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Mid-entry style houses on level lots - why?

dlsdls
edited October 2008 in Seattle Real Estate
I've noticed many houses (in the south Snohomish county area) that are mid-entry style but which sit on level lots. Many are older ('60s - '70s) but I also see fairly new construction. I don't see a benefit of a mid-entry style house on a level lot. Having to go up stairs to the entry only to either go up more stairs, or down more stairs to the ground level drives me away from this style of house. I could see mid-entry houses on sloping lots, but not level ones. Are there benefits to this design (or perhaps zoning or tax issues) that I'm not seeing? Are mid-entries a fad, or only what many local builders know how to build?

Comments

  • rose-colored-coolaidrose-colored-coolaid
    I thought that style was just "in" during the 60s/70s. Not sure why anyone would do that today...
  • WestSideBillyWestSideBilly
    Definitely a fad from the 70s/early 80s (where I grew up).

    It does give the appearance of the house being "big" when viewed from the front, and the foyer tends to be larger and more welcoming. But a foyer is mostly wasted space, so I don't see the selling point to that.
  • jonjon
    It lets you put the social areas like the living room and kitchen upstairs where there is more view and light. The den and kids' rooms get stuck downstairs.
  • Civil ServantCivil Servant
    Colleagues of mine -- architects, contractors -- have said that this type of floor plan makes houses cheaper to build. I'm not sure exactly why, but I've heard it so often that I'm willing to accept it as true. Incidentally the same people love the "loft" trend because they can use far fewer building materials and charge more for sophisticated urban style.
  • Charles DeanCharles Dean
    It's probably cheaper to build on a price-per-square footage load. I mean, a 1 story the same width and length would only be what, 600-900 square feet? You don't have to build a crawlspace, half of the downstairs is a garage typically and then the upstairs is just a typical rambler floorplan. Plus I'm sure the plans are really cheap to buy as well.
  • rose-colored-coolaidrose-colored-coolaid
    Part of it has to do with the stairs, if I understand correctly. For some reason, two half length stairwells are cheaper than one full length staircase.
  • mukohmukoh
    It majorly has to do with the simplicity of framing a rectangle, as well as foundation consts are half of regular house.
  • rose-colored-coolaidrose-colored-coolaid
    mukoh wrote:
    It majorly has to do with the simplicity of framing a rectangle, as well as foundation consts are half of regular house.

    So, I'm confused. How does a mid-entry effect the framing of a house? Isn't it just as easy (easier even?) to put the door on the ground floor?

    I just had another thought. A lot of areas around here are hilly, perhaps mid-entry just works on so many lots that it's easier to screw-up (IMHO) the flat ones than it is to purchase designs for another style of house. I'm just grasping at straws on that one though.
  • perfectfireperfectfire
    Maybe it saves space because it lets you use the landing as a landing and an entryway.
  • tomtomtomtom
    rose-colored-coolaid wrote:
    I thought that style was just "in" during the 60s/70s.

    I think this is the answer.

    If you look at the McMansions of today, notice the complex roof lines. What's the advantage of that? None. And the downside is that it makes it more labor intensive to install the trusses, decking, flashing and shingles.They are like that because every other McMansion is like that.
  • WestSideBillyWestSideBilly
    tomtom wrote:
    If you look at the McMansions of today, notice the complex roof lines. What's the advantage of that? None. And the downside is that it makes it more labor intensive to install the trusses, decking, flashing and shingles.They are like that because every other McMansion is like that.

    Most McMansions use generic floor plans (obviously) with what appears to be a complicated roof line, but it's irrelevant since most of them use pre-made trusses. Once upon a time the complexity of the truss had a direct relationship to the cost, which is why most houses used a single roofline (i.e. ranch or Cape Cod). The messy rooflines don't add as much cost as they once did.

    And yes, it's also a fad. Most "custom" homes (where an architect is involved) don't use them.
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