Will you have any bedrooms on the main floor? If so, I wouldn't hesitate to put a master on the second floor. I hope you have a small balcony off the master!

great question, no we wouldn't, maybe just an office that could be one - if we are going to dedicate main floor square footage to a bedroom I think we will stick with main floor master - a balcony off it no matter which level! can't wait for lake life! Im really wondering if anyone did it - and regretted it as our builder thinks we can "get so much more house" if it is moved upstairs- and yes we are considering an arcitchet, but we will still need to let them know if we want main floor or upstairs :)

Well, in many cases, building a two-story house with a smaller footprint may be less expensive, as your builder suggests. That may not always be true, but often is as a general rule. On the other hand, every adult reaches a point in her/his life when climbing stairs is really no longer possible. Reaching that point is sometimes a matter of advancing age, but other times it comes as the result of an unexpected injury or illness.

You will have to decide the extent to which, or not, this may apply to you and the length of time you anticipate owning and living in your house.

If it was my house, I'd plan on the master bedroom on the first floor and kid's/guest bedrooms on the second floor. That way, the house will work for you regardless of your future situation.

Good luck!

Well, in many cases, building a two-story house with a smaller footprint
may be less expensive, as your builder suggests. That may not always
be true, but often is as a general rule. On the other hand, every adult
reaches a point in her/his life when climbing stairs is really no
longer possible. Reaching that point is sometimes a matter of advancing
age, but other times it comes as the result of an unexpected injury or
illness.

Yes, this is pretty much what I would've written. At some point, the stairs will matter. I'm 50, and at this point they'd be no obstacle ... but my mom is mid-70s, and she's just -- in the last couple years -- reached the point they'd be a problem. Will you be the same? No one knows, but unless you die young in an accident, you will someday have less mobility than you have now.

I can tell you what we're doing, and I feel good about it: We're building a master "up" and a master "down" ... and the third bedroom will be upstairs, but smaller; not exactly a bunk room, but something akin to it in feel. We feel this is a good "future-proof" situation: Now it'll be a master down for us and a master for our youngest child who says she intends to stay with us a while (will that happen? maybe.) If we need to take in a parent for a while, we will move to the upstairs master. Note, too, that we are fairly "minimal master" people -- none of our bedrooms will be overly large or fancy, but both masters will be big enough for a king-sized bed and will have ample storage for two people.

but unless you die young in an accident

Missed that opportunity!

So while still (sorta) bounding the stairs, an elevator shaft is in the plans as masters on the first floor are an Amurrican peculiarity rarely seen north of the 49th parallel.

Rough in for that elevator - even install it now. My hairdresser and his wife have just downsized - she's 70 and he's 8 yrs younger but has A-fib. They're going to use it to take things up and down - laundry etc - until they need it for mobility issues.

@worthy - hilarious ... especially because I'm always telling people if I die young I have this hidden here for my kids etc! We are a rarity in Minnesota with a two story and a main floor master- I was young when we built and just love it tbh. Ithink if we do do a second-floor master we would have to talk about an elevator - thanks everyone for your input

Not me personally, but my brother and SIL went from a 2nd floor master to a 1st floor master in Minnesota. They've lived in their current house for about 3 years now and liked it at first. Now they are planning a major remodel and will be building a new master on the 2nd floor and relocating the laundry room to the 2nd floor. She said that with the master and laundry room downstairs she finds that there is always laundry around. Usually in some state of folding....waiting to be folded or waiting to be put away.....and usually in the public areas like kitchen table, couch, etc. She is looking forward to having all the bedrooms upstairs with the laundry room so she never has to see laundry downstairs again. I thought that was a very big check mark in the 'Positive' column for having an upstairs master.

An elevator can be had for around $20,000-$25,000. If you prefer your master upstairs, put it upstairs and either put in the shaft now and make it into closets, or put the elevator in. Hey it could still make a good closet until you actually need it. ;)

@gthigpen really something to think about, I don't find that problem but it might explain why my husband is ALWAYS doing laundry - lol (lucky I know) maybe he can't handle it laying around? I'll have to ask. I do it too, but only on Saturdays ;). Thanks for the insight. Interesting they are moving upstairs. My big complaint about the main floor master is I tend to go into it for everything, homework (currently getting my masters) work work, read books, write out cards. I just find it so easy to go lay on the bed and do that stuff - and I wonder if I might just light it upstairs so I "use more of my house". not that any of that is an issue or really anything that bothers me, it would just be my only real "complaint" about my mainfloor master

That's why I like my laundry in the basement! Unless I could have a HUGE 2nd floor laundry room with room for a real (not pull-down) ironing board always set up, I prefer it in the basement. I would also need a small freezer in an 2nd floor laundry as that's where I store pillow cases/napkins right out of the washer, while they await the urge to overtake me, to iron!

