The master bedroom is getting a new look in more ways than one in today’s real estate. For one thing, there’s a move away from calling it that. Now, it’s an owner’s bedroom. Plus, the option of a downstairs owner’s bedroom is increasingly popular. This article shares the pros and cons of the downstairs option.
First, let’s consider the advantages of having the owner’s bedroom downstairs. Long-term flexibility is a major point for the plus column. The downstairs bedroom is a perfect component of a forever home. With the main bedroom and bathroom area located downstairs, it’s possible for owners to age in place. They won’t have to worry about climbing a set of stairs to get to bed when mobility is more difficult.
Yet even before the creaks and pains of aging get in the way, there is a lot of convenience with a downstairs owner’s bedroom. When the owner’s bedroom is placed downstairs from the outset, the first floor of the house becomes its own complete living area. You still enjoy access to those extra bedrooms upstairs, but you don’t have to go up and down to reach those rooms on a daily basis.
The first-floor owner’s bedroom is also a welcoming option for guests or when your family takes in an aging family member. A main-level bedroom lets in-laws or relatives feel part of the family, while also retaining some privacy.
If you have kids in the upstairs bedrooms, you can settle them in for bed and still go about your life downstairs without worrying about waking them. Plus, as your kids get older, they get louder (or does it just seem that way?). Having that extra space between where you want to wind down from the day and their shouts at their video games can help relaxation.
Then, when you have teenagers, you will know they have to get past your downstairs bedroom if they try to come in past curfew or sneak out late. Not that your kids would do that, of course. They are complete angels. But you can see how it might come in handy for other families.
In the short-term, the downstairs owner’s bedroom can also serve as a home office. Until mobility becomes an issue, you can stay upstairs and save the easy access bedroom for your work from home needs.
Nevertheless, there are some cons in certain living situations.
The downstairs bedroom is on the main level alongside the other common areas of the modern home. If someone in your family likes to go to bed early or wants to be able to sleep through the sound of everyone else getting up and out of the house, the first-floor bedroom may not be the best choice.
Having the sleeping quarters nearby the main living area can also be problematic for families with kids that want to entertain or spouses on opposite schedules.
Additionally, when you have young children that require you to check on them often in the night, sleeping on the same level as them can save you steps. That floor’s distance between your room and the toddler’s room may loom much larger for you when you’d much rather be in bed.
One other consideration? If you’re someone who likes to sleep with the window or screen door open, you may not feel as comfortable doing so in a lower-level bedroom.
There are many factors to consider when weighing the downstairs owner’s bedroom option. If you’re already ready to live all on one floor, you may want to think twice about getting a two-story home. Certainly, the age of you and your family is a big factor.
Keep in mind too that you can enjoy greater energy efficiency if you are thinking of this as your forever home. When you transition entirely to the lower level living area, except when you have visitors, you can save money cooling and heating the seldom-used second level of the home.
Plus, although you may not be ready to think right now about the resale value, there is more interest in the downstairs owner’s bedroom homes building trend.
You can find downstairs owner’s bedroom in Saussy Burbank’s available homes in several of our developments including Nims Village and Nexton’s Midtown. Learn more about our high-quality craftsmanship and custom builds in top cities like Charlotte, NC, Raleigh, NC and Charleston, SC.