Preparing to buy a home – different home styles
So you are preparing to buy a home. Excellent! Home ownership is still an integral part of the coveted
American Dream. Most home buyers these days are quite savvy about the home buying process. Plenty of
tips and checklists are available on the Internet that teach the basics such as figuring out where you want to
live, deciding what you can afford/how much you want to spend, developing a personalized wish list of
desired features, getting your finances/credit in order, how to search for the best available interest rate,
getting pre-approved, and so on.
However, very few people give much thought to the styles of homes they can buy. In this issue of our
newsletter we will list and define the different architectural styles of homes available in America and their
brief history. What style of home best fits you?
Colonial
This style dates back to the Colonial period in America. These houses built by European immigrants
included motifs from their native countries combined with the techniques of England. The forms and styles
varied greatly based on the type of settlers. The earliest English settlers built houses with steep roofs and
huge central chimneys. Houses built by French settlers had double-pitched hipped roofs and porches that
went all around the house to beat the summer heat. The Spanish colonial homes were typically low-roofed,
one story structures with stucco and adobe walls. The Georgian homes were meant for high living,
characterized by their symmetrical shape, two stories with bedrooms on the second floor, a central door
with a decorative crown over it which opened to a small foyer that led directly to a stairway to the upper
floor.
Federal
This style gets its name from the Federal Period from 1780 to 1830. Based on British designs, houses in
this period had uniform styling throughout the region. Greek influences were noticeable in the form and
style because it symbolized freedom, boldness and optimism in those days. A variation of this style is the
Antebellum, comprising the architecture of pre-Civil War Southern Plantation homes and mansions with
two-story Greek columns, decorative staircases and spacious interiors.
Victorian
The general meaning of a Victorian home is any house that was built during the reign of Queen Victoria,
from 1837-1901. This era witnessed the industrial revolution, which meant the availability of affordable,
mass produced hardware and building materials. Queen Anne was a popular Victorian style in the U.S.
These homes were characterized by their picturesque looks, second-story porches or balconies,
overhanging eaves, monumental chimneys and most notably, towers in round, square or polygonal shapes.
These homes also had front gardens with wooden fences.
Arts and Crafts
Jaded by the mass produced housing of the industrial revolution period, the “Arts and Crafts Movement”
was all about craftsmanship, decorative architecture and styling from various parts of the world. One
particular style of this era – the Bungalow – continues to be popular in the U.S. even today, albeit in a
modified and bigger form. The term bungalow originated in India and the styling was later spread
throughout the world by the British. Bungalows are typically single or one-and-a-half story detached
buildings with verandahs, overhanging eaves, large porches, dormer windows on the upper story (if
present) and stone chimneys.
Ranch
This style was all about a single story living. It originated in the U.S. in the 1920s and it was extremely
popular with the booming post-war middle class of the 1940s to 1970s. Ranch style houses are known for
their long and low profiles, minimal use of exterior and interior decoration with emphasis on a casual and
informal living style. Although the popularity of ranch houses declined in the late 20th century, it is now
getting renewed interest because of the higher percentage of aging population.
Suburban and Subdivision
With the advent of mass produced automobiles Americans were introduced to mass produced homes in the
suburbs. Each community or subdivision included several single-family houses with one or more types of
floor plans. Over the past 25-30 years, the styling has come full circle, with a return to historical styles.
Gated communities, basements, concrete homes, multi-car garages (out of view) became choice options.
With the retirement of the first generation baby boomers, features such as master bedroom on the main
level have become popular. With telecommuting and the popularity of home-based businesses, an office in
the home is another requirement for many buyers.
Now that you are fully knowledgeable about the various styles of homes, start observing when you attend
your next open house event, or while checking out model homes in a subdivision that you may consider
living. You will be able to notice both the distinct and subtle forms of historic styles in most contemporary
homes. Good luck with your home buying!
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