Everybody in the 55+ market asks the same question: “Should we buy a ranch or a two-story home?”
At Ivygreene in Warminster, Pennsylvania, the answer is often neither.
Ivygreene’s attached townhomes give you a true first-floor lifestyle, including the owner’s suite, main living areas, kitchen, dining space, and laundry. Then, when your children or grandchildren visit, the second floor gives them space of their own.
That is the appeal of stairs you do not have to use every day.
Ivygreene is a 158-home, age-restricted community built by DeLuca Homes between 1999 and 2003. It is resale only, so the available floor plan depends entirely on which homeowner decides to sell. The community offers four primary models (Astor, Claridge, Bradford, and Danford) with approximately 1,740 to 1,950 square feet of living space.
You can review the community details and available model plans on our Ivygreene community page.
The False Choice: Ranch or Two-Story?
Many buyers searching for 55 plus communities in Bucks County, PA assume they must choose between:
- A ranch with everything on one level but limited guest space
- A two-story home with more room but stairs required for daily living
Ivygreene offers a practical middle ground.
In most Ivygreene plans, the owner’s suite is on the first floor. The main level is designed to function as a complete home, not merely as a partial living area.
Depending on the specific plan, the first floor generally includes:
- Owner’s or primary bedroom
- Private full bathroom
- Kitchen
- Dining area
- Living room
- Laundry or utility area
- Powder room
- Attached garage
- Patio or other private outdoor space
The owner’s suite typically includes a cathedral ceiling, which helps the bedroom feel larger and brighter. Large windows and open-concept living areas add to the sense of space.
What the Astor Plan Shows
The Astor is one of Ivygreene’s best-known models. Its published plan lists approximately:
- 1,220 square feet on the first floor
- 520 square feet on the second floor
- 1,740 square feet total
- An optional basement area in some versions
- An attached garage
- A private patio
The first floor includes the primary bedroom, living room, dining room, kitchen, den or bedroom, bathrooms, utility space, and garage access.
The second floor is shown as a finished multipurpose room. In everyday life, that space could become:
- A guest bedroom
- A grandchild’s sleepover room
- A home office
- A craft or sewing room
- A reading or television area
- A storage and hobby zone
The important point is that the Astor’s upstairs is optional in your daily routine. You can close the door and leave it alone for a week. Or you can open it up when family visits.
You can see the published Astor floor plan here.
The 1,740-Square-Foot Version: Efficient and Comfortable
The smaller Ivygreene plans are not necessarily small homes. A 1,740-square-foot layout can provide a comfortable first-floor life while still offering additional space upstairs.
For many buyers, this size works well because it provides:
- A manageable main level
- A private primary suite
- Room for a dining table without dedicating an entire room to formal dining
- Space for a den, guest area, or flexible room
- Enough living room space for everyday use and entertaining
- A second-floor room for occasional guests
This is especially appealing if you are downsizing from a much larger single-family home. You may not want to maintain four bedrooms and three floors, but you may also not want your grandchildren sleeping on a pull-out sofa in the living room.
The Astor plan demonstrates the basic Ivygreene concept clearly: your essential life is downstairs, and your flexible space is upstairs.
The 1,950-Square-Foot Version: More Flexibility Upstairs
The larger Ivygreene plans add approximately 200 square feet compared with the smaller models. That extra space may provide a different upstairs configuration, such as:
- An additional bedroom
- A loft
- A larger multipurpose room
- More usable storage
- A separate office or hobby area
However, this is where buyers need to slow down.
Ivygreene has four floor plans, and the upstairs configuration is one of the biggest differences among them. A listing described simply as a “two-story Ivygreene townhome” does not tell you enough.
One plan may have a finished loft. Another may have a bedroom. A third may offer a flexible room that works as either a guest space or an office. Some homes may also have finished basements, which changes the usable space again.
Square footage, room labels, plan names, and finished areas should always be verified for the specific unit.
Before you fall in love with a listing, ask to see the actual floor-plan sheet for that home.
Why the Upstairs Matters When the Grandkids Visit
The value of the second floor becomes obvious during real family visits.
Think about:
- A weekend sleepover
- Several grandchildren staying during school vacation
- Holiday guests arriving from out of town
- Adult children needing a quiet place to work
- A family member visiting for several days
- A Christmas morning that starts earlier than you expected
With an upstairs room, your guests can have privacy. You can maintain your normal morning routine downstairs. Nobody has to sleep in the living room, and you do not have to convert the dining room into a bedroom.
