A split level home puts different parts of the house on different floor levels, stepping with the ground rather than sitting flat on top of it. On the right block they are one of the most efficient and comfortable homes you can build. On the wrong one they are an expensive mistake.

What a split level home actually is

Unlike a two-storey home, where one level sits directly above another, a split level house steps across the site. The living area might sit half a level above the garage, with bedrooms a few steps up again. Levels are offset by short flights — often three to six steps — rather than a full staircase.

Sloping blocks, and what they cost to flatten

Sloping ground is common in Perth, particularly through the hills and along parts of the river. The default approach is to cut and fill: flatten a pad, hold the ground back with retaining walls, and build a conventional house. That approach carries hidden costs:

• Substantial earthworks and cartage of spoil.
• Retaining walls, which usually need engineering and drainage.
• Extra stormwater management for water that used to soak away.
• Long driveways and steps from the street.

A split level design sidesteps much of that by following the existing ground.

Where split levels do well

• Steep or undulating blocks where retaining would otherwise dominate the budget.
• Views and outlook. Stepping up gives upper rooms a longer view over neighbours and vegetation.
• Light and ventilation. A stepped section lets sun and breeze reach rooms that a flat plan would leave buried.
• Zoning. Living spaces can sit on one level and bedrooms on another, which suits families and shared households.
• Smaller footprint. A stepped house often needs less cut and less wall than the flat alternative.

Where they go wrong

Split levels are less suited to very flat blocks, and there is no point introducing steps for their own sake. Structure is more complex than a single-level home, so engineering matters and cutting corners there is false economy.

Steps also need thought for the long term. If ageing in place matters to you, plan the house so a bedroom, bathroom and living area sit together on one level, with the rest as a later option.

What good split level design looks like

The aim is a short flight of steps that feels like a change of room, not a climb. That means:

• Levels aligned so the whole living area sits together, not scattered.
• Ceiling heights that keep the transition generous.
• Windows placed to borrow light across the offset.

We design split level and stepped homes across the Perth metro area, including hills and riverside sites. Send us your block’s levels — a survey is ideal, a photo and your address is enough to start — and we will tell you whether stepping the house is the cheaper answer.