When You Should Consider A Split Level House Plan

While looking for a house design, you’re probably considering either a single story home or double storey home. But, there’s another option available that you may not have considered: split level. 

Although not as common as our single and double storey home designs (mostly due to split level being better suited to sloped blocks), they are available and can solve problems you may have with finding a design to suit a block that isn’t level.

Until recently, our display homes have been built on flat blocks. Now, our new Box Hill display homes, on sloped blocks, can better showcase our split level offering. They’re not a perfect match for all block types, but they are the right solution for trickier lots; and you’ll find there are some bonus benefits, beyond block suitability, that might surprise you.

How to know if a split level home is a good fit for you:

A split level home is ideal for a sloping block

There are a number of reasons people choose the blocks of land they do, and it’s not always to do with how perfectly level it is. 

Of course, proximity to things that facilitate your lifestyle, views and familiarity or affection with a neighbourhood all come into play. So, if you’ve found that your land ticks all these boxes but happens to be on a slope, don’t feel like your search for a home builder is going to be arduous. In fact, it can be very simple with a split design. 

Split level designs truly shine when it comes to solving the common concerns around a sloped block, as they are the most stable and suitable for this kind of lot.

You like split-level homes but are concerned about cost

There’s no beating around the bush, there are added costs to building a split level home due to the structural considerations needed and the difficulty of building on a sloped block. However, some savings can be made when considering bigger picture budget.

Sloped blocks, due to the factors that make building on them more expensive, tend to go for less than leveled blocks. Also, building with a company that has already covered the design to fit these lots, you don’t have to go to a custom builder (with higher additional fees) or go through the costs of excavation or adjusting the site’s natural drainage.

Another consideration is to opt for a house and land package that will offer you an overall cost, with no surprises. Don’t let the idea of a more expensive build put you off a design you love or a sloped lot of land you love; this can still be an overall affordable option.

You want to get more out of a smaller block

Creating space with height allows you to get more for your block size. The split-level option is based on being structurally sound but is also strong in the clever use of space. Working with the gradual elevation of a block, and creating space vertically, you are able to get more on less - in appearance and actual size of rooms.

The illusion of space a small staircase separating rooms can create, means that your entry can still appear vast and impressive, allowing for extra space to be added to a hall entering the open plan kitchen/living/dining areas. This little trick-of-the-eye, and the freedom to reconfigure area sizes accordingly, is an option not afforded to level blocks.

You want a more traditional, private feel to some rooms

Open plan is by far the most popular home design of recent times. Days of isolated rooms for communal living feel long gone, and there are plenty of benefits to the open plan that makes this so. But, it has meant a move away from private spaces.

A split level gives added privacy to areas of the house, and moderates noise levels throughout the home. The sitting room at the front of the house, for example, can be a sanctuary to relax, away from the loud bustle of common areas; or a space for the kids to play in peace while parents cook dinner or entertain. The multi-floored design of the split-level home offers great separation of family activities when it’s needed.

Have you seen our new Box Hill display homes? Visit today!