Most people live in two-story houses with a tiny attic that you pull down a small ladder to get to nowadays. What happened to old-fashioned three story houses with a basement, a first floor, a second floor, and a full third floor attic where you climb a regular flight of steps positioned right above the first to second floor and basement to first floor staircases?
The houses I'm talking about aren't really that big, maybe 1000-1500 square feet per floor, but most of them were built before 1960. Now, most three story homes are mansions the size of an old Woolworth's store.
2007-11-20 18:52:18 · 5 answers · asked by Matthew V 7 in Business & Finance ➔ Renting & Real Estate
I would like to see houses like that built again. They are more energy efficient, easier to clean, and probably cost a lot less than the mansions they build now.
2007-11-20 18:59:37 · answer #1 · answered by ladyjane 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I am building one!
The reason being is that the fire and safety codes are so tough! I had to build an external stairway leading from the top floor to the ground. You don't need this for a 2 story, but you do for a third floor. It may sound simple, but building a stairway that high is actually very expensive, it needs a deep foundation, each step had to be bolted AND welded. I even paid a small fortune for the railing. After all of the permits and work just this little piece of the house cost me over 50k.
Additionally you have to have a frame that all three floors are connected to. I have these HUGE beams that are over 40 foot tall. They make up the front room, which is open, but the cost of the fabrication was unbelievable. The house certainly isn't going to fall down the mountain, roll maybe, but it had to be built as a solid unit.
2007-11-21 13:32:21 · answer #2 · answered by Landlord 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The old fashioned attic is not a room that gets any press under MLS (Realty Multiple Listing Service). When people look for houses they have been trained by Realtors to look for specific requirements; square footage, bedrooms, and baths. Sun rooms, conservatories, porches, attics, ballrooms and other hard to describe spaces are not considered as "valuable", so builders don't build them. If they are built they are often called "bonus rooms", but don't count in that all important # of bedrooms.
Then there IS the stair case issue. Yes, the population is aging and wants the convenience of no steps to negotiate with a walker (or bad knees).
2007-11-21 04:33:08 · answer #3 · answered by Kathryn D 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are still popular but more of us are getting old and want one level homes.
My 1948 home has a basement that floods a main floor and the top floor is a master suite. I will be moving the moment I retire.
More new houses here skip the basement so have a main floor and all or all but one bedrooms are upstairs.
Stairs become a pain when you age. I had to deal with a broken leg with stairs I will not deal with old age and stairs.
2007-11-21 02:58:32 · answer #4 · answered by shipwreck 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I think a lot of people don't want to have to climb stairs and they can be hard to heat in cooler climates.
2007-11-21 03:40:28 · answer #5 · answered by DixeVil 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