Buying A Home
jesspacatc
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What's your opinion - cape cod style house
I have recently found a house that we are considering making an offer on, but the one thing we were not sure about were how we would set up the bedrooms. 2 bedrooms are downstairs and the master bedroom plus a tiny bedroom is upstairs. We have two kids- an infant who will be rooming with us for another 6 months or so, and a 2.5 year old. How would you divy up bedrooms or would you avoid this style all together?
Re: What's your opinion - cape cod style house
It really depends on what your comfortable with. If my kids were going to be on different floor I would want the master on the main floor and the kids upstairs.
Right now our current set up is that our kids our on the main floor and our room is in the basement level. I really don't like them being on the main level without us since the main entrance to the house is on that level. This is one of the reasons we are moving. For me its a safety thing but my kids are only 2 and 4 and can get baby gates down. If they were older I wouldn't be as concerned.
The kids also go to bed earlier than we do and it would be nice if they were on a higher level so when we are on the main level watching tv or entertaining we wouldn't disturb them. So if we have to be on separate levels and it was two stories I would want them upstairs, but again, its personal preference.
We have a cape cod and although we don't have kids, the previous owners did. They had the children in the two bedrooms upstairs, their bedroom on the main floor and the fourth bedroom as an office. We mimicked their setup downstairs and right now one of the bedrooms upstairs is a guest room and the other is just a music room for me to play my violin.
I think it's totally valid and I LOVE our house. I wouldn't change a thing.
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I personally would avoid it. DS is on the 2nd floor, we're on the main level. We can see the stairs from our bed, actually, and due to a lack of carpets, we can hear him when he comes out of his room.
I looked at a house that I really liked - but it was like what you described, and honestly - I just didnt' like that aspect. Whether it's about intruders coming in, or kids sneaking out, or... whatever million "what ifs" you can come up with, I'm simply not comfortable w/ DS being downstairs while we're up.
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I like cape cods, but I hate this split bedroom style. My grandparents had a cape cod with 2 beds, 1 bath up, 2 beds, 1 bath (and a half off the kitchen) down. Thankfully my dad and aunt were spaced far enough apart that having them on different floors wasn't a problem, but for 2 small children, I think it's a PITA.
I don't have kids now, so take this with a grain of salt, but I'd probably put both of them on the first floor. It sounds like those bedrooms are more of a similar size (so you can avoid fights about having the "small bedroom" when they get older) and then you can have the entire upstairs to yourself, and use the smallest room either as a study/den/office or a guest room.
ETA: My grandparents used one of the downstairs bedrooms as their master, with the "true" master (biggest room+ walk-in closet) reserved as the guest room. You could also put both children in the big bedroom upstairs, use the small one for a playroom, and take one of the downstairs bedrooms for yourself.
40/112
Having lived in bungalows for most of my life, I would try to get a house with a full second story instead of a 1 1/2 story house. I'm not a fan of the Cape Cod style because I don't feel like there is much useable space upstairs with all the weird dormer angles.
I'd look for Foursquares instead if you have two children, and if that is out of your price range then larger bungalows that have large dormers and all the bedrooms on the 2nd floor. You could use a 1st floor bedroom as a tv room or play room instead.