Types of Split-Entry Houses

Raised Ranch

• A raised ranch is the simplest split-entry home style. The house has two levels and one interior staircase. The exterior does not have a walk-up staircase. The staircases are all inside. You walk through the foyer directly into the living room, and there is usually an interior staircase located near the foyer that leads to the lower level. The bedrooms, kitchen and dining room are on the same level as the living room, and the lower level is typically a large open space used as a recreation or family room.

Split Foyer

• A home with a split-foyer style (also called a bi-level) has an entry that is midway between two floors of the home. Once you enter the front door, the home has two short flights of stairs, with anywhere from four to eight stairs. One staircase leads to the upper level of the home, and the other leads to the lower level of the home. In most cases, the lower level is below ground level, where there might be a family room and bedrooms.

Split-Level

• A conventional split-level home will have three or four levels and two or three short flights of stairs. When you step inside of the home, there is usually a short flight of stairs that leads to a formal living room area. One staircase leads to the lower level, and additional staircases lead to the second, third or fourth levels, depending on the total number of levels or stories in the home. Bedrooms are typically on the upper levels and the lowest level is used as a family room.

Stacked Split-Level

• Of all the various split-level styles, the stacked split-level is perhaps the most interesting. A stacked split-level home can have five or more levels and four or five staircases. There is usually a short staircase inside that leads from the doorway directly to the living room, and then staircases on the left and right that lead to two different levels. The homes are referred to as “stacked” because the staircases that flank to the left and right often lead to bedrooms that are stacked above each other, forming the fourth and fifth levels.