Second story additions to people’s houses can be a great way of maximizing space on a low budget without investing more money into a house with more acreage. It is every person’s dream to own and live in a big house, be it a double-story or triple-story house. Usually, double story houses consist of 2 floors with a staircase leading to the top floor. You can either have all your bedrooms placed on the top floor with the bottom floor only having a kitchen and bathroom or you can have 2 separate families live in one house, with one living on the top floor and the other living on the bottom. Whether you plan to add another story to your existing house, buy one with 2 stories or are already living in a double-story house, it can be hard to manage to live in a house that has more than one floor. Today we are going to look at 10 tips that will make your life easier and help you manage living inside a double-story house with ease and comfort.
Put Cleaning Supplies on Both Stories
Cleaning is not a popular chore to do amongst many people and cleaning 2 separate floors can be a time-consuming and difficult task. So, to ensure it gets done, your job is to make it as easy as possible. It is a good idea to put to containers of cleaning supplies on both floors. As both floors will have their respective cleaning supplies already present, you wouldn’t have to run up and down the stairs just to get what you need to clean a mess. Put these supplies in a container and label them. This will help you know which container goes on what floor.
Put Recycling Containers on Both Stories
Recycling things is strongly supported these days. Take a container and put a recycling logo on it and put it on both the floors. We often have people on both floors and they usually are running up and down the stairs to put away things they want to recycle. It is a good idea to keep 2 different recycling containers, one for people on the top floor and one for people on the bottom. Here is an example of how a recycling container looks like. You can find them in every shape and size. So get the one that caters to your needs.
Have a Laundry Basket on Both Stories
For people who live in a house that has a laundry room in their basement, it is a good idea to keep 2 different laundry baskets on both the stories. How often has it happened that laundry gets mixed up in one basket and what needs to go on the top story, ends up on the bottom one? So it is a good idea to keep and label 2 different laundry baskets for each of the floors, this hopefully avoids clothes being mixed up and getting misplaced. In general, keeping a laundry basket keeps your things like clothes and socks organized, mess-free, and easy to carry.
Stair Baskets
Whenever you get back from a shopping trip, there will be some things that you want to take upstairs. Running up and down the stairs a million times can be a difficult thing to do and usually, these things will get piled up at the bottom of the stairs. So it is a good idea that you keep a stair basket and place it at the bottom of the stairs. Keep putting things that you want to take upstairs inside it and when you decide to go upstairs carry it with you. It is easier to carry stuff upstairs in a basket at once, instead you running up and down the stairs several times.
Store Garbage Bags on Both Stories
Keep garbage bags on both floors. Imagine if you have stored garbage bags on the bottom floor. You run up the stairs carrying 2 garbage bags when you needed 3, but you suddenly remember that you have garbage bags laying around on the top floor as well. This avoids you from running up and down the stairs to get the other bag you need. It would save a lot of time and physical effort.
Make Your Stairs Safer
Making your stairs safer is the most important thing you can do if you live in a double story house, especially if you have kids around. Your staircase will see a lot of use when you are living in a double story house. Put up anti-slip mats, guardrails, and handrails to avoid adults and children from slipping on the stairs and getting seriously injured.
Keep 2 Vacuum Cleaners
Keep 2 vacuum cleaner on both the floors. It has happened many times that someone needs to vacuum their carpet in their room on the top floor, but the vacuum is being used downstairs. To solve this issue, it is a good idea to have one vacuum cleaner placed on the top floor and one on the bottom so that the person on the top floor doesn’t have to wait for the one at the bottom to get done with it.
Chairlift for the Elderly
If you have elderly people living in your 2 story house and they want to go upstairs, it is usually too dangerous for them. It is a good idea that you install a chairlift for them, so they avoid getting themselves injured by falling from the stairs.
Install an Elevator
If you want people to go up and down the floor securely, you should look into getting an elevator installed. They are safe, easy to use and don’t require any form of physical effort. Although installing an elevator is not cheap, it can be very beneficial if you have aging adults living inside your house.
2 Separate Kitchens
If you have 2 different families living on each floor, it is ideal if you have 2 separate kitchens as well. Having a kitchen on both the floors will allow the 2 families to cook their meals separately and at their own ideal time. In the case of a single kitchen, either on the top or bottom floor, both the families would have to wait for each other to get done with cooking their meals.
The Final Words
Living in a double story house is not an easy thing to do. From managing laundry to keeping both the floors clean. It can be hectic and time-consuming. If 2 different families are living on each floor, then these problems get intensified. Today we have made you aware of 10 ways you can use to manage living in a double story house with ease and comfort.