Most importantly, you can still live on the first floor when the house is quiet again.
That is what we mean by “stairs you do not have to use.”
You may walk upstairs when the grandchildren visit. You may not go upstairs at all on an ordinary Tuesday.
The Honest Counterpoint: This Layout Is Not for Everyone
A two-story townhome is not automatically better than a ranch.
If you:
- Rarely host overnight guests
- Do not need a home office or hobby room
- Prefer the smallest possible home
- Already have difficulty managing stairs
- Want every square foot to be used daily
- Are looking for the simplest long-term accessibility plan
Then a ranch or single-level condo may be the more rational choice.
The upstairs still has costs. It must be heated, cooled, cleaned, insured, and maintained. Additional square footage may also affect taxes and the purchase price. If the space remains empty most of the year, you should decide whether the flexibility is worth paying for.
Ivygreene’s design is best for buyers who want first-floor living and occasional second-floor capacity. It is not a substitute for a truly accessible single-level home when stairs are already a serious concern.
More Than the Floor Plan
The layout is only one part of Ivygreene’s appeal.
The community also offers:
- Attached garages, including some two-car options
- Private patios
- Maintenance-free siding
- Mature landscaping
- Open living areas
- Large windows
- A non-gated neighborhood setting
- Resident-led clubs and holiday gatherings
The homeowners association has historically been reported in the approximate range of $100 to $175 per month, but current dues must be verified for the specific home. The HOA has generally covered common-area maintenance, lawn care, trash removal, and snow removal up to the door.
Ask what the association covers today, especially regarding roofs, siding, exterior repairs, and other maintenance responsibilities.
The 3,430-square-foot clubhouse includes:
- Fitness center
- Billiards and game room
- Catering kitchen
- Library
- Multipurpose room
- Putting green
- Shuffleboard courts
Ivygreene does not have a paid activity director. Instead, the social scene is resident-led. That can be a benefit for buyers who prefer a smaller, neighbor-driven community.
The Warminster Location
Ivygreene is convenient to many of the services buyers want when exploring retirement communities in Bucks County, PA.
Residents are minutes from:
- Costco
- Grocery stores
- Valley Square shopping
- Neshaminy Valley Golf Course
- Five Ponds Golf Course
- Spring Mill Country Club
- Munro Community Park
- Warminster Community Park
Philadelphia is approximately 20 miles away, depending on your route and destination.
You get a settled suburban location without being far from shopping, recreation, healthcare, dining, or the city.
Questions to Ask Before You Tour
Before visiting an Ivygreenee listing, ask:
- Where exactly is the owner’s suite?
- Is there a full bathroom on the main level?
- Is the laundry on the first floor in this specific plan?
- What is upstairs: a bedroom, loft, multipurpose room, or storage?
- Is the upstairs finished, and is it included in the listed square footage?
- Are there step-downs, thresholds, or unusual transitions?
- How wide are the doorways and hallways?
- Does the home have a one-car or two-car garage?
- What does the HOA cover today?
- What were the HOA dues during the last three years?
- Is there a current reserve study?
- Are any special assessments pending?
- What exterior items are the owner’s responsibility?
- Has the basement been finished, and was the work properly permitted?
Is Ivygreene Right for You?
Ivygreene works particularly well for buyers who want a low-maintenance home with a first-floor owner’s suite but do not want to give up guest space.
You can sleep, cook, eat, do laundry, and relax downstairs. Then, when your family arrives, the second floor gives everyone more room.
With only 158 homes, resale opportunities are limited. We wish we had more listings to show buyers, but turnover is naturally limited in a small community. That means the specific floor plan matters.
The Swain Team can help you obtain the actual floor-plan sheet, review the HOA documents, and explain exactly what is upstairs before you tour.
Call Christina Swain at 215-757-7257 or email Info@BucksCountyBoomers.com. We are more than willing to help you compare Ivygreene with other 55 and over communities in Bucks County, PA and determine whether “stairs you do not have to use” is the right compromise for your next home.
Square footage, plan names, HOA fees, included services, and maintenance responsibilities should be verified for the specific unit and may change over time. Christina Swain and the Swain Team are not affiliated with Ivygreene’s homeowners association.