My ILs designed their house with the master on the main level because they knew (or at least hoped) they'd be living in it until they were old and decrepit and couldn't get up the stairs.
My parents did this too. But I don't understand why they didn't just buy a single story home. I mean, what is the point of having a house with a whole floor you cannot get to?
My ILs are talking about doing the same thing, when they build their retirement home. The second floor will be guest rooms for their visitors since they'll retire to Florida, and then when they die and/or sell the house the upstairs would be the kids' rooms for the family who buys the house.
Well this brings up another question...how old does a kid have to be to do their own laundry?
My plan is to start the boys late elementary school, maybe 5th or 6th grade. They'll be helping with parts of it before then. Even now, W helps get the hangers when I'm unloading the dryer. I started doing my own in 7th grade after I complained one too many times that my mom left the clothes in the washer too long, making them smell. Actually, it was my grandma who taught me.
Well this brings up another question...how old does a kid have to be to do their own laundry?
I've started working on the basics w/ DS, who is 6. I have him load his laundry into the washer, pour the soap and all that. Then, when it's done, he switches it over. this isn't every time - but if he's around when I'm doing laundry, I get him to help.
Same with folding - I've had him help me fold it too.
he's too young to really do it all himself but I'm laying the groundwork.
There is a decorating blogger I follow (sunny side up blog) who I think has three, lol. One on both floors and then I think they have another one that is either for the pool or a utility room. I don't follow her that closely but I check in anytime I feel like drooling over someone else's excess. They have a massive new house.
My ILs designed their house with the master on the main level because they knew (or at least hoped) they'd be living in it until they were old and decrepit and couldn't get up the stairs.
My parents did this too. But I don't understand why they didn't just buy a single story home. I mean, what is the point of having a house with a whole floor you cannot get to?
In my (hypothetical, future) case, it's because I like the exterior look of most two story houses better than most one story houses.
Post by speckledfrog on Sept 1, 2015 13:38:19 GMT -5
Oh yeah, both of them help switch from the washer to the dryer. That's mostly because I can't go anywhere without one or both of them completely up my butt. Might as well put them to use.
Post by dancingirl21 on Sept 1, 2015 13:41:39 GMT -5
My ILs had that in the (giant-ass) house they built. All the bedrooms were on the second floor and they had a large laundry room up there. But then MIL wanted one on the main floor so she could wash her fancy linens and things, lol.
I would be happy with one laundry room. I currently have a laundry closet with a dryer that needs pliers to start. It is so crappy.
That sounds awful! Why? I mean, why not get it fixed or get a new dryer?
The knob kept breaking off, I replaced it and it broke again, this time breaking the whole apparatus. The metal pin will start the dryer, but you can't attach a knob to it any longer. The dryer is over 15 years old, so not worth putting money into fixing it, but it still works fine, so I think it is silly to replace it.
Post by oliviapope on Sept 1, 2015 13:44:43 GMT -5
We have two laundry rooms. However, we live at the beach and homes need to be elevated. The first W/D is on the ground floor in the garage. We use it for beach towels/swimsuits. Then we have one upstairs for regular clothes. We didn't design the home that way, but it works well. It is better than dragging sandy clothes up two flights of stairs.
Well this brings up another question...how old does a kid have to be to do their own laundry?
I was 5 (one-level houses, laundry on same level). We are already training the boys by having them help us. I'm aimin' for 7 only b/c our current laundry is down in the basement and the stairs aren't great. So I don't want them to have to walk up and down at 5 with their laundry baskets.
My question is how do I separate the laundry or divide the tasks since they share all their clothes and their hamper? Until/If they are in separate rooms this seems messy. It was easier w me and my sister b/c we were different ages and sizes. These dudes share it all.
ETA oh but we never folded in my house growing up so it was just from basket to laundry to basket. Easy enough for a kid to do w a footstool lol.
I was about ten when I started doing laundry. In the damp, dark, and cold basement. Our new house has laundry in the basement too, but it's tile floor over the concrete so it's faaaancy
Post by ninjabridemom on Sept 1, 2015 13:54:26 GMT -5
I dream of a non-basement actual laundry room, btw. It's the one thing I'd work on when we buy a house -- do actual renovations for. Or if it's in the basement to have it be finished and separated entirely, by walls or floor or something, from the storage pieces.
Our laundry room is on the second floor with all the bedrooms. I love it! Obviously it would be excessive to have 2 laundry rooms, but I'm surprised more two-level homes don't have an upstairs laundry room.
Post by oliviapope on Sept 1, 2015 14:15:25 GMT -5
I had no idea people felt so strongly about a master on the main floor. My house is one story, but if it were two I would want my kid as far away as possible.
I work for a builder and every one of our 80+ plans is master down (TX). I grew up with it and loved it! I don't think I would like master up if we had a 2-story.
I would love one really big utility/laundry then a gift/wrapping utility upstairs (no laundry).
I had no idea people felt so strongly about a master on the main floor. My house is one story, but if it were two I would want my kid as far away as possible.
It's bizarre!
I have pretty significant anxiety issues so I need (at least in my head) to have my kids close enough to get to easily in the case of a fire or intruder.