What age are you and dh?

if you are planning to stay in this house and are not planning an elevator then I would plan a first floor master.

time passes faster than you might think. One day you wake up and you realize that you really don't enjoy running up and down stairs.

we are building a lake house and are close to retirement age. It is not a small house but everything we need will be on the first floor. The rest of the house will be used when all of the family comes home. Hoping that will be often.

we do still have two teens at home as well.

good luck!

Imagine what you could do in the interim with an elevator...a mobile closet...how about a laundry room that moves from first to second floor (I know it's not practical...darn)...or a kitchenette...a library... Now I wish The Cabbage had two floors so we could have an elevator!

Anglophilia...we must have posted about the same time.

We are living in my dh's childhood home and the laundry room is in the basement with the old fashioned wooden laundry chute. It drives me crazy..not so much because of the stairs but because I like to pull damp things out of the dryer and hang them up. I can't hear the buzzer, I forget loads until they are totally dry, etc... But I can totally see how my mother in law stayed so slender ;-)

miss my first floor laundry.

ILoveRed - I am 42 and my husband 48, Kids are 12 and 14 and only 6 more years till they are in college :(. so we are definitely planning to use the house the same way as you - most of the house when the kids come back, and then hopefully grandkids - I can't imagine that but it will be here before we know it, because as you said - time flies quickly. I do think a main floor master is ideal, it just might make us have to have a snout garage because we only have 85 feet across to work with.... decisions on compromises....

Mnphotog...well I can't remember exactly what my width was with the setbacks on my lot but my building envelope was pretty tight as our lot is only 0.5 acres. We are downsizing from 5 acres.

anyway, my point is I checked my house plan and it is 73'4" wide so my lot is fairly narrow as well...maybe 100 ft with 12 ft setbacks on each side.

I would much rather have a side garage but no room for that so we will have a front garage but definitely not what I would call a snout garage. 85' width should be plenty to work with if you get a good architect or designer.

Is the 85' the width of the lot or the width of the buildable area? I.e.; after setbacks

I don't blame you for not wanting a snout garage. I would definitely put the elevator in.

Front facing garages aren't the end of the world. I didn't know they were supposed to be hideous until i joined GW. You wouldn't be able to tell that in my neighborhood. They can be done gracefully.

PS my current garage is side facing, and is the only thing you see zipping down the road from north to south (you can't see the house at all going south to north). I also have a 90 degree turn near the top of the drive, steep, so I can enter that side facing garage. Lovely when covered with ice or snow... not.

ILoveRed, funny we have very similar situations we are also downsizing from 5 acres- I am a little nervous about what it's going to be like to have neighbors ;) but I think the lake will make up for it, our lot is also 100ft across so 85 is after the setbacks -

There is nothing backwards about this idea. Where I live it is common for large and small houses to have all bedrooms on the second floor.

We are building on a 100' foot wide lot with 12' side setbacks, so only 76' feet to build on. I just checked and our house will be 71' 6" wide with a front facing garage. The garage is setback 21 feet from the front of the house, so its front facing impact is minimized. Our house will have a 1st floor master and there is plenty of room for it. I'm happy to post a floorplan if you'd like.

We also have a .6 acre lake lot we will be building on. Ours is wider at 168', but of course :) shallow. Due to steep topography our present plans include a front garage. Is it still considered a "snout" if it doesn't have any house behind it? The garage is 10' closer to the road than the rest of the house.

We have planned a main floor master as we are close to retirement and wanted everything we needed on one floor. The walkout basement will be the area for grown children/guests/and us to enjoy for as long as we are able.

Our plan is 82' wide including the garage and 30' at its deepest. But we have never lived in a 2 story home. Always one story with a basement (both standard and walkout). Prefer the walkout!

We always consider the lake side of our cabin to be the "front" yard. So a garage facing the road would be a rear-entry. And we do get visitors from the lake (though admittedly, more come from the road).

