The term “ranch home” usually means one-story construction, built low to the ground, and only one room deep. Spanish colonial-style building in the American Southwest was the original inspiration for ranch house plans. After the second World War the GI Bill made inexpensive thirty-year mortgage loans available to returned soldiers and their new families, which sparked a demand for low-cost housing which ranch style house plans were uniquely suited to fulfill.
Large developments of identical ranch homes (which lowered construction costs) quickly sprang up around major U.S. cities. Note that this style of construction is more cost-effective for smaller dwellings, since large, sprawling one-story homes are much more expensive to build than two- or three- story homes which economize on foundation and roofing costs. Ranch homes have an easy, laid-back, informal feeling to them, and they often feature picture windows, patios, or decks for summer living and bring a sense of the outdoors inside the home.
There are ranch home plans for every budget, so you can easily find the right plan to fit your needs. There are designs for large, growing families as well as retirees on a fixed income. There are designs which incorporate garages, patios, entertainment and hobby rooms, even separate apartments.
There are plans specifically designed for narrow or wedge-shaped lots; and others which take advantage of natural features in the landscape such as scenic vistas, and split-level designs for sloping sites. In addition to offering you a choice from hundreds of designs, companies have all the resources and tools you will need to build the ranch style house of your dreams.
