![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/split-level-layout-kitchen.jpg\")
<\/a>What is a split level floorplan?<\/h2>\n
A split level floorplan usually comprises a three levels of living space. Those three levels aren’t stacked on top of each other; instead, a one-story segment of the home is attached to a two-story segment at a point “in between” the second section’s two levels. Hence the “split” terminology!<\/p>\n
These homes work well on sloped landscapes, such as hills. If you\u2019re shopping for a home in the suburbs, you\u2019ll likely run into some split level homes, considering the fact that split level builds once comprised entire subdivisions<\/a>.<\/p>\n The lovechild of affordability and efficiency, the split level layout changed the way builders construct homes.<\/p>\n Popularized in the 1950s and 60s, the split level is an evolution of ranch-style homes<\/a>. Split levels were affordable options for growing families who wanted to move to the suburbs. Because of its stacked design, the split layout<\/a> with multiple staircases makes for efficient use of vertical space.<\/p>\n At one point, split levels were a huge part of the new housing stock. According to the National Association of Home Builders<\/a>, in 1975, 12% of all new homes on the market across the country were a variation of the split level (and 21% of homes built in the Midwest that year had split-level floorplans).<\/p>\n Split levels were a departure from previously popular home styles. Multiple floors mean segmented rooms, which gives large families a sense of privacy<\/a>. Most split level layouts have two living rooms, one in the basement for the kids, another up top for adults and entertaining.<\/p>\n According to an NAHB survey<\/a>, buyers today prefer open-concept single story homes \u2014 only 3% of millennials expressed interest in a split level home.<\/p>\n Compared to the wide open spaces you see on real estate listings today, the split level feels quaint and dated to some buyers. In a Better Homes Gardens<\/i><\/a> survey of most popular house styles, spilt levels didn\u2019t crack the top 10<\/a>.<\/p>\n For many, identifying a split level is an \u201cI\u2019ll know it when I see it\u201d scenario.<\/p>\n Split level layouts vary based on the region and style, but generally \u201cyou walk in and you have the option of going to a living space and living space down. That\u2019s how we define it,\u201d explains Ginger Vereen Peters<\/a>, who\u2019s sold 75% more properties than the average Raleigh, North Carolina, based agent<\/a> and specializes in first time buyers and investment properties.<\/p>\n That\u2019s different from a split foyer, where visitors enter and have the option of a sitting room at the entry, as well as stairs to either floor.<\/p>\n If you head downstairs from the entry, you\u2019ll likely find a bathroom, then a bedroom or classic \u201crumpus room\u201d for kids playing in the partial basement. If the garage is attached, you\u2019ll find that downstairs as well.<\/p>\n Take the stairs up from the entry, and you\u2019ll be in the living room and kitchen space. There might be a bedroom on this floor, but if there\u2019s a third floor, that\u2019s where the bulk of the bedrooms will be.<\/p>\n Because of their popularity, you\u2019ll find split levels come in all different sizes, styles, and layouts across the country. Some might feel mid-century modern<\/a>, while others are more nondescript. Vereen, who actually spoke to HomeLight from her in-laws split level home, laid out a few common features.<\/p>\n If you like Stairmasters, you\u2019ll love split level layout\u2019s most prominent feature<\/a>. The home\u2019s entry starts with two sets of short stairs, one leading up and the other down. With a third floor incorporated into some split level layout homes, there\u2019s at least another set, meaning yes you can get your cardio in with an afternoon of chores. But, these aren\u2019t grand staircases, more like baby grand\u2014most of the stairs in a split level are half the length of a regular staircase.<\/p>\n To make efficient use of space, some split levels require you to climb a few more steps to access different rooms. We might sound like a broken record, but this is one of the elements that makes building split levels affordable.<\/p>\n You can build split levels on a variety of lots, working with the hilly topography instead of excavating an entire basement or flattening the landscape<\/a>. You\u2019ll notice with many split levels that they\u2019re built into a hill, with a lower floor emerging from it.<\/p>\n Split level layouts became popular during a time of suburban growth<\/a>, which meant integrated garages became a pivotal part of the home\u2019s design. The further out a family lived from the city, the more likely the breadwinner needed a vehicle to commute in. The attached garage was an attractive offering that also felt like a fresh take on the modern family home.<\/p>\n They\u2019re not always true subterranean basements, but split levels will always have a floor below the point of entry. A walk down the half-stair to the basement might take you back to your middle school sleepover days in a friend\u2019s \u201crumpus room\u201d or classic den.<\/p>\n Originally, people designated the lower area as a space where the kids could hang out. The stairs create a sense of separation and soundproofing for those loud playdates. The lower level also has an entry for the garage, and depending on its size, an additional bedroom or bathroom.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a home in any suburban area built around the \u201850s or \u201860s, chances are you\u2019ll find a split level. A near national popularity means building materials<\/a> vary based on region. They\u2019re not all built from the same stuff, but split level layouts will have multiple exterior materials. Oftentimes, the lower level is brick, rock, or stone, and the upper levels are some type of siding or wood.<\/p>\n Split level layouts borrow some design elements from the mid-century modern-style popular in the 1960s. If you looked at a split level\u2019s low pitched roofs<\/a> from the street, it might appear flat, with just enough slope to drain water to the gutters.