Split Level Vs. Bi Level

Types of Split-Level Layouts

• The three main split-level layouts are split-foyer or split-entry, split-level and stacked split-level. In the split-foyer or split-entry plan, the most common, the foyer is midway between the two main floors of the house. You walk into a two-story or story-and-a-half foyer or entry and go either up four to eight stairs to the living room or down another short flight of stairs to a family or bonus room, which leads to the garage.

The Split-Level House

• A house can be split into a number of levels to accommodate terrain, lot size and budget. Generally, a stacked split-level has three or four levels, as opposed to two in the split-foyer plan, with a corresponding number of stairways to get from one level to another. Usually, the entry is on the middle level and opens onto the living room. There may or may not be steps up to the dining room and kitchen.

Stacked Split-Level Floorplans

• When there is a very narrow lot, the stacked split-level house plan offers a lot of affordable, livable square footage. These houses usually have five or more levels, with short stairways connecting them. You enter the home on the middle level and step into a foyer, which has two sets of stairs, one going up and one going down. Generally, the bedrooms are built on top of the second living area.

Bi-Level House Explained

• Bi-level house plans, sometimes called raised ranch, follow a pretty set pattern. You walk into the foyer that takes you up a couple of steps into the living room. Also on this floor are the kitchen, dining room, and maybe a half bath. Off the living room are a few steps up to a second level where the bedrooms and other bathrooms are built over a garage and raised basement. Typically, the basement becomes a family room or a teenager's room.

Similarities Between Split- and Bi-Levels

• Trying to explain the difference between spit-level and bi-level house plans is like trying to split hairs. Both have different levels to separate the active living areas from the bedrooms, both have entries on the middle level, and both are less expensive and require less land to build. Their exteriors have common characteristics: a doorway in the middle, a driveway on a lower level leading to the garage and bedrooms above.

Update Your Split or Bi Level House

• Typically, split-level homes run about 1,500 square feet and are more likely to have smaller rooms, bi-level homes about 2,000 square feet, with slightly larger bedrooms. One way to update your split-level home is to combine a smaller bedroom with the master and enlarge the en suite bathroom. In the other areas, walls can be knocked out or modified. To make the house appear bigger, coordinate furniture styles and colors throughout the house.