brett_ashley Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I just looked at a house that I loved but all of the bedrooms are upstairs. Does anyone have this and not hate it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I just looked at a house that I loved but all of the bedrooms are upstairs. Does anyone have this and not hate it? :confused: I have only lived in houses with all the bedrooms upstairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bettyandbob Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I've never had it any other way, so I don't hate it. I can see an advantage to a main floor master, but I do like where I live now so I won't be moving. My mom always wanted a master on the main floor. I guess until I was 9 and we moved that's what she had, but for almost 40 years she's lived in a house with the master upstairs. She doesn't like it. If you have small children it's nice to be able to hear them and get to them quickly if they are crying or need you, so being on the same level with littles is good. Built in exercise is good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I had a house with the master downstairs and the kids upstairs. Hated it. I had a house with the kids downstairs and me upstairs. Hated it. I hate not being on the same floor as my children. Hate it. If it's a New Englander thing, that New Englander I am. Bedrooms belong upstairs, out of the way of public spaces within the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksr5377 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I grew up in a house like that, but now we're in a ranch. My mom always said that she would never sleep on a different floor than us kids. It's the home they plan to stay in until the end and there is a room on the first floor that's an office that could eventually be a bedroom for them in their 'old age' as my mom calls it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justLisa Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 :confused: I have only lived in houses with all the bedrooms upstairs. This. In no way do I want to be on a separate floor from my kids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeannie in NJ Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 We have looked at probably around 70 houses and not once have I seen any kind of bedroom downstairs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissKNG Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I also grew up in a house with the bedrooms upstairs. And because of that, I think 1st floor bedrooms are wierd!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kokotg Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Our old house had the master on the main level, but we used one of the upstairs bedrooms as the master because it was too hard being so far away from kids when they were little. We just moved back downstairs a few months before we moved, and I did kind of like it while it lasted. But we're back upstairs in the new house, and that's fine, too. Especially since we're expecting another baby now. My ideal floor plan when we were looking was actually space for us and a potential baby/toddler/small child on the main level (so 2 bedrooms) and then room for the big kids either upstairs or in a nicely finished basement. But that was a little too specific to make a deal breaker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Most houses around here have the master upstairs, but not all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I am currently in a cape cod style house with 2 bedrooms upstairs and 2 downstairs. For years my kids have hated being up there alone. Now that my daughter is in high school she has decided she loves it. My next house will definitely have all bedrooms on the same floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I have always lived in a ranch (one story) home with all the bedrooms on the main floor. I don't think I'd be comfortable being on a different floor from DS until he's much older... and then, perhaps I'd *need* to be close by to supervise, LOL!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Singingmom Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 We are looking at new construction in Texas right now, and the plans I like the best are ones with two bedrooms down ( the master/ guest bedrooms) and three bedrooms up. We are going to put our three boys in the upstairs bedrooms, and the downstairs bedroom will be useful if we have aging parents living with us in the future. The house we're in now has all the bedrooms upstairs. I'm not sure what that will be like having my young ones so far away at night....we might have to install some kind of intercom system ;) . I think as they get older, it will be wonderful to have a bit of space between the parent's room and the boys!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lily of the Valley Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 We have all 4 bedrooms upstairs. I love being on the same floor as my kids. Now that they are older, though, I wish there was a little more separation between the master and the kids bedrooms. We share a wall with one of the kid's bedrooms, and I don't like that. Otherwise, I like the separation between the public and private areas of the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 We lived in a house like that for three years. I liked being on the same floor as my little kids. But, my life looked a lot like this.... Time to walk out the door, need to brush hair. Run upstairs. Grab brush. Run back down. Realize I left phone upstairs. Run up. Back down. Realize I set car keys down when I went to grab phone. Run up. Back down. DD cries for random stuffed animal. Run up. Back down. DS spit up on shirt. Run up. Back down. I'm really a big fan of one stories. ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melenie Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 We live in a house with all the bedrooms upstairs and I like very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
