What Is a Dual Master Suite? A Way to Snag More Privacy (and Sleep)

A home just seems more impressive if it comes with a master suite—meaning a large bedroom with a private bath, perhaps a walk-in closet, and other luxuries for you, the proud owner. Lately you may have seen listings boasting a dual master suite. What exactly is a dual master suite, anyway?

Well, you can probably figure it out, but it may seem too good to be true. Yes, a house with a dual master suite has two master suites, so that you can accommodate guests (or other members of your household) in style.

“We’re talking more than just a guest room with a bath,” says Builder Magazine’s Aurora Zeledon. “These are large bedrooms with walk-in closets, separate tubs and showers, and other amenities that make guests staying there feel at home.”

It’s a setup that’s growing in popularity. According to Houseplans.com’s numbers, even though homes with a dual master suite make up a small percentage of total sales, there was a 50% increase in the number of dual master suite house plans sold in 2016. So who is building these homes—and more important, why?

Zeledon believes the appeal is the “flexibility for a wide variety of living situations,” including people caring for an elderly parent, grandparents with primary custody of a child, two friends buying a home jointly, or parents accepting that their boomerang child may be a permanent fixture.

As boomers age and millennials move back home, multigenerational households are becoming more common. According to Pew Research, a record 19% of Americans share their space with a parent, grandparent, or adult child.

Another big reason for a dual master suite? Your significant other is disrupting your sleep, and neither of you wants to give up the master suite. According to a Better Sleep Council survey, 26% of U.S. couples get a better night’s sleep when they’re not sharing a bed with their beloved. Also, 60% of people responding to a Today.com survey actually preferred to sleep apart.

Sound unromantic? Couples can nonetheless reel off a laundry list of reasons why they’d rather have their own space to sleep. Snoring is a biggie, as are medical issues, restlessness, conflicting work schedules, and night owl/early riser incompatibilities. Whatever’s causing your partner to keep you up at night, it’s hard to argue with the fact that it’s a whole lot easier to love them in the morning when you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep.

Pros and cons of dual master suites

So is a dual master suite home right for you? That depends on your situation. It’s not a traditional layout, so you may have to build a new home rather than buy an existing property, or make an addition or renovation to an existing home. And though dual master suites are gaining traction with home buyers, you might have to wait for just the right buyer when it comes time to sell.

“A lot of people don’t know the option exists,” says Dillar Schwartz, a Realtor® with Keller-Williams in Austin, TX. “If the buyers have someone coming to live with them, it’s definitely a perk. You see a lot more people housing their parents, and it’s a better setup for that.”

Bottom line: If it’s the right fit for your living situation, a dual master suite is a great option. Just know that at resale time, you’ll be competing with a smaller pool of properties and looking for buyers with needs similar to your own (e.g., someone who lives with Grandma or has a husband who snores like a buzzsaw).