Single-level vs. Multi-level Home: What's Right for You?

When thinking about your next home, what do you envision? A wide-open, single-level home plan with plenty of room to move? Or maybe a sophisticated, multi-level home design where everyone has their own personal space? Both home types have incredible appeal for very different reasons. It all comes down to what suits your lifestyle. To help make a decision, there are a few key questions to ask yourself about your family’s needs now and a few years down the road. For example:

Will your family grow in the next 5-10 years?

Will older parents or grandparents need to move in at some point?

What’s more important - wide open space, or more rooms?

At Hubbell Homes, we offer new homes in Des Moines expertly designed in both styles. Let’s take a look at the benefits of each so you can decide what’s right for you!

Benefits of Single-Level Home

OPEN CONCEPT

Single-level homes, also called ranch homes, are typically designed so that one living space flows right into another. Your gourmet kitchen may flow into the dining room, which is open to the living room and the patio beyond. If you have kids who love to run freely, they can definitely get their energy out in a ranch-style home. These homes require fewer load-bearing walls, so rooms can be more spacious with no obstructions, giving you the benefit of moving more easily through your home.

NO STAIR

When you have a baby in your arms or mobility concerns, stairs can present quite the challenge. These are important considerations if you have older relatives who visit often or may one day live with you. And once the baby starts walking - watch out! Every part of the house is fair game for climbing, rolling, reaching, and pushing. At least without stairs and a second level to think about, you can direct your worries to that lamp cord she just put in her mouth. :-)

PEACE AND QUIET

Although multi-level homes today are made with excellent noise barriers between floors, they aren’t fully soundproof. If you enjoy a perfectly quiet night’s sleep without the sound of footsteps or a bath running overhead, single-level living might be best for you.

EASIER TO MAINTAIN

Have you seen those insanely tall ladders with homeowners teetering at the top just to clean the gutters? With a single-level home, that won’t be you. A regular-sized ladder will do the job just fine. It’s also easier to pressure wash, make repairs, or clear away those pesky wasps’ nests. And on the inside, sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming all happen on one even level - there’s no need to haul equipment up and down the stairs.

LESS EXPENSIVE TO HEAT

Heat rises, so in the chilly Iowa winters, the top level of a two-story home might be warm and toasty, but it takes much more energy to heat the lower level. With a single-level home, you save on energy costs in the cold months because heat is trapped closer to ALL the rooms in the house. Single-level homes usually require just one HVAC unit, which significantly lowers heating and cooling costs

Benefits of Multi-Level Homes

MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE

This is perhaps the most popular reason for wanting a multi-level home design. If you have only one lot size to choose from, a multi-level home will always give you more interior square footage. If you have a large family, “more space” is likely at the top of your priority list. A multi-level home can give it to you in the form of additional bedrooms, bathrooms, and bonus rooms with much-needed separation from the main living areas.

MORE PRIVACY

In traditional multi-level homes, the bedrooms occupy the top level, while the common living spaces remain below. That’s a built-in privacy guarantee. Guests in the living room can’t “accidentally” wander into your bedroom while they’re looking for the bathroom. Plus, your bedroom isn’t street-level, so passersby outside have a harder time seeing in.

AESTHETICS

For the design-minded, a staircase leading up to the second floor is something akin to a blank canvas. Holidays, graduation parties, birthdays, family photos - there are so many ways to dress up a staircase for life’s special occasions. And when it’s personalized by you, stairs can really become the wow factor of your home.

SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT

Although any new home gives you an incredible sense of accomplishment, multi-level homes have an air of grandeur that’s hard to resist. There’s something so satisfying about pulling around the corner to see your home rising in the distance and thinking, “I’ve done well!”

Whatever you decide, choosing a new home is an exciting, fun process and a unique opportunity. You get to select a beautiful space that will enhance the next chapter of your life - and that’s something to look forward to.

If you are searching for the perfect new single-level or multi-level home in the Des Moines area, the Hubbell Homes team would love to help! We have a wide selection of available homes that are ready for move-in, or you can build a new home in the community of your choice. Contact us at 515-468-2549 to schedule your personal tour today. We can’t wait to see you!