Kansas City 2 Story Homes For Sale – 2 Story vs. 1.5 Story Floor Plans

by | Jul 21, 2021 | Floor Plans, Tips

Kansas City 1.5 Story vs. 2 Story Homes

Are you looking for a new home in the Kansas City area? Maybe you’re specifically searching for Kansas City 2 story homes for sale. Or, perhaps you’d even consider a 1.5 story style floor plan. Ultimately, your decision may be determined by the house you were raised in or the phase in life you’re in! For those of you who are unfamiliar with the difference between a 2 story and 1.5 story home, the difference is the location of the master suite. In a 1.5 story layout, the master suite is on the first floor and the rest of the bedrooms are on the 2nd. On the contrary, the master bedroom is located upstairs with the other bedrooms in a 2 story home. 

As you can imagine, there are several pros and cons to either option! It all boils down to is which one is right for you and your family’s lifestyle! In this blog post, we’re going to dive into the pros and cons of 1.5 story and 2 story floor plans. 

Before we get started, we want to welcome you to our blog! Hearthside Homes is a semi-custom home builder based in Liberty, MO. We have been around for over 30 years, and we have built over 1,500 homes for homeowners in Kansas City and the surrounding areas. Our weekly blog shares tips and tricks for homeowners. You can read some of our other blogs here. We also encourage you to check out our current listings!

1.5 Story Homes

Pros: 

  • The master bedroom is on the main level, which some prefer.
  • These homes are generally safer for the eldery as they won’t have to deal with stairs often. It is a good “age in place” home if you plan on staying in the same house through retirement. 
  • These homes sometimes have higher ceilings. This can make the space feel larger.

Cons: 

  • The laundry room is usually downstairs, away from the bedrooms on the 2nd floor. 
  • The yard may be smaller because these homes can take up more of the lot.
  • There is not as much privacy between the master bedroom and the living area. 
  • This floor plan style is usually more expensive to build.

*Hearthside Homes is proud to offer 1.5 story homes! Our current 1.5 style floor plans include the Hillsdale, Hawthorn II, Chandler, and Beatrice floor plans. Click here for more information on our 1.5 story homes. 

2 Story Homes

Pros: 

  • The master suite is on the upstairs level, which some prefer.
  • The master bedroom has more privacy and is further away from the rest of the living space.
  • 2 story homes are great for those with small children, as the master suite is near the other bedrooms.
  • With the same lot size, you generally have more yard space in a 2 story than a 1.5 story floor plan.
  • These floor plans can cost less per square foot to build. 
  • The master suite can have better views. The view from the second story will overlook the neighborhood!
  • The laundry room is near the bedrooms so you don’t have to lug your laundry down the stairs.

Cons:

  • Heat rises, so the master bedroom is usually warmer in a 2 story than a 1.5 story floor plan. 
  • It is often hard to control a steady temperature throughout the different levels. 
  • The ceiling heights can be lower than 1.5 story homes. 

*You guessed it! Hearthside Homes has a bunch of expertly designed 2 story floor plans. Check out the Winchester, Manchester, Sycamore, Lincoln, Dogwood, and Brooklyn floor plans. Click here for more information on our 2 story homes. 

Buy Or Build With Hearthside Homes!

So, what floor plan is right for your family? We hope you enjoyed learning about the pros and cons of 2 story and 1.5 story homes. Click here to check out our Kansas City 2 story homes for sale. Click here to check out our 2 story, 1.5 story, reverse, ranch, and split style floor plans.

Our Communities 

Hearthside Homes currently builds in the Liberty, Kansas City, Parkville, and Kearney areas. Our goal is to make the home buying process quick, easy, and headache-free. We offer new construction homes in several different neighborhoods.

The neighborhoods that we currently build in are Barry Brooke, Prairie Field, Benson Place Landing, Brentwood, Cadence, Chapel Ridge, Davidson Farms, Homestead, Meadows at Greenfield, Reserve at Riverstone, Riverwood, Tiffany Woods, and Woods at Creekside. Click here to learn more about our communities.

Learn About Our Process

Building with Hearthside Homes is easy! Choose a lot and a floor plan you love, and we’ll take care of the rest! You’ll have so much fun at our Design Center where you can pick out the details for your home! Throughout the Design Center clients can find various material displays, including cabinetry, doors, flooring, faucets, and much more. Click here to learn more about our Design Center.

Before you know it, you’ll have the keys to your beautiful new home! Throughout the process, you can check the progress of your home through our online client portal so you are in the loop every step of the way. Click here to learn more about our simple process.  

Check Out Our Listings

Hearthside Homes knows that not everyone has the time to wait for their next house to be built. Because of this, we also offer spec homes! Our spec homes are move-in ready, making the process shorter and easier for you and your family. Our talented design team works hard to make sure all of our spec homes are beautiful, functional, trendy, and timeless! These homes are built with the same detail and care that our semi-custom homes are built with. Click here to check out current listings. 

Have you seen our awesome rating on Google with over 100 reviews?! Click here to read Google reviews from our happy customers!

Nolan says: “We had such a great experience with Hearthside! The entire home building process was so easy and fast. Would recommend Hearthside to anybody!”

Follow The Fun

If you have any questions about the process or anything related to home building, feel free to fill out the form on our website, give us a call at (816) 781-0234, or visit us at 1915 Industrial Dr #300, Liberty, MO 64068 (our Design Center)! Don’t forget to follow all the fun and check out our new projects on our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest! This will give you a good idea of what your dream home could look like with Hearthside Homes. We look forward to helping you build or buy your next home. Don’t forget to check out our Kansas City 2 story homes for sale!