The 10 Most Popular Types of Houses in the United States

Homes come in such a wide variety of styles that it’s what makes them so interesting to look at and dream about. It’s the American dream to own your own home, and choosing the perfect home can include choosing the perfect style for you and your family.

Some of the styles of homes date back centuries old, and although many of the characteristics of a style of home may stay true to itself, a lot of the inside features are updated to fit today’s technology and standard of living.

You will see, as you read below, there are some favorite styles that have remained at the top of the list of popularity of home buyers, so keep reading to see the top 10 most popular types of houses in the United States today.

1. Ranch

Ranch style homes are extremely popular and are considered a great style of home for anyone, especially families. Ranches can come in such a wide variety of styles and designs that it is essentially endless in what you will see in a ranch.

Ranches are one story and derived from original style of homes built on ranches, and although most people think of a ranch as a bit of a sprawling home, meaning that the square footage is spread out in a longer area over one story of living space, small, one story homes can also be considered a ranch.

2. Bungalow/Craftsman

Craftsman homes focus on the use of natural materials, including stone, wood and brick. This style of homes started popping up after the Arts and Crafts Movement that boomed in Britain from about 1880 to 1920 and you can easily recognize the style of home due to its telling architectural design with deep front porches and large, squared-off columns that can be made of wood, brick or stone.

Gentle sloping roofs are typical and most craftsman homes are one story, though some may have an added attic space with a dormer window. The Bungalow or Craftsman home is one of the most popular types of homes to this day.

3. Cape Cod

Cape Cod homes originated in the 1600’s and were crafted using Britain’s thatched roof design, though the Cape Cod boasts steeper roofs and larger chimneys due to harsher winter elements in the Northeastern areas.

There are a lot of different looks that a Cape Cod can have but there are certain elements that are typically consistent with the Cape Cod home, such as dormer windows, cedar shingles, a windowed front door. Cape Cods are typically moderately priced and built in this type of neighborhood, though some can be quite pricey.

4. Victorian

The Victorian style home hails from the era of Queen Victoria during the era of 1830 to 1910. This is a regal looking style of home and was built more out of its looks as opposed to the functionality of the home.

It’s actually one of the most complex styles of homes and they are usually seen with brighter colors of paint, such as greens, yellows and pinks, and typically boast big front porches and lots of ornamental trim. You also can’t miss the Victorian’s multi-faceted, and very steep roof lines. Many people often describe the look of the Victorian home as a dollhouse.

5. Contemporary

Contemporary and modern are often interchanged and used in this style of home. Typically, contemporary is a word used for homes that are built with a look of today’s building styles and use energy efficient materials and products.

Either way, modern or contemporary style homes are ones that try to bring some of the outside in, using large windows to let in lots of natural light. The architecture is often detailed with neat, clean lines and sustainable materials.

6. Colonial

Colonial homes are some of the most beautiful in architecture. These types of homes span back to the 1600’s and are often associated with early American settlers. The colonial style of home is most often recognized with windows and shutters that are equally spanned across the face of the house.

You will also most likely see dormers and a chimney along the roof line as well as columns at the front door. This is a very formal style of home that has been a popular type of home since it originated.

7. English Tudor

As you probably guessed, the English style home comes from England and is a beautiful style of home that is best known for its multi-gabled roofs and steep roofs, but it is probably the decorative half-timber framing that makes an English Tudor stand out the most.

A lot of these styled homes are found in the Midwest and along the East Coast, which is why the steep roofs are needed, due to the cold and harsh weather that can create a lot of snow and rain.

8. Log home

Log homes originated as little cabins, and typically were built as one room structures using no nails in their construction, however, they’ve evolved quite a bit over the years. While log homes are most often thought of as little cozy getaways, they are also built to be permanent homes.

You may imagine log homes in rural or mountainous areas, but in reality, they can be built just about anywhere, although the type of wood used to construct the home will vary depending on the climate they’re built in.

9. Mediterranean

The Mediterranean style home derived from the old Hacienda style from Mediterranean countries and the characteristics are typically the same from home-to-home. Many Mediterranean homes boast red tiled roofs and have plastered surfaces.

You will also find the use of lots of arches throughout the home, as well as balconies on either side of the home and lots of ornamental details, such as multicolored tiles on walls, floors and in the wet areas. This is a very popular style of home across the country, especially in southern areas of the US.

10. Tiny home

Tiny homes have really boomed over the past recent years and were created for people who have decided to adopt the minimalist type of lifestyle. They can be constructed of a number of different materials and range in square footage, many are seen in the 300-600 sq. ft range.

Due to their small size, amenities will vary, from kitchen appliances to the type of bathroom facilities installed in the tiny home. Storage space is often created in unusual places and if your lifestyle is one that is on the go, get your tiny home designed on wheels so you don’t have to stay put in one place.

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