All homes and building sites have some compromises. I think building a lake home to take advantage of views, breezes, deal with dripping swimsuits and sand, accommodate both daytime and overnight guests - those are the priorities. If that means putting a garage out front - I can live with that.

wow what a great community (this is my first post) thank you everyone so far, lot of great points of view and really helping to clarify, wants, needs priority.

gthigpen I would LOVE to see your plan, thank you so much for the offer, Looking forward to it!!

AnnKH, good point! Its not a super "social" lake so most guests will be from road, but you know what, I like that thinking! such a good point.

vsr61, how exciting! Where are you in the process, can't wait to see it! are you doing 1 master on the main level and multiple bedrooms downstairs?

Are any of you doing a lake "locker room?" That is what I really want but it will also take up a "view"room too then.

Mn...a locker room was a priority room for me. It will not take up a view room since it's in the walk out portion of the basement. But it is directly accessible from the dock and lake and will be used before anyone goes to the lake and after anyone comes from the lake. It will have a shower, w/d, beach towels, space for swimsuits, hooks for wet swimsuits, etc. hoping it will keep the mess out of my house.

this room is also directly accessible to a guest room in the basement. I have to say I think my architect did a great job on the whole area ;-). Very pleased.

let me know if you want to see it.

An elevator can be had for around $20,000-$25,000.

Well, $20,000-25,000 plus extra square footage, which sometimes a big issue; plus it's another item around which you must design.

In my area, where land is cheap, it doesn't really make sense. In another area -- for example, where ample building space simply can't be had -- it might make more sense.

I didn't know they were supposed to be hideous until i joined GW.

I knew. I'm not saying they aren't sometimes the best option, but the garage is never really the most attractive part of the house ... so why push it out so that it's the first thing people see?

I had completely forgotten about this being a lake home so AnnKH had a great point about how a front garage would actually be a rear garage (or something like that). So I think the point about maximizing the views and accessibility on the lakeside is definitely more important that worrying about a 'snout' garage.

But, here is our first floor floor-plan. We are on a 100' wide city lot (unfortunately no lake views) and this house is 71.5' wide. The deepest part of the house, not including porches is 41'8". It was deeper than I wanted, but the rooms in the middle of the house (closets, laundry, etc) don't need windows so I'm OK with it. Our second floor has three additional bedrooms plus a bonus/loft space. We've got 2 kids, ages 11 and 13. No basements here in Texas.

Do you mean are you crazy if you think your kids will be out of the house in six years?

I assume if you don't like it on the second floor you can, always move back down to the first floor.

Mark, I meant it is crazy to even imagine they will be in college and out of the house in 6 years - where the heck does time go? If we did put it upstairs there would be no option to move to the first floor as a second master isn't really in the budget. I think we will just stick with plan A. and do a main floor master. Thanks to much of the advice from here!

gthigpen thank you, that is going to be a beautiful house! How exciting! Cant wait to follow your build!

ILoveRed I remember seeing your locker room now! (newbie, didn't pay attention to names) actually our similarities are crazy, acerage to lake, number of kids, retirement planning, locker room, etc. I LOVED your house, I want a shingle style home also!!

Lol, actually I have four kids. My oldest is 35. My youngest two are teens :-) another in between. And grands!

thank you for the kind words. Love shingle style.

Mrs Pete, I understand about front facing garages. Sometimes, though, they are practical, and they can be made to look good. I guess I am more function over form, although I truly love form, too!

Mrs Pete, I understand about front facing garages. Sometimes, though,
they are practical, and they can be made to look good. I guess I am
more function over form, although I truly love form, too!

Don't get me wrong: I'm not anti front-facing garage. I'm anti front-facing garage done poorly -- and fairly often we see plans on this site that protrude forward so that they're the first thing that one sees when approaching the house, AND they block a guest's view of the front door from the driveway ... so problems with both form AND function. A nicely placed garage can face front without committing these sins.

I'm anti front-facing garage done poorly

That's the key. It's no different than any other design consideration. If we crudely attach the garage "Simpson house" style like the little green Monopoly house glued to the big red Monopoly hotel it's going to come off poorly.

Yellow Jacktet's house is like that as well as another user I'm working with. They'll both be fine because were paying careful attention to the connection and how that will work.

If we do pay attention to the connectivity (and great design is more about the connecting and less about what's being connected than one would think) it can be done very well.