Key Takeaways:
- A first-floor owner’s suite prioritizes convenience and accessibility. It can be especially appealing for homeowners who want the option of single-level living now or in the future.
- A second-floor owner’s suite can provide greater privacy. Separating the primary bedroom from children’s bedrooms, guests, and main living areas can make the upstairs feel like a private retreat.
- Your family’s daily routine matters. Families with young children may prefer having bedrooms on the same floor, while empty nesters may appreciate separating the owner’s suite from guest or family spaces.
- The homesite can influence the decision. Lot dimensions, setbacks, grading, orientation, garage placement, privacy, and outdoor living plans can all affect which floor plan makes sense.
- Resale value is about more than bedroom location. A well-designed floor plan that works for a broad range of buyers may be more important than choosing one particular owner’s suite configuration.
- Think about your future needs before choosing. Building a new house gives you an opportunity to incorporate accessibility, flexible rooms, storage, and other features that could make the home work better for decades.
- You don’t have to choose between privacy and convenience when considering alternatives. Thoughtful design can create a private first-floor suite or a comfortable upstairs retreat depending on your priorities.
When you build a new home, deciding where to put the owner’s suite can have a surprisingly large impact on how the entire house feels. The location of your primary suite can affect privacy, accessibility, family routines, noise levels, entertaining, future needs, the way your home fits on its lot, and potentially how appealing the property will be to future buyers.
For many homeowners, a first-floor owner’s suite is the obvious choice. It creates a convenient single-level living arrangement and can make the home easier to navigate as your needs change. For others, having an upstairs owner’s suite provides the privacy and separation they want while leaving more room on the first floor for shared living spaces. The right choice for your new custom or semi-custom home depends on your lifestyle, household, lot, budget, and plans for the future.
At Carl Deputy and Son Builders, we help Delaware homeowners customize floor plans around the way they actually intend to live. Our new home floor plans include options for single-level living, two-story designs, additional bedrooms, bonus spaces, and more. You can also work with our designers to create a fully custom home with a floor plan that meets your needs. Reach out to talk to our team about your new Delaware semi-custom or custom home.
What Is an Owner’s Suite?
The owner’s suite, or primary suite, is typically the largest and most private bedroom area in a home. It commonly includes a private bathroom and walk-in closet; the size and features can vary considerably.
In modern houses, homeowners often want more than just a large bedroom. An owner’s suite might include:
- A spacious bedroom
- A private bathroom
- Double vanities
- A walk-in shower
- A soaking tub
- A private toilet area
- One or more walk-in closets
- A sitting area
- Access to a porch or outdoor space
- Additional storage
- A private hallway or entry
At Carl Deputy and Sons, many of our floor plans for semi-custom homes demonstrate how flexible an owner’s suite can be. For example, the Chesapeake includes a first-floor owner’s suite with a large bathroom, while other designs offer different configurations and opportunities to customize the home. With a fully custom home, you can select exactly where you want that suite to be and what it includes.
First-Floor Owner’s Suite: Pros and Cons
A first-floor owner’s suite puts the primary bedroom, bathroom, and closet on the main level of the house. This arrangement is common in ranch-style homes, but it can also work exceptionally well in two-story houses.
Advantages of a first-floor owner’s suite include:
- Easier Accessibility: One of the biggest advantages of a first-floor owner’s suite is simple: there are no stairs between your bedroom and the rest of the main living area. This can be valuable for homeowners with mobility concerns, but accessibility isn’t only something to consider when you’re older. Injuries, temporary limitations, or changes in physical ability can make stairs inconvenient at any stage of life. Roughly 30% of American adults aged 75 and older have difficulties walking or climbing stairs. A first-floor primary suite can allow you to age in place. It can also make the home easier for visiting parents, grandparents, or guests who have difficulty navigating stairs.
- Convenient Daily Living: Imagine starting your morning without walking up or down stairs. Your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, laundry room, garage, and outdoor living areas can all be located on the same level. For many homeowners, that convenience becomes increasingly valuable over time. It can also make nighttime trips to the kitchen, laundry room, or bathroom easier.
- Excellent for Aging in Place: If you are building what you expect to be your long-term home, consider not only what works today but what could work 15 or 20 years from now. A first-floor suite gives you the option of living primarily on one level if climbing stairs eventually becomes difficult. You can take this concept further with features such as:
- Wider doorways
- Minimal thresholds
- A curbless or low-threshold shower
- Convenient bathroom layouts
- Ample clearance around fixtures
- Easy access to outdoor spaces
- A laundry room on the same floor
Planning these details during construction can be much easier than trying to retrofit them later.
- More Separation from Children’s Bedrooms: Parents sometimes assume that having their bedroom on the same floor as the kids’ rooms is preferable. A first-floor suite can create a natural separation between parents and children. Young children may have their bedrooms upstairs while the parents maintain a quieter retreat downstairs. This can become particularly useful as children grow older and everyone wants more privacy.
