I remember well the first home we bought. We wanted a 4-bedroom house, but the question of buying a home with the master bedroom downstairs vs. upstairs never crossed our minds. The reason it didn't was that we were young and under some budget constraints, so when we found a 4-bedroom, 2-story home within our budget being built in the Sugar Land area, we did not hesitate to buy it even though it had the master bedroom upstairs. 

A few years later, with children and all, we found ourselves going up and down the stairs 30 times a day.  That is when we began to wish for a home with the master downstairs. By the time we bought our second home, we made sure that "master down" was a non-negotiable criterion. 

The question may not come up at all for the first-time homebuyer on a limited budget. If you are looking to move out of an apartment into a home and are content with the standard 3-bedroom, 2-bath, 1,600 square-feet home, there is nothing to worry about since the great majority of these homes will be one-story. But the moment you start asking for that 4th bedroom because the family has grown or you need more space, at that point the question of the location of the master bedroom becomes important since the majority of 4-bedroom homes will be 2-story homes.  

So, is the location of the master bedroom important at all for our clients? Yes, definitely! Most buyers over 50 years old will mention the master bedroom downstairs as a desirable option. Now, they may not end up buying a home with the master bedroom downstairs in the end, due to budget concerns, but this issue is definitely on their radar screens. 

It  really boils down to price, like most things in life. A 2-story home with the master on the first floor will be bigger in size and therefore more expensive than a similar home with the master bedroom upstairs. That's just the way it is.

So, how much more expensive is master down vs. master up? I did a quick search in the MLS for the first 6 months of this year, for 2-story homes in Fort Bend County (where we do most of our work). Leaving everything else the same, I compared listings that were marked as "Master Bed - 1st Floor" vs. "Master Bed - 2nd Floor". 2,506 homes were sold that were categorized as having the master bedroom downstairs. These homes had an average of 3,370 square feet in size, sold for $377,115 on average, and had 2006 as the average year of construction.

Compare this to homes in the second category: 514 2-story homes with the master on the second floor were sold in the same timeframe, with an average of 2,569 square feet in size, for an average price of $252,294 and with 1998 as the average year of construction.

Not much more can be extrapolated from this quick search, but it does point out three things that would be obvious to the average buyer: Homes with the master bedroom downstairs are 1. larger in size, 2. higher in price, and also 3. newer construction. 

Which type is right for you? You decide - your decison will be based on financial as well as lifestyle concerns. Whatever home you ultimately decide to buy, make the most of the experience, and enjoy your home.