staceyobu Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 We lived in a house like that for three years. I liked being on the same floor as my little kids. But, my life looked a lot like this.... Time to walk out the door, need to brush hair. Run upstairs. Grab brush. Run back down. Realize I left phone upstairs. Run up. Back down. Realize I set car keys down when I went to grab phone. Run up. Back down. DD cries for random stuffed animal. Run up. Back down. DS spit up on shirt. Run up. Back down. I'm really a big fan of one stories. ;) That said, there is a neighborhood here that I really like and a lot of the houses are like that. I wouldn't rule out doing it again. I would embrace the fact that my legs would be sore for the first couple of weeks until I got used to it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freesia Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I also grew up in a house with the bedrooms upstairs. And because of that, I think 1st floor bedrooms are wierd!:001_smile: :iagree: I feel like there is less space in a house with any bedrooms on the first floor even if the square footage is the same. I've rarely seen houses with only the Master Bedroom on the first floor. So, in answer to your question. Yes, I have often had a second floor master bedroom and have always loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 In no way do I want to be on a separate floor from my kids :iagree: :iagree: :iagree: I remember reading once about a house fire where the parents were able to escape because their bedroom was on the first floor of the house. They were not able to save their children, whose bedrooms were upstairs. I will not live in a house where my ds's bedroom is on a different floor from mine. It is an absolute dealbreaker. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harriet Vane Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 :confused: I have only lived in houses with all the bedrooms upstairs. Me too. I strongly prefer to be near enough to hear my kids well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie G Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Our house has the master on the main floor and the other bedrooms upstairs. We were hesitant at first ( bought it 18 years ago while I was pregnant with youngest). We have LOVED it. I can't imagine it any other way, and it was a really great layout when someone was sick. The ill person could be in our bedroom during the day, away from us but still 'near' us, and we could continue homeschooling. I love that during storms the kids could all come to the main floor and sleep on couches while dh and I stayed in our bedroom. We have had some really serious storms over the years. When my elderly parents come visit, we can give up our bedroom and take an upstairs one to save them the struggle of the stairs. And it gives them privacy. This house is 130+ years old and yet the layout is PERFECT for our needs. Love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChristyB in TN Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I don't see a house with the master bedroom upstairs often and around here they can be hard to sell. I would think that with the population aging, this will continue to be a problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
K&Rs Mom Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Ours has all family bedrooms upstairs, and guest room downstairs. Growing up, dad's house had all upstairs; mom's had kids' rooms upstairs but master bedroom downstairs, and my sister snuck out all the time (but she likely would have no matter the layout). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
applethyme Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 We have a ranch style house with the master bedroom and parent retreat (big enough for a twin sized bed, crib and dresser) at one end and three bedrooms at the other end. For us this is an ideal set up. I could not imagine being on a separate floor than the children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Excelsior! Academy Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 We lived in a house like that for three years. I liked being on the same floor as my little kids. But, my life looked a lot like this.... Time to walk out the door, need to brush hair. Run upstairs. Grab brush. Run back down. Realize I left phone upstairs. Run up. Back down. Realize I set car keys down when I went to grab phone. Run up. Back down. DD cries for random stuffed animal. Run up. Back down. DS spit up on shirt. Run up. Back down. I'm really a big fan of one stories. ;) I really wanted the master down with the kids up. The house we ended up purchasing has all beds up. It would be nice to allow guests to stay down too, but our lives look a bit like the quote above. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laughing lioness Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 We have 4 bedrooms on the 2nd floor and one in the basment (2 kids sleep there). We love having the bedrooms away from the main living area. We have a 1/2 bath on main floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nukeswife Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I've only once had a house with bedrooms on both upper and lower floors. That was a townhouse we rented but it was the master that was up, and at the back of the house. My son's room was down and at the front of the house. I wasn't really happy with it because it would have been very easy for someone to break in and snatch my son, but I knew that was highly unlikely. All other houses have either been a ranch style or with all the bedrooms upstairs. Usually when they are all upstairs the master is on one side of the house and the others are all on the other side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 How old are you? At my age the stairs are getting kind of rough. We have three upstairs and one downstairs and it works ok. The family is upstairs and the guest is downstairs but I tell you if my room was downstairs and I never had to go upstairs, it would not break my heart. I cannot wait to downgrade to a ranch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paula in MS Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I don't see a house with the master bedroom upstairs often and around here they can be hard to sell. I would think that with the population aging, this will continue to be a problem. This is definitely the case where we live. Most houses have the master down and the other bedrooms upstairs. Our house, however, does have the master bedroom upstairs along with the kids' bedrooms. We almost didn't buy because I thought we would have problems selling. It turned out that we love the master upstairs because it means you can only run the upstairs air unit at night. This really helps if you live in a hot climate and want to save on your electric bill. Where we live, the air running at night is non-negotiable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higginszoo Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 While sometimes a little more privacy would be nice, when I go through a week like I did recently with several children up sick in the night (7 year old with UTI and vomiting for a few nights and 11 year old with a nosebleed he couldn't stop on his own after 15-20 min), it was nice not to have to keep running up and down the stairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brett_ashley Posted June 12, 2012 Author Share Posted June 12, 2012 How old are you? I'm just 31 but thinking about resale value. Also running up and down the stairs 1000 times a day would get old. In our current two story home I go up once or twice a day max to put someone to bed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I had a house with the master downstairs and the kids upstairs. Hated it. I had a house with the kids downstairs