A true single-level home has all of its living space on one floor, with no bonus room upstairs and no basement. Many listings described as single-level still have stairs to part of the house, or steps at the garage and front door, so check the floor plan and count the steps before you tour.
How Boise-Area Listings Label One-Level Homes
The Treasure Valley MLS has a level field on every listing. Only one value means every room is on one floor. Here is what each label means, and how each type sold in Ada and Canyon counties in October 2026.
| MLS level | What it means | Oct 2026 sales | Median days to sell | Median $/sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | All living space on one floor | 661 | 17 | $290 |
| Single w/ Upstairs Bonus Room, or Single with Below Grade | Main living on one floor, plus a finished room up a flight of stairs or a basement level | 109 | 32 | $263 |
| Two Story | Bedrooms or living space on a second floor | 414 | 28 | $250 |
| Split Entry, Tri-Level | Short flights of stairs between offset levels, often at the entry | Small share of sales | ||
Only listings with a level of Single put every room on one floor. In October they sold almost twice as fast as single-level homes with a bonus room or basement.
Single-Level Is About Floors, Not Steps
The level field describes floors. It says nothing about steps at the front door, a step down from the kitchen to the garage, or a sunken living room. A home can be listed as Single and still have three steps into the garage.
Whether those steps matter depends on why you want one level. If you mostly want less house to clean and no stairs to carry laundry up, a step at the garage may not bother you. If stairs are the reason, every step counts.
Count the steps at the front door and the garage at every showing. The listing won't tell you.
The Single-Level Walkthrough Checklist
Take this list to showings. It covers what a listing rarely mentions.
Entry and garage
- Count the steps at the front door, including the porch and threshold
- Count the steps between the garage and the house
- Check whether a ramp or zero-step entry could be added at either door
Inside the home
- Confirm there are no stairs to a bonus room, loft, office or basement
- Look for sunken living rooms or a step down between rooms
- Measure hallways and doorways if wider passage matters to you
- Find the laundry and confirm it's on the main floor, not in the garage or basement
Bathrooms and bedrooms
- Check whether the primary shower is curbless, low-curb or a tub combination
- Note how many bedrooms and bathrooms share the main floor
- Ask whether walls behind the toilet and shower have blocking for grab bars
Lot, yard and HOA
- Ask how big the yard is and what upkeep it needs (sprinklers, trees, slopes)
- Ask what the HOA maintains, such as front yards, snow removal or exteriors
- Read the HOA rules on age, rentals, fences and additions before you write an offer
HOA rules matter as much as the floor plan. Some communities maintain front yards and snow removal; some limit rentals, fences or additions.
Why the Difference Matters When You Buy or Sell
For buyers, the label decides which homes show up in a search. Searching for Single alone leaves out homes with a small bonus room that might still work for you, and including every variation brings in homes with a full second floor. Dave sets up searches around why you want one level, then checks each home's floor plan before you tour.
For sellers, listing the level correctly matters. A true single-level home reaches buyers filtering for Single, and in October those homes sold in a median of 17 days.
Questions About Single-Level Homes
What is a true single-level home?
A true single-level home has all of its living space on one floor: no upstairs bonus room, no loft and no basement. In the Treasure Valley MLS, these homes are listed with a level of Single.
Is a home with a main-level primary bedroom the same as a single-level home?
No. A home with a main-level primary bedroom puts that bedroom on the ground floor but still has stairs to other rooms, such as a bonus room, loft or more bedrooms. In the MLS it is usually listed as Single with an upstairs bonus room or as Two Story.
What does Single with Upstairs Bonus Room mean on a Boise listing?
It means the main living space is on one floor, but there is a finished room up a flight of stairs. These homes sold more slowly than true single-level homes in Ada and Canyon counties in October 2026, at a median of 32 days versus 17.
Do single-level homes cost more per square foot?
Usually, yes. In October 2026, true single-level homes in Ada and Canyon counties sold for a median of $290 per square foot, compared with $263 for single-level homes with a bonus room or basement and $250 for two-story homes. They are also smaller, so the total price was lower: a median of $466,900.
Can a home with a step at the garage still count as single-level?
In the MLS, yes. The level field describes floors, not steps, so a true single-level home can still have steps at the garage door or front entry. That's why it's worth counting them at every showing.
How Dave Got These Numbers
Sales figures come from an export of the Treasure Valley MLS for Ada and Canyon counties, covering residential homes that closed October 1 to 31, 2026 (1,210 sales). Homes are grouped by the MLS level field. Days to sell uses cumulative days on market. Figures are medians. MLS data is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.