A bungalow is often a tiny, one-story house that may be enlarged by adding a bedroom in the basement or attic, thus it's more of a one-story house with potential. There's nothing wrong with just referring to it as a one-story home.
Some cities and counties have height restrictions for houses, and if you go over this limit, you can be fined or have your license revoked. Some states also have height restrictions for buildings, and if you violate these rules, you can be arrested for criminal trespassing. The best way to make sure you're not violating any laws is to contact the local government and find out what they think about building heights.
Single-floor homes were very popular between 1890 and 1930. They're easy to build and since there's no second floor, the cost of construction is much lower. During this time, insurance companies used statistics on previous disasters to set rates. So if many small single-floor homes were destroyed in a fire, for example, then fire insurance would become extremely expensive. The fact that there are so few modern single-floor homes built today is because people don't want to risk having their house destroyed by fire.
Today, most single-floor homes are speculatively built apartments.
The term "story" usually refers to building levels that are not covered by a roof, such as a roof terrace. It is also not used to describe the street level floor, which is commonly referred to as the "ground floor." The majority of residences are two-story, whereas bungalows are one-story. Tall buildings tend to have more stories than small ones.
The number of stories in a building is called its "height". If a story is less than 7 feet high, it is called a "stoop", and if it is 10 or more feet high, it is called a "gallery". A room with a view of the city skyline is often on a "city stoop".
A "mezzanine" is a platform between floors supported by columns or walls. It can be any height from about waist to chest height. Attached to the mezzanine is a set of stairs or an elevator leading down to a lower level. Mezzanines are most common in large commercial buildings where they provide additional space for offices or storage. They are also used in apartment buildings as a way of providing extra living area without increasing the number of floors.
An attic is the upper level of a house or other building located above the third floor. At least part of it is typically accessible via a stairway or ladder. Some attics are partially or completely enclosed rooms; others remain open spaces with no ceiling.
Cottage. A cottage is a tiny one-story dwelling, however the phrase is frequently given to bigger constructions. The Oxford English Dictionary defines a cottage as "a small dwelling or house built for oneself." It adds that in Britain before the 19th century, "a cottage was usually a building with just one floor and no more than four rooms." Today, that definition applies mainly to small houses in rural areas.
Cottages are generally thought of as homes for couples or families with small children. However, this is not a rigid rule and cottages can be found in large cities as well. In fact, there are even some luxury cottages available for very wealthy people who want something larger than a townhouse but smaller than a mansion.
Bungalow, cape, cliff dwelling, dugout, earth lodge, Eskimo camp, fane, gable-front, ghutka, igloo, longhouse, mud hut, rahang, sauna, wigwam.
Storey means "a level portion or seat arranged within a building." A storey is the highest part of a building's structure above ground level. The word "storey" has other meanings as well. It can also mean a person who owns or operates a business, such as a store or restaurant. Finally, "a story" can be used to describe some parts of buildings, such as an attic or basement. These are all types of storage areas that are above ground level but below the main floor of the building.
A one-story house has one floor for living space and no more than four rooms. Two-story houses have two floors for living space, and three-story houses have three floors for living space. Four-story houses have four floors for living space. Five-story houses have five floors for living space. And so on.
Bungalows are generally one story with a front porch, side porches, and sometimes a back porch. They tend to be smaller than two-stories buildings and usually have only one bedroom on the first floor. The term "bungalow" comes from the Indian word for "coconut." These houses were popular with Western settlers because they were inexpensive to build and easy to maintain.
Bungalows are commonly found in the West, particularly in California. After the California gold rush, many people took advantage of the state's building laws to build these affordable homes.
Today, bungalows are most common in suburban areas where space is at a premium and people want to minimize their environmental impact. They're also popular with college students who want to save money while still getting more privacy than an apartment building can offer.
The word "bungalow" has other meanings as well. It can also mean a modest one-room dwelling built with little expense or luxury. This usage originated in India but has spread around the world thanks to immigrants from that country.