally agree - house 1 would be better if the ground floor was bigger instead of having a carport.
House 2 - Yes, calling it a bedroom is a bit of a joke. We would use the ground floor bedroom as an office so works well, but if we ever wanted my parents to stay with us for a while it's far too small for a double bed. And if we stop working from home, it'll be a totally useless room, whereas house 1 can be used as a true 4 bedroom albeit with a really titchy 4th one.

@BarkingUpTheWrongRoseBush True, less stairs, easier to keep an eye on the children, can sit in the lounge while they play in the garden.

How old are the children.

I looked at 3 storey houses when the kids were very little and ruled them out. I would not have the children's bedrooms on a different floor to mine under the age of 8.

But now mine are teens it would be ideal.

Of the two I prefer the three-storey - the two storey hasn't a separate dining room and the kitchen dimensions would be pretty cramped with a table in there. But, I don't like the idea of the kitchen dining being on a separate level as the lounge.

Maybe think about the things you like to do and how they would work in these spaces? Eg. I like having people over to dinner and have a young child. I'd be worried about noise if we were traipsing up and down the stairs between dining and lounge with guests over.

I think if you have 2 kids then having your lounge on a separate floor to the kitchen will be a complete PITA (imagine trying to get their lunches, or cook dinner of an evening and constantly having to stop what you are doing to check the kids). Also the master suite being on the floor below the kids bedrooms means you may not hear them if they get up in the night, or they may try and come find out when they wake up etc and fall down the stairs. With that in mind I'd go for the 2 storey.

We had our children on a different floor from 6/7 months old, obviously used a baby monitor (and for longer than usual), it was absolutely fine and I never really get why some people are bothered by it.

The second house looks better

3 storey.

Use bed 4 as a show lounge (or dining room and have sofa in the dining side of the kitchen), and have the kids share in the current lounge if you want to be on the same floor. Then move them up once older.

@Aroundtheworldin80moves DC are 7 years and 1 year. I don't think I'd mind them being on a separate floor as long as it's the floor above rather than the floor below us (i.e. burglars would get to us first), but then actually God forbid if there was a fire...

Bedroom 4 in the second house could be a great playroom if you didn't need it as an office

@WithASpider The 3-storey has two parking spaces down the side of the house. Yeah, I see what you mean about having the living space all on the same floor

Just a warning... We looked at a new build 4 bed that didn't fit a full length single bed in the fourth bedroom.

We think we actually have more space in the old 3 bed we eventually bought.