Jun 3, 2021

The Most Popular Home Styles

A recent study identified the most popular architectural homes styles in the country, which is highly dependent on region as follows:

1. Ranch; 2. Craftsman; 3. Contemporary; 4. Modern; 5. Cape Cod; 6. Colonial; 7. Tudor;  8. Cottage;  9. Mediterranean; 10. Farm House.

In my 40 years of real estate experience, younger people often gravitate toward more modern styles, while older buyers usually want homes with "charm" or more traditional styles.  Most important, buying a home that is out of character for the area may result in White Elephant syndrome.  That is the home might appeal to 1 in 10 buyers if you ever have to sell.  The goal is to buy a home in a great location that would appeal to 9 out of 10 buyers in case the need arises that you must sell the home.  

Like everything else architectural styles can be trendy.  The ones that are more trendy tend to look dated sooner.  You can never go wrong with more traditional styles.  And, the roof pitch matters particularly in climates with a lot of rain or snow.  Never buy a home with a flat roof in an area with lots of rain or snow.  You will eventually have leaks guaranteed.  And, roof pitch adds to the curb appeal of the home.  It does not need to be too steep; but visually having a roof with a nice pitch adds value to the home.  

So, choose architectural style wisely.  One day you may need to sell the home.  You should buy a home that will be attractive to most people.  Curb appeal matters.