This information makes it easier to coordinate with pros. It is not only the planning stage that you need to focus on the execution is equally important. There is a large chimney in the center of the house used to keep the home warm during the harsh northeastern winters. The big tree doesnt help at all, since it just makes the left side heavier than the other side. So, that means sprucing up the curb appeal becomes important. The exterior of a split-level home is whats giving away its age. If you were a fan of The Brady Bunch, then you know exactly what a split-level house is. Again, the main advantage to this type of split-level home is the lack of staircases connecting each level of the house. Split-level homes are great for those who want to conserve the space on their property, without sacrificing room inside of the home. Clients were also interested in: low maintenance finishes, usage of low/no VOC materials, good indoor air quality as they lived on site during the remodel, and preserving and refinishing salvageable resources. In some parts of the country flat roofs can be a problem and need continual maintenance. The trend these days is to minimize , and cottages do just thatkeeping heating and cooling costs down and making maintenance chores a breeze. This arrangement is built around 14" x 14" faces to increase the width of the pullouts and provides over twice the usable storage of lazy susans. Refer to diagram below. Another great idea is to replace old windows with newer ones and tearing down some of your interior walls to make space and bring in more natural light. The chimney and fireplace became mostly decorations. The Cape Cod is truly a no frills style home. Since the house is all on one level, you will need more square footage to get privacy from other household members. Noticing a theme yet? That pop of color can give the right contrast to the rest of the home to make it stand out in a positive way. The first is that they create a much better separation between the upstairs and the downstairs. To remedy this without putting up walls, visual breaks can be used. They feature a prominent front door, medium roofing lines for drainage and. Now that youve learned a bit more about the pros and cons of each type of home style, you can make a more informed decision when you go out and look at listings. Since tri-level homes generally dont look symmetrical, adding additions to it will be challenging. Part of the reason that split-level homes feel so outdated is that they have a number of interior walls. In most cases, these homes have a garage with the bedrooms situated directly above it on one side of the house. If there are multiple bedrooms present and you dont need some of them, merge two or more to create a bigger room. The raised ranch homes and split levels became popular in the 1960s and apparently, were still being built in the 1980s. Another option is to add the new space at the top, but you have to be sure that your foundations are strong enough to handle the load of the new floor. Perhaps youve got your heart set on a modern, contemporary, or even a Colonial-style home. Add A Level to Convert Ranch to Colonial Convert a Cape or Ranch to Colonial As a general contractor I had the chance to renovate many homes in the lovely state of Connecticut, but nothing beats the wow factor you receive whenever you convert a single story cape or ranch into a beautiful colonial. Of all split level homes, the raised ranch has the toughest exterior to deal with. Copyright 2023 Real Estate Witch The Empire State Building is a glowing example of the Art Deco style and its reach for the sky ethos. fiber cement siding painted Cleveland Green (7" siding), Sweet Vibrations (4" siding), and Texas Leather (11" siding)all by Benjamin Moore window trim and clerestory band painted Night Horizon by Benjamin Moore soffit & fascia painted Camouflage by Benjamin Moore. Instead of a centralized heating and cooling system, consider having separate thermostats for the spots known to be cooler or hotter than the rest of your home. With four or five floors, "stacked" is definitely a good name for this style. This is a stark contrast to homes that do not make use of this style, since their floors are independent of each other. These types of homes became less popular with time, and, at one point, were virtually unwanted on the real estate market. If you are working with a limited budget, even a fresh coat of paint can dramatically change the look of your home. And voila! The master bathroom aesthetic quickly became all about the textures. Before we dive too deeply into the types of split-level homes, its important to know the distinguishing features of split-level houses. The Colonial-style renovation upgraded the plain portico into a spacious covered porch, which allows room for plenty of outdoor furniture. T1-11 siding (plywood sheets with vertical grooves spaced 8 inches apart) is common on the upper levels, and the upper floors tend to be cantilevered out over the structural walls below. Modern Capes from 1920s and after kept many of the exterior features of the original Cape with a modified interior for a more comfortable living experience. You dont have to concern yourself that much with how it will blend in