March 15, 2019
Location, Location, Location: What Do You Want Upstairs and Downstairs?
Yes, you know the real estate adage, “Location, location, location!” It’s definitely true for finding a home in the right place, but once you pinpoint that ideal area, what about the locations within the home? What do you want upstairs and downstairs? Sandlin Homes suggests you put as much emphasis on the inside “where” as the outside.
Do a mental walk-through of the home you want. Think about the flow. What makes sense for you?
The first-floor master suite is preferred by many homeowners. Maybe you want the privacy of having your bedroom separate from the others, or you like the convenience of having the kitchen close by. As an aging in place consideration, a first-floor master suite allows you to have a two-story home without having to navigate the stairs as often as if you situated the master bedroom on the second floor. Our Berkshire, Monte Carlo, and Sunridge floor plans incorporate the first-floor master so you can visualize the flow for yourself.
While we’re talking about the master suite, think about the placement of the closet. Some layouts connect the walk-in closet directly to the bedroom, while other floor plans require you to walk through the bathroom to get to the closet. Does it matter to you? If so, pay attention when reviewing floor plans and touring new homes.
Parents with young children want the bedrooms to be close together. You can still situate them to afford yourself the privacy while still remaining able to hear the kids in their bedrooms. A vestibule entrance separates the bedroom doors from each other.
If you’re planning to stay in this home for the long-term, you might want to consider a house that ages with you. For example, incorporate two master suites, one on each floor. Use the first-floor master as a guest suite, or even a home office, while the children are young, so everyone sleeps upstairs. When the children are old enough that you’re ready to separate yourself a bit, move from the second-floor master suite to the downstairs one. Then, the upstairs master bedroom can be used as a guest suite, shared by siblings, or converted to a study/play/hobby area.
Many homes today present an open floor plan. The wall-less main living area allows for more social contact. When you’re in the kitchen, you can still see and chat with anyone in the living room or dining area. There’s a casual feel to this environment, but you might still want to have a formal dining room. Clearly, it should be close to the kitchen, but pay attention to the flow from room to room here, particularly when you’re carrying serving dishes back and forth. Think about locating a butler’s pantry as the connector between the two. We’ve incorporated this feature in many of our homes. Sandlin Homes’ butler’s pantry includes cabinets to store tableware and linens and a countertop to place dishes and serving pieces. It’s a definite time-saver.
Another design feature that might be important to you is the placement of the laundry room. The laundry room had always been a first-floor fixture, but in recent years, Sandlin Homes is seeing more homeowners prefer to have it moved upstairs, next to the master suite and the other bedrooms, which is where most laundry seems to originate. Save the time and task of hauling the laundry up and down the stairs.
Of course, if you have a first-floor master suite—and are presumably the one who does most of the laundry—you probably prefer to have this room on the main floor. Sandlin Homes’ Lexington floor plan features this design. You can choose between positioning it next to your bedroom, possibly with access via your master closet, or closer to the main living area.
While you’re thinking of this ideal house and ideal location, take some time to browse through Sandlin Homes’ gallery of distinctive single-family homes and communities around the Dallas-Fort Worth area, including Texas towns and cities like Arlington, North Richland Hills, Grand Prairie, Argyle, Benbrook, and Joshua. Take a video tour and use our interactive floor plans to explore the possibilities. Then contact Sandlin Homes to start your journey home.
Call
Email
Text