1.5 or 2 story home?

[Bocad]

I just was conditioned because I stated the subject as a 2 story home. The reviewer states that it is a 1.5 story home. I have read some comments that say if the master bedroom is downstairs and all other bedrooms are on the second floor that it is a 1.5 story. Then I read if the second floor is smaller than the first it is considered a 1.5 story.
What is the difference between a 1.5 story home and a 2 story home?

Thank you for your help

 

[Mr Rex]

A 2 story home has full height 2nd floor walls. A 1.5 story home has parts of the walls shorter than full height because the walls are under the slope of the roof. If you got real anal about it you could have 1.2, 1.3, 1.75 story homes etc.

 

[RSW]

A 2 story home has full height 2nd floor walls. A 1.5 story home has parts of the walls shorter than full height because the walls are under the slope of the roof. If you got real anal about it you could have 1.2, 1.3, 1.75 story homes etc.

A cape COD would be considered a 1 and 1/2 story home.

 

[Rick Stillman]

A 2 story home has full height 2nd floor walls. A 1.5 story home has parts of the walls shorter than full height because the walls are under the slope of the roof. If you got real anal about it you could have 1.2, 1.3, 1.75 story homes etc.

To add to that, the roof/attic is on TOP of the second story of a two story home and is not part of the living area, whereas the roof/attic is PART of the second story in a story and a half home.

 

[Bocad]

Thank you for the reply's. In this case, most of second story has standard heights for the ceiling. There is one room that has a sloped ceiling in which part of the ceiling is under 7 feet. Is that a case in which it would be considered a 1.5 story home?

 

[Mr Rex]

Not a hill worth dying on. Alot of 2 story house around here have a 1.5 story area over the garage (BOG) but the market still considers/perceives the house as a 2 story home. When in doubt explain why you call it what you call it. Explanation upfront is always easier to defend than answering a question after the fact.

 

[Peter LeQuire]

Thank you for the reply's. In this case, most of second story has standard heights for the ceiling. There is one room that has a sloped ceiling in which part of the ceiling is under 7 feet. Is that a case in which it would be considered a 1.5 story home?

This sounds like a two story to me. 'Bout "one room that has a sloped ceiling" - you make the call whether you include all of the area of that room or only the portion of it that0has more than 7' height (or whatever height you think restricts its usefulness as living area. (Example: a 5' knee wall in a bonus room is certainly adequate for placing furniture to sit on - I would have no problem including all of the area of a bonus room with such a wall.) If you're dealing with FHA, anything less than 7' can't be considered living area: it may, however, be considered as contributing some level of value even if it isn't included in GLA.

 

[Vermonter]

What is the GLA difference between the 1st and 2nd floors?

If the 2nd is quite a bit less than the first, I'd call it a 1.5 regardless the ceiling configuration.

 

[3 Putt]

It is whatever they call it in your market!