Ranch-Style Houses: What To Know About Single-Story Living

A ranch-style house is an excellent option if you're looking for an affordable home with minimal upkeep. But what is a ranch-style house? With their single-story and open layout, ranch houses are easy to navigate and often appeal to first-time home buyers and buyers looking to downsize. Below, we'll discuss the different types of ranch-style homes and the pros and cons of owning one.

What Is A Ranch-Style House?

A ranch-style house, one of the most popular types of homes on the market today, is a single-story home with an open floor plan. While these are the staples of the design, several additional features may or may not be included in a ranch-style house. Follow along to see what to look for in the ranch-style housing market.

Key Features Of Ranch-Style Homes

The exact shape of the home can vary, but many ranch-style houses have an L- or U-shaped layout. Most have a sliding glass door that leads to a dedicated patio space. This makes them a good option for anyone looking for easy outdoor access.

Exterior

Ranch-style homes have some key features that you will recognize from the street:

• Low-pitched roofline
• Attached garage
• Large windows
• Single-story

Interior

Once you tour a ranch-style home, you'll notice some commonalities they share:

• Open-concept floor plan
• Basement living space

5 Different Types Of Ranch-Style Homes

1. California Ranch

The California ranch was first built in the 1920s and tends to be a functional and modern ranch house. This home style is usually very open and casual and designed to fit in with nature. This house is usually L- or U-shaped with a designated courtyard space.

2. Suburban Ranch

A suburban ranch is similar to a California ranch but is usually more compact. It's the smallest of the ranch-style homes and usually comes with an attached garage.

3. Split-Level Ranch

A split-level ranch is similar to a raised ranch in that it has multiple floors linked by a staircase at the main entrance. But a split-level ranch usually has three floors instead of two and a staggered living space.

4. Storybook Ranch

A storybook ranch stands out from other ranch-style homes because of its ornate designs. These homes often have a steep, gabled roof, a decorative chimney and tall, diamond-shaped windows.

5. Raised Ranch

A raised ranch house is often referred to as a split-entry ranch, and it comes with two floors. When you enter the home, there's a staircase where you can go upstairs or downstairs. The kitchen, living room and bedrooms are on the top floor, and a garage and basement are on the lower level.

Benefits Of Ranch-Style Houses

An Open Floor Plan

Many homeowners prefer the open floor plans associated with ranch-style homes. This format usually makes the home feel larger and often leads to more natural light pouring in. The plan often makes the kitchen the home's focal point, making it easy to spend time with family and friends as you cook.

Easy Access To Outdoor Space

Ranch-style houses are ideal for anyone who spends a lot of time in nature. The home usually has a sliding glass door and dedicated patio space, making it ideal if you plan to go in and out of your home frequently.

Less Costly To Own And Maintain

The maintenance for a ranch-style house tends to be much easier than multistory homes. There are no stairs to drag a vacuum up and down, and since the house is smaller, it's easier to clean the windows and reach areas that are harder to access in a bigger home.

Drawbacks Of Ranch-Style Houses

Less Privacy

Since a ranch-style home is only one floor, it's easy to access from the street. If you aren't careful about closing your blinds, neighbors and people passing by can easily see inside your home.

Less Outdoor Space

Homeowners of ranch-style homes often need to sacrifice outdoor space for more indoor space. And it requires more materials to build than a colonial-style house.

More Costly To Build

Ranch-style homes often require more land than colonial-style homes to achieve the same square footage. Since a colonial-style home has multiple floors, it doesn't need as much land, but that's not the case with ranch-style houses. And it's cheaper to build upward than it is to build outward, making ranch-style homes more costly per square foot than colonial-style homes.

Who Ranch-Style Homes Are Best For

Ranch-style homes are best for first-time home buyers looking for a starter home or experienced homeowners looking to downsize into their forever home. The popular open floor plan and savings on maintenance are great for new homeowners keeping a close eye on their budgets after the largest purchase of their lives so far. For older homeowners with more limited mobility, these single-story structures offer an enticing opportunity to live in a home that fits their lifestyle.

How To Find Ranch-Style Homes

Ranch-style homes are common in most of the United States, though they're most common in California, North Carolina, Ohio and Texas. Unless you live in the Northeast, chances are there's one on the market near you.

From sprawling ranch mansions to smaller, cozier options, there's a ranch-style house for every budget. Older ranches tend to be smaller, ranging between 1,000 – 1,500 square feet. Newer ranches are being built larger, some upward of 3,000 square feet.

The best way to find the perfect ranch-style home is to work with a real estate agent. These real estate experts will have the intimate knowledge of the local market needed to find a ranch-style home that fits your needs and budget.

The Bottom Line

Ranch-style homes are an excellent alternative for homeowners with mobility issues or young home buyers on a budget. If you're interested in buying a home, connect with a Partner Agent from Rocket Homes^SM today!