Single story house plans (sometimes referred to as "one story house plans") are perfect for homeowners who wish to age in place. A single story house plan can be a "one level house plan,defines "levels" as any level of a house, e.g. the main level, basement, and upper level with unbeatable functionality and a tremendous array of styles and sizes to choose from, one story house plans are an excellent choice for now and years to come. While Ranch is probably the most well known single story house plan style, other styles have also traditionally favored one story variations. For example, Southwestern styles (such as Spanish Colonial, Mission and Pueblo) that arose in the open spaces of the North American frontier typically feature one story layouts. Mediterranean style homes, prominent in the Southeastern states and inspired by the residential architectures of southern Spain, Italy, France, Morocco, and Greece, also feature single story designs. The practicality of a 1 story house plan is undeniable — with living spaces on one level and no stairs to navigate, they handle aging in place with ease. Note: Even if you select a single story house plan that features a basement (and, therefore, stairs), you don't have to use the basement unless you want to. For instance, the basement might be an awesome gaming/wet bar area in which to entertain friends now, but, later in life, you could choose to simply remain on the main level, assuming stairs become difficult to manage.