Townhouse planning

8 years ago

We are thinking of purchasing a 3 floor town house 22’x 42’. I have the following dilemma about the house plan for 2nd and 3rd floor.

Option 1: Kids on 2nd floor, adults on the 3rd floor.
Layout on 2nd floor: 2 bedrooms for my son and daughter (6 and 4 y.o), each bedroom 10ftx 16ft (incl. closet space), 1 full bathroom for the kids, playroom (14ft x 14 ft), laundry room (12x 6)
Layout on 3rd floor: our master bedroom, walk in closet, full bathroom, office, storage (for winter gear, etc)

Option 2: adults on 2nd floor, kids in top floor.
Layout on 2nd floor: master bedroom, walk in closet, full bath, office, laundry room
Layout on 3rd floor: 2 large kids bedrooms (12ft x 20 ft), 1 full bath, storage. No playroom. We only have 3 windows on 3rd floor so we can’t fit a playroom there (1 large window in front, 1 large window in the back and 2ft wide window on the side).

Most days I prefer option 1 because of the playroom for the kids. However, I am concerned about sleeping higher than the kids. If there is a fire, it is easier to grab them on the way out but if there is an intruder we are further away from the entrance. We would have a house alarm and can keep a monitor for the hallway. I also worry if their rooms are too big they will never come down to hang out with the rest of us and are less likely to play together since each has their own large space.

So there are pros and cons for both, I was wondering what others think about the layouts and if there are other pros and cons I have not considered. What would be your option?

P.S. we can’t move/add/chance windows or staircase in this build, only walls.

Thanks in advance,

Zouye

Option 2: No playroom but larger bedrooms and kids on top floor

Option 1: Playroom but smaller bedrooms and kids on 2nd floor

Featured Answer

wysmama

8 years ago

We currently live in a 4 story townhouse. When we moved in I was very concerned about a fire and saving the kids. We have a sprinkler system and thankfully have never had a fire. And my fears have subsided. Our kids are on the 3rd and 4th floor with our bedroom on the 3rd floor. I very rarely go up to the fourth floor and when I do, my daughter and I are at odds because she doesn't do a good job keeping it tidy.
We live in the heart of the city and are able to walk to everything.
With that said, I will be so thankful when our house in the suburbs is built so I won't have to go up and down these stairs. There are 55 steps up to the 4th floor.
It will mean a long commute for my husband to work. But I won't have to plan play dates and park visits. The kids can play outside and have friends in to play whenever.
Great for young professionals. A serious pain for parents with young kids, and older people. I'm in my forties and can't imagine living here in my fifties and sixties.
Everything is a trade off.
I would vote for the master being on the top floor because I can hear every move the kids make on the floor above me. But, man I curse those stairs.

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Comments (10)

Jane
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
12 x 20 are big bedrooms... why not take some space from each to make a playroom and put skylights in. In or 6 or 7 years you will prefer them entertaining friends in a room that is not a bedroom
zouye
Original Author
8 years ago
@Jane That’s a great idea. I need to check if skylights are possible. Definitely worth investigating.
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sofikbr
8 years ago
From resale point, master on second floor makes more sense. If you planning to stay in the townhouse for a long time master on second preferable too.
David Cary
8 years ago
Wait - at 6 and 4 you are worried they will not stay upstairs away from you? Not mine and he is 8 - forget 6 and 4. We get him in a playroom when he has friends over - and that is where we want him then....

Skylights in a townhouse - unlikely. You need cathedral ceilings which is uncommon in a townhouse with bedrooms planned for the top floor.
PRO
JAN MOYER
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Curious as to the urbane locale. Personally , as a kid who was a pain in the neck? I wonder what the parents would have done with me? I sure do remember crawling in bed with them after the the scary monster nightmare, and I sure do remember the occasional barf events............

Some styles of housing are best at certain times of life. Young children need parents same floor or a nanny : )
RaiKai
8 years ago
Not sure I would want playroom and kids bedrooms above my master bedroom...

Am surprised at 6 & 4 you would be worried about never seeing them. That to me is a concern as teenagers maybe but at this point it is where you step in & determine where they can spend all their time.
PRO
Flo Mangan
8 years ago
Are you sure you want a multi-level townhouse with small children? Does it have an elevator?
PRO
JAN MOYER
8 years ago
Exactly my point too, Flo........What a PAIN.
zouye
Original Author
8 years ago
Hi everyone,

Thanks for the input. Just to give a bit of a background. We live in a city so townhouse is all we can afford unless we spend +$1.5 million or move an hour away from the city. The neighbourhood that we are interested is developed as townhouse haven for young professional families. It has a lot of parcs, good schools nearby, you can walk to the grocery store, subway station, pharmacy, bakery, etc.

The house has cathedral ceilings so I think skylights might be possible I just don’t know how complicated it is to install them (permits from city, etc). Our current builder might not be able to put them in so it is something we will have to add once the house is done. For security reasons I think we will install nest cameras on the second floor staircase and in playroom with monitors in kitchen and in our bedroom so that we can have an eye on them always. House will have central smoke and fire alarm, security lights. Backyard where kids bedrooms are facing in Option 1 will be completely fenced off.

@DavidCary and @RayKai, I am not worried for right now but am worried when they will be teenagers. We plan to stay in our next house until we have an empty nest (which nowadays can be either in 15 years or in 25...) My sister has a similar house and she made all kids bedrooms on the top floor. Now that her kids are teenagers they come down only to eat, the rest of the time they are up there on their phones, computers, etc. She only comes up to yell at them to clean their floor. Since they are there all alone they really don’t clean as often as when they shared floor in their previous house. I kind of like the idea of them being on the second floor so that I can walk through their floor and see what’s up. Plus laundry room is just off the playroom and I can keep an eye on them.
@JanMoyer and FloMangan, no elevator in the townhouse, but it does not bother me so much. We currently live in the condo building on the 3rd floor with no elevators so I am used to carrying groceries and kids up the stairs.

Sometimes I dream of big sprawling house on the country side like in a movie Family Stone but I think this would only happen when we are retired or no longer have to commute. For now it’s a very urban lifestyle for us.