Of course, there are drawbacks to a first-floor owner’s suite. The primary disadvantage is that your bedroom may be closer to the home’s busiest areas. Depending on the floor plan, the owner’s suite could be near:
- The kitchen
- The family room
- The front entrance
- The garage
- A home office
- Outdoor entertaining areas
If your bedroom is near these areas, noise and a lot of activity can be a concern. In this situation, the solution isn’t necessarily to move the suite upstairs. A thoughtful floor plan can place the bedroom away from high-traffic areas and use hallways, closets, bathrooms, or other spaces as buffers.
While it isn’t necessarily a drawback, first-floor owner’s suites may not work depending on your lot. If you have a relatively small or narrow lot, a two-story design may allow you to preserve more yard space while still getting the square footage that your family needs. On a larger lot, you might have the flexibility to build a sprawling ranch-style house with a first-floor owner’s suite.
Second-Floor Owner’s Suite: Pros and Cons
A second-floor owner’s suite places the primary bedroom upstairs, alongside or separated from other bedrooms. This configuration can be particularly appealing in larger two-story homes.
There are many advantages of a second-floor owner’s suite, including:
- Increased Privacy: For many homeowners, privacy is the biggest reason to choose an upstairs owner’s suite. Depending on your preferences, you could place the owner’s suite on one side of the second floor with children’s bedrooms on the other side. This allows you to create a natural separation without requiring a larger footprint.
- Separation From Entertaining Areas: If your home is frequently filled with guests, an upstairs owner’s suite can feel like a retreat from the activity downstairs. You can host friends in the kitchen, dining room, great room, or an outdoor living area without having your bedroom immediately adjacent to the gathering. If you like entertaining, then having your bedroom away from guests can be a great option.
- Efficient Use of Space: Building up allows you to create more living space without requiring a large footprint. This can be important when you are working with a narrower lot or trying to preserve backyard space. A second-floor layout can accommodate multiple bedrooms and bathrooms while leaving the first floor available for shared living spaces.
- A More Traditional Family Layout: Some families prefer having all of the bedrooms upstairs. Parents can keep their bedroom close to young children while still maintaining some separation from the kitchen and living room. As children grow, everyone can have their own space without the bedroom level being disrupted by activity downstairs.
There are some drawbacks to having the primary suite upstairs. The first and most obvious disadvantage is the stairs. Even if they are not currently an issue for you, it is worth considering having to navigate stairs to get to your bedroom if you intend to stay in your house for many years.
You should also think about everyday logistics. Laundry, cleaning, changing sheets, carrying luggage, and moving furniture all involve navigating the stairs. For many homeowners, these inconveniences are relatively minor. However, over time, the stairs might become a more significant concern.
First-Floor vs. Second Floor: Side-by-Side Comparison
| Consideration | First-Floor Owner’s Suite | Second-Floor Owner’s Suite |
| Accessibility | Excellent | Less accessible because of stairs |
| Aging in place | Strong option | May require future accommodations |
| Privacy | Depends on layout | Often excellent |
| Separation from children | Can be excellent | Depends on bedroom arrangement |
| Separation from entertaining | Requires thoughtful placement | Naturally separated |
| Noise | Potentially more exposure | Often quieter |
| Smaller lots | May take up a larger portion of the lot | Can make efficient use of a narrow footprint |
| Long-term flexibility | Strong | Depends on future mobility |
| Best for | Accessibility, convenience, long-term living | Privacy, separation, larger families |
Thinking Beyond Today with Accessibility Features
Accessibility is one of the strongest arguments for a first-floor owner’s suite, but it shouldn’t be considered only in terms of aging. A homeowner could face a temporary injury, surgery, illness, or other circumstance that makes stairs difficult. Even if none of those situations ever occur, single-level living can simply be more convenient.
That doesn’t mean that every homeowner needs a ranch-style house. A two-story home with a first-floor owner’s suite can offer the best of both worlds: convenient primary bedroom access downstairs with additional bedrooms or flexible space upstairs.
At Carl Deputy and Son Builders, we can help you explore floor plans that fit your needs. Whether you want a two-story home with the primary suite on the first floor or a ranch house, we can work with you to design and build the home of your dreams.
What About Resale Value?
If you aren’t sure that this house will be your forever home, you may wonder whether a first-floor or second-floor owner’s suite will be better when it comes time to sell. There is no rule that one configuration will always command a higher resale price. Instead, you should consider what buyers may be attracted to in a particular floor plan.
A first-floor owner’s suite may appeal to:
- Older buyers
- Buyers planning to age in place
- Buyers with mobility concerns
- Multigenerational households
- Buyers who simply prefer single-level living
A second-floor owner’s suite may appeal to:
- Families with children
- Buyers who prioritize privacy
- Homeowners who prefer all bedrooms together
- Buyers looking for separation between living and sleeping spaces
A thoughtfully designed home can appeal to either group.