I would not want guests wandering into my private living space. I've been in a few first floor masters (some in houses 4,000 sg/ft +) and it is STILL not enough space for this to be prevented in my mind. An errant drunken party guest, a nosey neighborhood kid etc.
Now, if I were older and my kids were on their own, I'd be open to it. The 55+ communities around here all do it. And at that point it would make sense for me.
I have pretty significant anxiety issues so I need (at least in my head) to have my kids close enough to get to easily in the case of a fire or intruder.
I would not want guests wandering into my private living space. I've been in a few first floor masters (some in houses 4,000 sg/ft +) and it is STILL not enough space for this to be prevented in my mind. An errant drunken party guest, a nosey neighborhood kid etc.
Now, if I were older and my kids were on their own, I'd be open to it. The 55+ communities around here all do it. And at that point it would make sense for me.
Ok, I can understand the anxiety, but not the bolded. lol. Are you having college style parties??
Ha, no. I am just thinking of any get together. Someone has to pee. They try the powder room and it's occupied, so they see your bedroom and just think, "Ill use the master bathroom". If this happens now, I send them upstairs where the hal bath is directly across from the stairs.
Post by mariafromnj on Sept 1, 2015 14:26:21 GMT -5
I hate the idea of the Master on the main floor. I like being able to keep my room tucked away from company. My room is the last room that gets cleaned. When we have company, they are usually walking in as I am tossing on different outfits and leaving the crappy ones on my floor.
As for the 2 laundry rooms, I don't think it is something I need or would use. 2 sets of cleaning products and sorting out when do some laundry up and then the rest down. I throw in everything together.
I wouldn't want two laundry rooms, however when I was a kid my friend has a huge laundry room. They had one washer and two dryers since the dry takes longer. That was smart, I want that.
That's also why I like hallways, which aren't popular anymore either. It's not wasted space, it's keeping my damn private area private. But that's another tambgent. lol
Yes, what is with that? I browse house plans sometimes and the bedrooms are right off of other rooms. I don't want my bedroom to open directly into the foyer or the kitchen. Give me some proper buffer space.
Ha, no. I am just thinking of any get together. Someone has to pee. They try the powder room and it's occupied, so they see your bedroom and just think, "Ill use the master bathroom". If this happens now, I send them upstairs where the hal bath is directly across from the stairs.
Oh, I guess I don't care if my friends pee in my bathroom!
I don't care either but that just two more rooms I have to keep clean bc people are passing through!
Our house has the master BR on the first floor, the remaining bedrooms are downstairs (we're built into a hill). However, SO's family lives in a 2 story house and his stepdad lost his legs to diabetes. The downstairs could not be renovated (without $$$$$) for another bedroom/bath, so they put in an elevator. It was cheaper than renovating the downstairs, but still an ongoing cost as it needs to be certified each year.
While I can do stairs now, I am also mobility impaired and very likely to wind up more so in the future. Many are, as they age.
Well... obviously? If I had trouble with stairs, ANY bedrooms on the second level would be the last thing I wanted.
My point is that many people do not account for immobility when they buy a house. 5 years ago, I lived in a third story apartment and it wasn't an issue.
Even something so simple as a broken leg can make life incredibly difficult if the only bedroom and bathroom is up a flight of stairs and no possibility of modification.
There was one house we were looking at when we bought the one we're in now. It was like 4 stories, and the top 3 floors had separate laundry rooms. The house has huge. I was like wtf why so many laundry rooms? Now I'm kind of wishing we bought it, lol. H could keep his crummy work clothes in one so he doesn't get the junk all over our nice clothes, then when the kids are older they could have their own laundry room... I'm just daydreaming now.
We didn't buy it because the back yard needed like 50k worth of work done (retaining wall, fill, etc) and it just wasn't something my h wanted to take on. Good thing, or else he'd probably STILL be working on it. Grumblegrumble he's so slow.
Post by starryfish on Sept 1, 2015 14:43:04 GMT -5
I'm in TX and love my master on the first floor! Our laundry is right by our master and living room and it's SO convenient!!! We also have an extra bedroom/study on main floor that will be a nursery some day.
I love my big laundry room but would love it to be bigger!
My point is that many people do not account for immobility when they buy a house. 5 years ago, I lived in a third story apartment and it wasn't an issue.
Even something so simple as a broken leg can make life incredibly difficult if the only bedroom and bathroom is up a flight of stairs and no possibility of modification.
Yeah, I get it; but I'm not going to buy a one-level house on the off chance I break a leg.
How old are you?
As you get older, you get more aware of things that can make life easier or more difficult as you age. One of the biggies is stairs. So while at 30 you think no big deal, at 45 and some starting arthritis in your knees/hips/back, those stairs you bounded up so easily 5 years previously become an obstacle to avoid.
My SO's family bought this house 30+ years ago and had no intention of moving. This was going to be their last house. They had no idea that SO's stepdad would wind up with an infection of one leg, then another that resulted in a double amputation. They had no idea when they bought the house 30 years ago that it would have been prohibitively expensive to expand the lower level powder room and carve out a bedroom. They had no idea that even though their house would have fetched a good amount of $$, that selling it would have taken him further than the medical care that he needed - had they been able to find it (they live in Vancouver, where house prices are utterly obscene).