Bigger isn’t always better – and the Rancher style house is one reason we believe this. The Rancher is popular to buy for many reasons, it’s affordable, easy to renovate, minimalistic and easy to upkeep. Due to the single story style, and open layout, the house is often a perfect fit for first time owners, or home owners that are looking to downsize. The layout makes it easy to keep up for new families and for retired couples.
What is a Rancher?
A Rancher is most often a single story house that includes a basement or garage. The house is usually designed with easy access to all parts of the house. Most Ranchers include a low pitched roof, large windows and outdoor space. There are many different styles of ranchers – but the most popular designs are the California style and the Storybook style. They’re most commonly built in a rectangular shape, but they can be built in a L or U shape as well. Nearly all Ranchers have large sliding glass doors that lead to a patio or porch for easy access to the outdoors.
“With easy access to the backyard from the kitchen, ranch houses are excellent choices for people who love outdoor entertaining.”
Allison Robicelli
The History of Ranchers
The Rancher dates back to the 1920’s where they first were built in California. They were inspired by Spanish Colonial houses near California. With the open floor plan and easy access to the outdoors -architects were inspired. Adding some modern aspects to the home, the Rancher quickly became popular throughout the 1930’s. But the style became even more popular at the end of World War II as soldiers returned to their families. The simple layout of the house and easy upkeep was perfect for families as they tried to recover from war.
The name was coined because of the open concept – or “ranch” style of the home. And though it originated in the West, and still remains more popular in the Western states. The style can be easily found in any state throughout the US. According to google, the Rancher was the most searched house style in 2021.
Price-Point and Availability
There tends to be a plentiful supply of ranchers on the market at any given time because they have been so popular to build over the years. However ranchers also tend to sell quickly because there is such a large number of people wanting to purchase this type of home. Overall rancher’s tend to sell at a slightly higher price/sq ft than some types of home because of their popularity.
Easiest Home to Renovate
Due to the single story home the Rancher is often easier to renovate. You can start by making the house feel even more open by knocking down some walls that may block the living room from the kitchen. With the garage or basement you have large spaces that you can dream and design into more living space. Most times the Ranchers floor plan don’t have to be changed too much. The things that you need to do to renovate can be as simple as just updating the things that you see such as: light fixtures, floors, wall colors, tile and cabinets.
We loved renovating our own little Rancher into an Airbnb. The open concept makes the house feel larger. But what we really love is the large outdoor space with the back porch, fireplace and pool. The house was fun to renovate and with some color changes, the house went from outdated to modern with ease.
The Rancher is quickly becoming the most popular home to buy in the US. The easy layout, affordability, large windows, ease to the outdoors and minimalistic style of the home is perfect for couples and small families.
Do we have you convinced? Check out our search by style homes here and we can help you find the Rancher that you need to help you thrive.
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