Found The Near-Perfect Home, But Hate The Split-Level Floor Plan? Here's How To Modify

Finding the perfect home for you and your family can be a daunting task. Before buying, you have to identify many factors, like certain amenities, the inspection, and your finances. But once you find the house of your dreams, you can take a deep breath of relief — well, almost. One of the biggest things homeowners get caught up on is the style of their home. If you end up with a split-level but hate the floor plan, you can modify your home by bringing it up to date with an exterior upgrade and interior additions.

Split-level homes were popular in the 1970s and are not being built much today, which means they are instantly dated just by looking at them. Luckily, if you love everything else about the home, you can update your split-level to fit your modern needs. Whether you are ready to knock down walls or want to make some easier aesthetic upgrades, you can create your perfect home regardless of the floor plan.

Split-level homes are characterized by split floor plans. With this type of home, you often walk into a narrow entryway and are immediately met with a set of stairs. This is often what homeowners dislike about this floor plan, but luckily, this can be changed. Small modifications can include adding a glass door for brightness or adding storage to the area for more functionality. Bigger changes to the entryway can involve moving the door to the side of your home or adding a front porch to give the exterior a more attractive look, like one TikTok user presented.

@aspenackley

Is the split-entry popular where you live? #homedesign #contractor #renovationproject

♬ Married Life (From "Up") – Gina Luciani

One significant factor of many split-level homes is that they have many walls, closing off the house and eliminating an open floor plan many people want. If your budget allows, you can knock down some of the walls or replace those walls with railings, glass, or other elements that make the space feel bigger. Opting for light-colored walls, adding overhead lights, and increasing the number of windows are also smart ways to brighten up a darker home, which split-level homes often are.

While it may be true that most builders no longer choose to build split-level homes, that doesn't mean they don't have many reasons to love them. What split-levels often lack in aesthetics, they make up for in size. Split-level homes often have a good amount of square footage, and due to their less popular floor plan, they are usually less expensive — meaning more bang for your buck in size and price.

Split-level homes also offer designated spaces, which is becoming more popular, especially for those with larger families. For those with little ones or even loud teenagers, this means quiet and calm bedrooms regardless of what chaos is occurring out in the living area. Split-level homes are also often characterized by large outdoor spaces, allowing families to take advantage of indoor/outdoor living. If you fall in love with a split-level house, don't let the floor plan dissuade you from purchasing. There are so many things to love about this style of home, and the things you don't love can be changed without too much demolition.