Single storey vs double storey: which home to build?
Spread out or build up? How your block, your family and how you want to live decide between one level and two.
Deciding between a single and a double storey home shapes how the house lives and what fits on your land. A single storey spreads across the block and keeps everything on one level. A double storey stacks the same floor area onto a smaller footprint, which is sometimes the only way to get the home you want onto a narrow or tight block. The block itself often has the loudest vote, well before your wish list does.
| Single storey | Double storey | |
|---|---|---|
| Land footprint | Wants a wider, flatter block | Fits a narrow or tight block |
| Build complexity | Simpler structure | Adds a staircase, upper floor, scaffolding and more steel |
| Accessibility | No stairs, easy for all ages | Stairs, so plan a ground-floor bed or lift provision |
| Room separation | Living and bedrooms share one level | Zones bedrooms away from living |
| Views and breeze | Limited | Upper level can catch a view or a breeze |
| Yard | Uses more of the block | Frees up yard and setbacks at ground level |
Let the block lead
On a wide, flat block a single storey is usually the simpler path. On a narrow infill lot, a steep site or sought-after inner-suburban land in Adelaide or Melbourne, a double storey is often the only way to fit four bedrooms and proper living without covering the entire block. Councils also watch upper levels closely for overlooking and overshadowing, so check those rules early if you are going up.
Think about how you will actually live
Single-level living is genuinely easier with a pram, with guests, and as you get older. If your heart is set on a double storey, you can design around that by putting a bedroom and bathroom on the ground floor or leaving provision for a future lift. Going up can also buy you something a single storey cannot, a bit of view, a breeze, and a clear break between the busy and quiet parts of the home.
Single storey
- Simple to build and to live in
- No stairs, which suits young kids and ageing in place
- Usually quicker to build
- Easy to maintain over time
- Needs a bigger, flatter block
- Less separation between living and sleeping
- Covers more of the land you might want as yard
Double storey
- Fits a full-size home on a small or narrow block
- Zones living away from bedrooms
- Can capture a view or a breeze upstairs
- Leaves more yard and garden at ground level
- Stairs reduce accessibility
- More involved to build, so often a longer program
- Upper-level setback and overlooking rules are stricter
- A little more to maintain
Lean single storey for a wide flat block and easy, step-free living. Lean double storey to fit a full home on a small, steep or tightly held block, or to zone living from bedrooms and grab a view. Nine times out of ten the block quietly decides before the wish list gets a word in.
Still weighing it up?
Tell us about your block and what you want, and we will match you with three builders across SA or Victoria who do this sort of work well.
Match me with 3 buildersCommon questions
Is a single storey easier to live in than a double storey?
For many people, yes. With no stairs it suits young families and ageing in place. If you want a double storey, designing a ground-floor bedroom and bathroom, or leaving room for a lift, keeps it liveable long term.
Can I build a double storey on a narrow block?
Yes, and it is often the smartest way to fit a full-size home on a narrow infill block. Just check council setbacks, overshadowing and overlooking rules, which are stricter for upper levels in both SA and Victoria.
Does a double storey take longer to build?
Usually a little longer, because there is more structure, a staircase and scaffolding involved. Your builder and the site conditions make the biggest difference to the program.
Which is better for resale?
Neither wins outright. What matters is matching the home to the block and the suburb. A sprawling single storey suits a big flat lot, while a well-designed double storey suits tighter, pricier land where buyers expect two levels.