Two-storey homes are becoming the go-to option for growing families and first-home buyers working with smaller blocks. Building up instead of out means you keep a decent backyard, get more bedrooms and living space for the same footprint, and can often save on land costs too.
Here are some design ideas to consider when building a double-storey home.
Key points
- Zone the home so living areas sit downstairs and bedrooms sit upstairs, keeping quiet spaces separate from noisier ones
- Design in natural light early, through courtyards, voids or good orientation, so the ground floor doesn’t feel dark
- Choose a floor plan built for your block width rather than one that fights it, especially on narrower lots
Keep the footprint simple
A rectangular or near-rectangular footprint is easier and more cost-effective than a home with lots of jutting corners and varied roof heights.
Remember: with two-storey homes, every extra corner or unorthodox shape along the home’s perimeter must be repeated on both levels. Simple shapes mean less waste on materials, fewer awkward junctions in the roofline, and more usable floor space inside for the same build budget.
When you’re comparing house plans, look at how much of the floor area is actually usable living space rather than hallway or wasted corners.
Living areas downstairs, bedrooms upstairs
There’s a good reason for the classic double-storey layout. You know the one: kitchen, dining and living zones downstairs, bedrooms upstairs.
It keeps the noisy, high-traffic parts of the home separate from the quiet, private ones. Parents can host a dinner without worrying about waking sleeping kids. Teenagers get a retreat space upstairs away from the main living area.
And for a popular addition: a separate upstairs retreat or rumpus room, giving the family an extra living zone. Imagine heading upstairs with a bucket of popcorn for a quiet movie night, or working from your upstairs study with a nice, high window view.
Bring natural light into the ground floor
One common complaint about two-storey homes is that the ground floor can feel dark. This is especially true on narrow blocks where the upper level shades the windows below.
A good fix is to design light into the home from the start. A well-placed courtyard, light void or skylight above the staircase can pour natural light on the ground floor, even on a tight block.
Orientation matters too. Positioning main living areas to face north captures more natural light through the day and helps keep energy bills down in winter.
Make the staircase part of the design, not an afterthought
A staircase should do more than just get you from one floor to the other. With good design, it can become a show-stopping feature of the home.
Positioning your staircase near a window or void can pull light into both the top and ground floors. Under-stair space can become a study nook, storage, or a bookshelf instead of dead space.
Think about where the staircase sits in relation to the entry, too. A well-designed staircase visible from the front door can wow guests, while one tucked away can complement an open floor plan.
Add a balcony or upper-level outdoor space
If you’re on a tight block, a single-storey home might miss out on a backyard. But a double-storey can still make the most of the outdoors and gorgeous Geelong view with a balcony.
A balcony off the main bedroom or upstairs retreat gives you a private spot for a morning coffee or to catch some fresh air on a warm night. There’s nothing like a romantic dinner on the balcony while you enjoy the view.
Add a second balcony, and you’ll catch the sunrise as well as the sunset. Even a modest balcony adds a sense of space and connection to the outdoors that a purely internal upper level doesn’t have.
Choose a facade that suits two storeys
Double-storey designs are often built on narrower blocks, so the facade needs to work with that scale.
Avoid busy, overly detailed facades. Opt for clean lines, a well-proportioned garage, and a mix of materials like render, brick and timber accents.
A good facade should also make sense with your streetscape. Something that feels equally at home in a new estate or an established street in Geelong.
The Hilton floor plan
The Hilton is a prime example of how these design ideas come together in a real double-storey home.
Built to fit a block as narrow as 12.5 metres wide, the Hilton is home to four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two living zones and a double-garage without feeling squeezed.
The standout feature is a cleverly placed courtyard that floods the ground floor with natural light. It turns what could have been the home’s biggest weakness into the feature that guests talk about on the drive home.
A ground-floor master suite gives parents their own private retreat, a study keeps work-from-home days quiet, and upstairs bedrooms give the kids their own space to unwind. Plus, the oversized laundry stops you from feeling cramped while you’re doing the washing.
Take a closer look at the Hilton floor plan to see room layouts, facade options, and pricing.
FAQs about building a two-storey home
Is a two-storey home more expensive to build than a single-storey home?
Generally, yes. This is mostly due to the staircase, extra structural work and scaffolding needed during construction. That said, a double-storey design can often be built on a smaller, cheaper block, which can offset some of that extra build cost.
How much land do I need for a double-storey home?
It depends on the floor plan, but some designs, like the Hilton, are built specifically for narrow blocks from around 12.5 metres wide. This makes double-storey homes a solid option for tighter lots in newer estates where land is at a premium.
Can a two-storey house plan be customised?
Yes. Enso Homes offers pre-designed double-storey floor plans that are ready to build, as well as the option to adjust a design to suit your block and lifestyle, or start from scratch with a fully custom home.
Tell a story with your double-storey home in Geelong
Enso Homes builds double-storey homes across Geelong and the surrounding region using both pre-designed plans and fully custom builds.
If you’ve found a floor plan you like or want to talk through what a two-storey design could look like on your block, get in touch with our team.