and me upstairs. Hated it. I hate not being on the same floor as my children. Hate it. If it's a New Englander thing, that New Englander I am. Bedrooms belong upstairs, out of the way of public spaces within the house. Yup, same here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlbuchina Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I love my house with all the bedrooms upstairs. When we were house hunting, that was a requirement of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lab1 Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I would only look at floor plans with the master on the top floor. I love that the master and nursery are down a long hall from the other bedrooms and bath. Gives a feeling of privacy while still being close. And my little ones (if they ever sleep there) are right across the hall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I think first floor bedrooms are weird because where I grew up all the bedrooms were together on one floor. Everyone I knew had the same set up. I wouldn't want to be on a separate floor from the kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spryte Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I like being on the same floor as the kids also. My only wish: that the laundry room was also upstairs! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 It isn't the bedrooms that you have to worry about. Make sure there is a bathroom on each level. Biggest PITA ever is not having a bathroom on the main floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie Smith Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Me too. I strongly prefer to be near enough to hear my kids well. I like it to, but admit I wouldn't mind hearing them a little less. But I think that has more to do with the fact all three bedrooms and the only bathroom are upstairs. Add in the fact the house is about 1000 square feet and compared to the Canadian average it's pretty small. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annie Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I wouldn't buy a house where my kids were upstairs and I was downstairs. It just doesn't seem safe in case of fire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Mungo Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 Our last house had most of the bedrooms (except for eldest's) upstairs. It also had a little desk area. I loved it. In this house the master is downstairs and the kid bedrooms are upstairs with the laundry room. I hate it so much. My kids are older, so I hardly go up there in the first place. Then, I broke my foot and didn't go up there for about 6 weeks. DH was gone for a large part of that. When I finally did go up there? It was horrible. It was Mordor. It was a war zone. We will never have a house like this again, if we can help it. In fact, if we were going to be here longer than the year we have left? We would consider moving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justamouse Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'm just 31 but thinking about resale value. Also running up and down the stairs 1000 times a day would get old. In our current two story home I go up once or twice a day max to put someone to bed. I don't agree that it's a burden to walk up and down stairs. I think of it as a butt lift. Seriously, I get in some serious steppage during the day. Between up and down the stairs and back an forth in the house, I added a lot of steps during my day. It's healthy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 I would not want to live in a house where the master is downstairs while the children are upstairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tap Posted June 12, 2012 Share Posted June 12, 2012 All of our bedrooms are upstairs. I have no problem with it. If I was buying a 'forever' house, I would consider the master downstairs to make it easier as we age. My kids are getting older and I wouldn't worry so much about being on separate floors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I love my mbr upstairs. It is my private space I don't want to share with anyone. Also, i love having a room away from all the activity. When we lived in a one story, once the first person got up, sound travelled and everyone got up. I hated it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 It isn't the bedrooms that you have to worry about. Make sure there is a bathroom on each level. Biggest PITA ever is not having a bathroom on the main floor. :iagree: Sometimes, when I'm watching House Hunters and first-time buyers are loving a house with no bathroom on the first floor, I want to slap their Realtor for not telling them what a nuisance it's going to be for them if they buy the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Master bedrooms on the main floor are popular in areas with a large population of older people and in retirement communities and to some extent, newer developments. Most commonly houses were built with the bedrooms all on the top floor or down a hallway from the main living areas. As a parent with young kids, sleeping on a different floor from them (and not hearing them when they wake up) is a non-starter for me. I would only consider houses with enough bedrooms on a single floor for my whole family. I would not mind a spare bedroom in the basement or main floor but would not consider a house where I had to sleep on a different level than my kids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniBlondes Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 All of our bedrooms are upstairs. We love it. The kids used to be 2 whole levels away from us and I hated that. I was always scared they'd need me and I'd be too far away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theYoungerMrsWarde Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I've only ever lived in bedroom-upstairs-only houses and I don't like the idea of sleeping on a different floor-level than my children. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 I'm just 31 but thinking about resale value. Also running up and down the stairs 1000 times a day would get old. In our current two story home I go up once or twice a day max to put someone to bed. Then you would hate my house- 3 levels and the entry and my office on the ground level. So I go up and down, up and down all day. It really does not bother me. I figure this way I get a little exercise even when I am lazy and skip on most physical exercise that day. Besides, if your kids are upstairs don't you have to go up and down all day and night when they are small? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LucyStoner Posted June 13, 2012 Share Posted June 13, 2012 Regarding resale- if it is rare or unpopular in your area that is a concern but wouldn't you be paying less for it upfront if it is unpopular in your area? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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