By Antonia van der Meer | The Wall Street Journal
The American ranch house has for decades been dismissed as the real estate equivalent of the TV dinner—mass-produced, bland and outmoded. Recently, though, home buyers are warming to the humble legacy of the post-WWII building boom: the single-story home marked by an offset front door, picture window, low-pitched roof and attached garage or carport.
We’re not talking only about the “atomic ranch” subtype, such as the coveted Eichler houses with their Midcentury Modern window walls and flat roofs. These days, home buyers are snapping up their less-cool, traditional-looking cousins. Makeovers range from modern-farmhouse tweaks of white siding and black window frames to overhauls like the minimalist remodel shown below.
Reimagined home by architect Colleen Healey | Photo Brian Wetzel
Twenty years ago, said Jennifer Knoll, an executive vice president of Compass Real Estate in Washington, D.C., “people would say, ‘Anything but a ranch or a split level,’ ” referring to the type that staggered three floors and connected them with short staircases. “You almost couldn’t give them away.”
Today, however, Realtor.com reports that ranch houses have appreciated 44.7% over the past six years, more than any other type of home. Remarkable, given their prevalence in the market: The same study found that ranch homes comprise more than a third of all for-sale listings. (News Corp, owner of The Wall Street Journal, also operates Realtor.com.)
Knoll’s typical ranch-house buyers are either young professionals starting a family or retirees leaving oversize abodes. “Downsizers love them,” she said, noting that a single level accommodates aging in place. “There used to be a big difference between the price of a two-story colonial and a one-story ranch or split-level,” observed Knoll. “I don’t see that anymore.”
Read more (subscriber content)
Some stories may only appear as partial reprints because of publisher restrictions.