“Whole” vs. “Fractional” Floors
Homes have half-Baths; why not half-floors?
Or multiple half-floors?
Functionally, that’s exactly what a Split-Level is.
Ramblers & Two-Stories
Of course, the easier cases are ramblers and two-stories.
Digitally, a rambler with a finished basement would be expressed as “+1.0; -1.0” for the first floor and lower level, respectively.
A two-story with a finished basement would be “+1.0; +2.0.; -1.0.”
Where it gets tricky is Split-Levels.
Split-Entry vs. Split-Level
That’s because there are actually two kinds of Split-Levels — split-entry Split-Levels, and just run-of-the-mill Splits (the former is distinguished by two, half-flights of stairs in the entry, one that goes up to the main living level, the other down to the finished basement — typically, with at least lookout windows if not a full walkout.
Then, there can be three, four, or even five(!) different levels.
Here’s my classification system, digitally:
Three-Level Split: +1.0; +1.5; -.5.”
Four-Level Split: +1.0; +1.5; -.5; -1.0.”
Split-Entry (with 3 levels): +1.5; +2.0; -.5.”
Got all that??
P.S.: Fans of Spike Jonze and Charlie Kaufman will recognize the photo above as “Floor 7 1/2” from the 1999 movie, “Being John Malkovich.”
See also, “The Unsung, Unassuming, Under-appreciated Split-Level”; “Proposal: the ‘Fractional’ Kitchen”; “Partial Bathroom”; and “Real Estate Riddle: When is .25 a Big Deal?“