with the rest of your home, compared to having the additions done at the sides. Installing glass panes or other decorative elements, especially on the foyer and main entryway, to draw the attention to that part of your home instead of the garage. Many see this design as being very impractical, considering all the stairs you have to climb in order to access various areas of the home. Get Ready to Have No-Obligation Talks With Contractors, 2023 All rights Reserved Contractor QuotesDeveloped By ITVolcano. Through out this home we brought in warm wood accents and the kitchen was no exception, with its custom floating shelves and graceful waterfall butcher block counter at the island. The home will include many sets of stairs, or in some cases, just a couple of steps, but the entry is generally at ground level. Try taking out some of the interior walls wherever possible. There is typically a short section of stairs that then leads to the other sections of the home. Painted a crisp shade of white with black trim details, the home now boasts modern farmhouse style. The raised ranch introduces some stair climbing into the mix. When a home is cared for, it doesnt have that old, uncared for look that we think of with outdated homes. Another reason why these types of houses are desirable to homeowners is that the layout separates the living area from the sleeping area, offering more privacy. More square footage on a smaller lota way to separate children and parents for increased sense of independence and privacy. Moving your furniture around to change the look of your home is usually the first step many homeowners make. Given the limited space that split-level homes are known for, you might wonder if expansion is possible at all. Light colored paint will reflect light better and gives a brighter feel to the interiors of any home. Updating the siding, materials used in the lower faade, or simply giving it a fresh paint job are some of the easiest ways to renovate a split-level home, but can also make a big impact. It packs a large amount of square footage into a relatively small footprint, something growing families appreciate. The trademarks MLS, Multiple Listing Service and the associated logos are owned by CREA and identify the quality of services provided by real estate professionals who are members of CREA. Walk in the front door at ground level, and you climb a flight of stairs to reach the living room, dining, room and kitchen level . A little leeway may be unavoidable, such as changing the color scheme and tiles halfway, but changing your mind about big things, such as building a new wall in the same spot where an old one was removed, would mean wasted resources, especially money. Many have garages and basements, and some have both. Sadly, youre limited to these three choices. Both. Please seek the services of a legal, accounting or real estate professional prior to any real estate transaction. While some styles create space with doors, the colonial does it with staircase. Split-levels, also sometimes called "tri-levels," are an architectural dead end that were built in abundance from the 1930s to the 1970s. If you are moving from a large house to a cottage or a bungalow, you really need to plan out what you can take and what you need to leave behind. Unlike traditional home layouts, split-level homes, also referred to as tri-level, feature at least three levels that are connected by stairs. Split-level houses feature an architectural style that was most popular in the 40s and 50s, and each type of split-level house has distinct features. The split level can be built on a sloping a sloping lot (cheaper) with more square footage under one roof (cheaper! Think of Frank Lloyd Wrights Fallingwater, and take note of the contrast between perfectly smooth wall surfaces and the texture of natural stone used intermittently throughout the design. Brick steps lined with lush landscaping beckon guests toward the entrance. Ideal Agent: Learn the Truth About Its 2% Fees. The scope also included the living and dining rooms, plus the front entry and stairwell. The reason is to prevent on-foot postal carriers from having to climb stairs to deliver the mail. Though, split-level homes can also have more than three levels. Split Levels and Split Foyers became popular in the United States in the 1970s. This allows you to adjust the temperatures separately to even them out. 11 of 68 The separation of the floors means that youll be less likely to be awakened by the sounds happening on the lower levels. Again, as with the cape cod , the siding may need regular maintenance. One of the best ways to modernize a split-level home is to avoid a roof color that's too light or too close to the house color. This type of split-level house will have at least three sections but may have more. With millions of inspiring photos from design professionals, you'll find just want you need to turn your house into your dream home. It is the literal antithesis of the modern floorplan. No matter which you choose, youll get multiple levels connected by short flights of stairs, but each style has unique features. The garage is usually the first to attract the attention of anyone who looks at this type of home, since its door takes a lot of space.