Other factors, such as location, lot, overall floor plan, square footage, condition, energy efficiency, storage, outdoor living, and quality of construction, will also influence a home’s resale value. As a general rule, it is a better idea to design your custom or semi-custom home around your actual needs rather than sacrificing your lifestyle today based on speculation about a future buyer.
How to Decide What Owner’s Suite Is Right for You
Before finalizing your plans, you should ask yourself these questions:
- How long do you expect to live in the home? If this could be your forever home, accessibility and aging in place deserve serious consideration.
- Who will live in the house? Think about children, extended family, aging parents, and future household changes.
- How important is privacy? If you want a quiet retreat away from children and guests, an upstairs suite may be attractive.
- How comfortable are you with stairs? Don’t just consider your current abilities. Think about what you may want 10 or 20 years from now.
- How will you use the rest of the house? Consider entertaining, working from home, laundry, outdoor living, and where children will spend their time.
- What does your lot allow? The property may make one design substantially more practical than another.
- What spaces could serve multiple purposes? A flexible bonus room or unfinished upper-level space can give your home room to adapt as your needs change.
Keep in mind that it is also possible to combine the advantages of first-floor and second-floor owner’s suites. One of the benefits of building a custom or semi-custom home is the ability to modify a floor plan rather than accepting a one-size-fits-all layout. For example, you could design a house with one of the following configurations:
- First-Floor Owner’s Suite + Upstairs Bedrooms: This is an excellent option for homeowners who want accessibility without giving up the additional space of a two-story house.
- First-Floor Owner’s Suite + Upstairs Bonus Room: The second floor can become a flexible area for guests, hobbies, a home office, media room, or future bedrooms.
- Upstairs Owner’s Suite + First-Floor Guest Suite: This can work well for multigenerational households or homeowners who frequently host guests. The guest suite could also potentially become an owner’s suite as your needs change.
- Split-Bedroom Layout: A split-bedroom design places the owner’s suite away from the secondary bedrooms, creating additional privacy regardless of whether the rooms are on the same floor.
Our design team can work with you to develop a plan for your house that meets your needs, both now and in the future.
From our perspective as experienced Delaware homebuilders, there is no one right answer to the best location for your primary suite. It all comes down to what you value in your house. We have worked with homeowners who are adamant that their bedroom be on the second floor, close to their kids and away from the hustle and bustle of the household. We have also worked with homeowners whose design centers around first-floor living, regardless of whether they are building a one- or two-story house.
We believe that your house should work for you. In our experience, a carefully considered design can incorporate features that make your life easier and better, both now and in the future. Our team is happy to work with you to develop a floor plan that works with your budget, lot size and orientation, and goals.
Build a House for the Way You Live
Choosing between a first-floor and second-floor owner’s suite is ultimately a lifestyle decision. A first-floor suite can deliver exceptional convenience, accessibility, and long-term flexibility. A second-floor suite can provide privacy, separation, and an efficient way to organize a busy household. The decision often comes down to your preferences and your lifestyle.
At Carl Deputy and Son Builders, we build custom and semi-custom homes throughout Kent and Sussex Counties in Delaware and Maryland’s Eastern Shore. Our team can help you evaluate your homesite, explore available floor plans, and customize your home’s layout around your family’s needs. If you’d like to talk more about your new house, give us a call at 302-284-3041 or fill out our online contact form.
FAQs about Primary Suites in Your New Home
Is a First-Floor Owner’s Suite Better for Aging in Place?
A first-floor owner’s suite can be an excellent choice for aging in place because it allows homeowners to keep their bedroom and bathroom on the main level. When combined with features such as wider doorways, accessible showers, and minimal thresholds, it can make the home easier to navigate as mobility needs change.
Can I Have a First-Floor Owner’s Suite in a Two-Story Home?
Yes. A two-story home can have the owner’s suite on the first floor while secondary bedrooms, a bonus room, or other flexible spaces are located upstairs. This configuration can provide the convenience of single-level primary living while still giving the household additional upper-level space.
Does an Upstairs Owner’s Suite Make a Home More Private?
It can. An upstairs owner’s suite is naturally separated from many first-floor activities, which can make it feel more private. However, privacy ultimately depends on the entire floor plan, including bedroom placement, hallways, bathrooms, closets, and the location of high-traffic areas.
Should All Bedrooms Be on the Same Floor?
Not necessarily. Keeping bedrooms together can be convenient for families with young children, while separating the owner’s suite from secondary bedrooms can provide additional privacy. The right choice depends on the ages of the household members and how you expect to use the home.
Should I Choose the Floor Plan Before Buying My Lot?
Ideally, the lot and floor plan should be considered together. Lot width, grading, orientation, drainage, garage placement, and desired outdoor spaces can all affect which design will work best. Evaluating the homesite before finalizing your plans can help prevent costly design compromises later.
