Since falling from favor in the 1970s, the ranch house has languished on the bottom rung of the architectural food chain. Critics deride its small size, dated finishes and prosaic design. But if you’re able to see past such shortcomings, the ranch (or rambler, as it’s sometimes known) has a lot to offer potential home buyers — particularly those on a budget.
Popularized in the 1950s by architectural designer and developer Cliff May, the ranch celebrated the postwar profusion of cheap land and sprawling suburbs, with a horizontal footprint that turned its back on the streetscape to focus on backyard living.
While May’s original designs showed great finesse, the ranch was copied so often — and so poorly — that eventually the style became associated with cheap tract-house living. Which is a shame, because ranch houses can be an affordable, efficient option that’s compatible with today’s lifestyles and needs.Below you’ll find some of their advantages, along with ideas for working with ranch homes.
And if you want to add another story, the ranch’s simple design makes it less challenging than, say, adding on to a Tudor or Craftsman, where you have to worry about blending with the style of the original.
Just back out of hospital in early March for home recovery. Therapist coming today.
Sales fell 5.9% from September and 28.4% from one year ago.
Housing starts decreased 4.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.43 million units in…
OneKey MLS reported a regional closed median sale price of $585,000, representing a 2.50% decrease…
The prices of building materials decreased 0.2% in October
Mortgage rates went from 7.37% yesterday to 6.67% as of this writing.
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