<\/p>\n Like a noisy younger sibling, the split level layout borrows elements from its big brother, the ranch style home. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and the ranch home originated the concept of picture windows<\/a>. A hallmark of mid-century modern design, picture windows bring the harmony of outside in. In a split level, you\u2019ll find the picture window in the upstairs living room<\/a>.<\/p>\n Descriptions are one thing, but you\u2019ll really know a split level house when you see one. Below are historical and modern examples of the split level home.<\/p>\n This house plan was made in 1962 by one of the world\u2019s largest producers of building products, Georgia-Pacific. Construction of split levels is simpler than other complicated designs such as Colonials or Victorians, so builders could share and use standard plans across the country and make adjustments according to the topography of the lot.<\/p>\n This early model has all the makings of a classic split level:<\/p>\n For a modern take on the split level layout, HomeLight turned to Lauren Ahrens<\/a>, one half of Austin Flipsters. The pair has flipped over a dozen houses in nearly as many months and counts over 25,000 subscribers on YouTube<\/a>. This real estate duo updated a split level in North Austin earlier this year and gave it a fresh open concept.<\/p>\n The flat lot on which this house stands allows for the entire lower level or basement to be above ground. You can access the front entry through an outdoor set of stairs.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll notice the front entry has the hallmark of split layout, a half staircase leading up to the living room and kitchen, and another leading down to the basement, where you\u2019ll find a bedroom and two side by side single stall garages.<\/p>\n As part of the renovations, the Flipsters tore down the walls separating the dining room, kitchen, and living room for a completely open space. You can see the half wall by the stairs where a full wall used to be, but evidence of the rest has been removed. Visitors have to come up the stairs to enter the entertaining and social space.<\/p>\n So is split level living for you? Opinions are split (sorry, we had to) on the layout, but here are some pros and cons of living in this type of uniquely designed home.<\/p>\n Historically, the split level layout has been one of the more affordable housing types, which in part contributed to its popularity.<\/p>\n The Census Bureau started counting split level builds<\/a> in their own category in 1973, at the height of their popularity. However, by 1988, the style\u2019s popularity had dropped so dramatically that new construction<\/a> company Ryan Homes took the style off its inventory<\/a>. Nowadays, some trendsetters believe the style is primed for a resurgence<\/a>, but in many suburbs, that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n \u201cIn our market, they are more affordable,\u201d says Vereen, the Durham, North Carolina-based top real estate agent. \u201cIt\u2019s a great deal because you\u2019re getting more for a lower price, so first-time homebuyers can afford more home than they would\u2019ve been able to otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n In Vereen\u2019s experience, the first time owners of the split level have aged and are selling the house as it was built, without many updates and perhaps still a shag carpet or two. The condition of the home, paired with its fall in popularity, means you could get a deal on one of these properties.<\/p>\n The popularity of split level homes peaked in the 1970s<\/a>. Now, many of those split level properties need updates. \u201cUnless they\u2019ve been gutted and updated, most buyers steer clear of them,\u201d says Vereen. The style isn\u2019t for everyone, so you might find it challenging to sell the home when the time comes.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen buyers come to us looking for split level homes, we try to educate them on the resale value,\u201d says Vereen.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat I do see is people who buy split level stay there longer. And I think part of that is just waiting for that appreciation to grow so they can have some equity in it.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The split level layout creates a series of segmented rooms across multiple floors, which (while less popular than open concepts today) can be a relief for families with older children.<\/p>\n \u201cSplit level homes are terrific for a growing family with teenagers, in particular, allowing each tribe in your family to have their own space and peace,\u201d explains David Ewart<\/a>, an interior designer with over a decade of experience from the Cotswolds in the UK, where the split level also had a heyday.<\/p>\n \u201cThis level of privacy also means that in many floorplans when you are entertaining, younger kids can still have access to the kitchen while you host in the living room or family room.\u201d<\/p>\n With a split-level layout, the lower level or basement accounts for much of the usable living space, and oftentimes this area is partially below ground.<\/p>\nHow did the split level come to be?<\/h2>\n
The history of split level layouts<\/h3>\n
Split level layouts today<\/h3>\n
You and your real estate agent walk into a split level\u2026<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Features that define the split level home<\/h2>\n
Half stair everywhere<\/h4>\n
Efficient use of space<\/h4>\n
Uneven lot<\/h4>\n
Attached lower-level garages<\/h4>\n
Lower level \u201cbasements\u201d<\/h4>\n
Mix of materials on the outside<\/h4>\n
Low-pitched roof<\/h4>\n
Large living area picture window<\/h4>\n
See it for yourself: Split level layout examples<\/h3>\n
<\/a>\n
Fresh take on the classic split layout<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/a><\/a><\/a>Pros and cons of split level living<\/h2>\n
Pro: Sheer bang for your buck.<\/b><\/h4>\n
Con: Resale challenges.<\/b><\/h4>\n
Pro: Multiple living rooms.<\/h4>\n
Con: Lack of natural light.<\/h4>\n