I love a 2 story house! if you have a large lot and can spread out into one of cpartists letter shaped houses i’d be happy to live in one story (although probably less energy efficient)! 2 sories usually makes it easier to get lots of light/windows in each room. you’d have to pay me to live in all of these fat one story houses with windowless kitchens that crop up here! either way you should design a house such that bedrooms have some privacy and sound proofing from common areas.

Why do you think this will be the only home you live in for the next 30-40 years? Especially when you only have one child now?

Houses that work for a family do not always work for those who's children have flown the coop.

The best house designs are created, not found. Consider designing a home with a local architect that meets your needs and fits your site, without complaints.

A single story can be designed for both separation and noise isolation. Attention to detail with a goal is necessary.

Whether you have a one story or a two story, sound travels further than you would think, and it's hard to sound proof enough to make a substantial difference. As you kids get older, they will hopefully be less sensitive to noise once asleep.

As for the long term, I don't think most people look for 2 story homes. For many, a one story home is a requirement as they age (not having to navigate stairs). This may be a regional preference.

I used to be in the 2 story camp. Always loved living in 2 story homes and didn't mind stairs. However, I am now convinced a one story is better if you have the room on your lot. Many people build 2 stories due to smaller lot sizes and it being the only way to get a larger house on a limited lot. It's also generally a bit cheaper to build up than out.

I'm convinced you won't regret a one story. But others make a great point that a lot can change as your raise kids and it's probably not realistic to think you will stay in the house for 30-40 years.

I want to add that we will definitely be here for a really long time because we are building on family land and will not have the option to sell. The house will have to stay in the family. Part of the agreement to build! The land we are building on is land we are inheriting!

How fortunate you are to be building a home on family land! Another reason to retain the services of a good architect to bring your wants and needs to fruition.

That being said, there are plusses and minuses to both types of homes, as noted above.

If you do a 2-story home (which is my preference) have all the bedrooms on the same floor, which is usually the second story. You probably don't want your children on a different level, especially while they are young. Most young children will need parents at some point during the night, and having to navigate stairs can be dangerous while half-asleep in the dark. Even worse is children upstairs and parents downstairs during a fire.

But if you have the space, and you already know you love a one-story home, then plan it carefully so that all rooms have at least two exposures for cross ventilation and light. Siting the home on the land to take advantage of the natural features like light and views is so important for how you will live in the home as well as energy efficiency.

Hi, Victoria,

You've got a lot more to consider in the design phase than the location of the primary bedroom. You need a home that can adapt to changing lifestyle needs across many years, and potentially many generations of your family. One such need, based on my experience, is acoustic separation: you want to be close to little kids and far away from them when they become teenagers.

List out your lifestyle needs at the present time, your anticipated needs with a family of young children, with teenagers, and then with adult children who come to visit. Then sit down with an architect who can help translate those needs into a livable plan. If you have a construction budget, include your builder or someone with construction cost expertise early in the design phase so you don't invest money in designing a home that breaks the bank.

Best wishes for a successful project.

How wonderful you're getting to build on family land. With that in mind depending on how large the lot is, I vote for a 1 story home.

Do yourself a favor and forget trying to find a house online. Most are truly awful. Find a talented person (residential architect) and have him/her create a house that will live well for you now and will help you age in place. This way you and your architect can create a house that takes advantage of the natural light, views, etc.

I post this all the time and now would be the time to use it as your guide as you design your home,

The best homes are designed to suit the site and are a marriage of a well designed interior and exterior.

The best houses come in at or under the design target square footage

The best houses orient the public rooms towards the south for the best passive solar heating and cooling

The best houses are L, U, T, H, or I shaped.

The best houses are only one to two rooms deep. And covered lanai, porches, garages, etc count as rooms in this case.

The best houses make sure kitchens have natural light, meaning windows so one doesn't have to have lighting 24/7 to use the kitchen. (And no, dining areas with windows 10' or more from the kitchen will not allow for natural light.)

The best houses make sure all public rooms and bedrooms have windows on at least two walls.

The best houses do not if possible put mechanical rooms, pantries or closets on outside walls

The best houses do not have diagonal interior walls making for odd spaces.

The best houses keep public and private spaces separate.

The best houses do not have you walk through the work zone of the kitchen to bring laundry to the laundry room.

The best houses do not have the mudroom go through any of the work zones of the kitchen.

The best houses do not use the kitchen as a hallway to any other rooms.

The best houses do not put toilets or toilet rooms up against bedroom walls or public areas.

The best houses do not have walk in closets too small to stand inside.

The best houses have separation, such as closets, between bedrooms and between bedrooms and public rooms.

The best houses do not have roofs that are overly large, and dominate the exterior of the house.

The best houses do not have stick on exterior materials only on the front façade.

The best houses do not have multiple gables within gables.

The best houses have an organizing “spine” so it’s easy to determine how to get from room to room in the house and what makes sense. Meaning they don’t have meandering circulation paths.

The best houses design the inside, the outside and how the house sits on the site all at the same time.

And this:

From David Cary: It seems very common on here and perhaps in real life to put a standard "small lot" house on acreage. I know someone in real life who did the same - he is kind of a jerk so I haven't invited myself over to take a look but I heard what he was doing.

Obviously, it is cheaper to put everything in a tight place from a land clearing standpoint so there may be some advantage to doing what this plan does.

But the house would be a lot more sun filled if you spread it out a bit. Things like semi-detaching the garage will allow more sun in (or completely detaching but I understand that isn't everyone's desire).

Your goal is really to have the most windows, particularly into public places where you spend waking hours in, to be on the south side. The south has the most sun in the winter which is when you need the light the most. That also helps heat the house - for free. Then as the sun gets higher in the sky, you get less sun during the summer. Sun that is easy to build overhangs to block out.

I have a number of these and is great to have sun cascading into our kitchen in the winter and then perfectly blocked but visible all day in the summer.

But, but the view. Yes - that is a consideration and with the right layout, you can have both.

We raised two kids with the master on the main and them upstairs. I do not remember that many trips up the stairs in the middle of the night. We keep our 2 yo grandson one night a week and I have only had to go upstairs once for him. Kids grow fast so don't plan your house on the infant stage.

Think about where you want your kids when they are elementary age or preteen. Do you want them at the other end of a house where your perhaps have no idea what is going on or if they are even in the house? Our master is close to the foot of the stairs so I felt some degree of safety knowing we were close by and they had to walk near us to get out! And perhaps we could hear them easier than if they were at the other end of the house.

I do agree with hiring an architect to get more bang for your buck. You want this house to be special, it sounds as if the land is.