Ranch House Plans Are Ready for Every Price Range

The father of the ranch house plan is Cliff May. He built the first ranch style house in 1932 in San Diego, California. Ranch homes are also referred to as California ranches because of their birth place.

The ranch house plan is derived from Spanish Colonial, Prairie and Craftsman style house plans. Cliff May was and admirer of Frank Lloyd Wrights Prairie homes so Mr. Wright may be considered the Grandfather of the ranch style homes of today.

Features of ranch homes include single story, sprawling rectangle, u-shape or l-shape designs. The floor plans are usually open and informal. Large windows and sliding glass patio door are common. Lots of natural materials like oak floors and wood or brick exteriors are found in ranch design floor plans. Ranch homes lack fancy exteriors besides some shutters.

After World War II ranch homes became an affordable solution for housing returning military men. Ranch house plans became mass produced. This mass production led to the ranch style home to become just ordinary and cheap. Ranch homes are not all ordinary no matter home many are mass produced.

The on set of mass use of the automobile was also a key factor in the popularity of the ranch home plan. Homes could be built farther away from work which led to the development of sprawling sub-divisions full of ranch houses.

Derivatives of the ranch style home plans include raised ranches and split level homes. Today these homes are plentiful and make them a very likely purchase as first homes. Retired individuals are also finding themselves back in ranches because of their price tag. These houses are also handicap accessible. No stairs and wide open spaces make them easy to navigate for walkers and wheelchairs.

No matter what you price point you can probably find a ranch style home in the neighborhood that you choose to fit your needs.