Not everybody’s dream home is a single-storey design. Some people prefer a double-storey one. One of the biggest reasons people choose a double-storey design is because it allows them to increase their living space inside their homes. People on a small parcel of land really benefit from the added storey, but others just prefer the way a double-storey home looks.
Here are some important considerations when building a double-storey home.
Think About Your Floor Plan
Before you do anything else, you need to think about your double storey home designs. Plan out ahead of time what rooms you want to be located on which floor, how many bathrooms you require, how many bedrooms, what kind of extra rooms there will be, and more. The majority of double-storey homes put the bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs for maximum privacy. The main level will also include a guest bathroom, along with the kitchen dining room, family room, formal living, and more. However, you can design it however you wish, including putting a family room upstairs for movie nights.
Think About the Future
When designing your double-storey home, you need to think about your future living arrangements. This is especially true if you plan on living in the house after you retire. As you get older, navigating the stairs might become a bit more difficult. Think about making doorways and hallways wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and other things that make your retirement years easier to manage inside your home.
Look at Your Surroundings
Before you set your design in stone, make sure you look at the area you will be building in. Consider where you plan to access your property and what you plan on doing with the current landscape. Based on the lay of the land, you can determine which way the house should face, how many windows you want, and more. You want your home to fit within your surroundings, not stand out like it doesn’t belong.
Energy Efficiency
Poorly designed homes cost you more in utility bills. To avoid high utilities, you want to make your home as energy-efficient as possible. Adding more double-glazed windows allows more natural light into the home, plus they help control heating and cooling costs as they insulate the home. Higher ceilings keep the home cooler because the hot air is pulled up away from people in the room. Insulating the walls and attic will also help keep energy bills at a reasonable price.
