If you want to buy your ideal home, then, of course, you want to make sure you get one that suits your aesthetic taste. And to this, you need to know a bit more about the available architectural styles in your state of choice. To help you along, we’ve prepared a homebuyer’s guide to California home styles.
Some Things to Keep in Mind
There are some aspects of a home that impact its price and quality that have nothing to do with California home styles. Even if a home is typically in good condition if it’s in the contemporary style, for example, simple due to this style only being used relatively recently and as such almost all homes that are built in it are new, there are still exceptions. You can still come across contemporary style homes in awful condition whose price would, therefore, be much lower than normal. Conversely, you can find ‘old’ style homes in stellar condition and in optimal locations within a city. This would, in turn, boost their cost and make them much more valuable on the market. So, when buying a home, make sure to pay attention to everything that will impact your life in it. Do not focus on the visuals to the exclusion of all else!
Contemporary Style
The contemporary style is, relatively speaking, one of the ‘youngest’ in current use in California. Contemporary style homes are meant to both blend into their surrounding landscape and be almost starkly functional. As such, they feature relatively flat roofs, large and tall windows, and very few ornamentations. The textures and colors of materials can vary wildly, but they do come together into a seamless, satisfying-looking whole. If you want to settle down quickly without having to immediately worry about how to improve your home, a contemporary home might be a good choice. After all, as we hinted before, most such properties are in relatively good condition.
Craftsman Style
This particular home style is entirely based around natural materials. Wood, stone and brick are featured prominently in any construction. These homes typically have large front porches, low-pitched gabled roofs, as well as lots of woodwork as both functional parts of the home and decoration. Naturally, this does mean that you need to take extra care not to damage your flooring and other wooden surfaces when moving. So, consider hiring moving services if you need assistance to guarantee this! Contrary to what you might imagine, homes built in this style are also typically on the cheaper side. And the materials also ensure that they will be able to last with minimal upkeep for quite a long time.
Cape Cod Style
The Cape Cod style appeared in the 20th century, and became particularly popular during the middle of it. Its popularity also waned relatively quickly, meaning that you will not come across too many homes built in the style. Homes built in the style are quite square or sometimes rectangular, with either one or one and a half stories. They also typically have steeply pitched roofs. If you already own a home in this style, then selling your home quickly would come down to the renovations and touch-ups you can do to it. The good news for buyers interested in this style of homes is that their prices are typically quite affordable.
Modern Style
The ‘modern’ style of architecture draws its inspiration from the Modernism art movement. Homes built in this style normally have open floor plans, sharp lines, large glass windows and somewhat simplistic designs. They also normally put function over form, meaning that they may not be the prettiest homes on the block, but are always built to last. If you are moving into a home such as this, the experts from Mod Movers California advise carefully planning your furniture placement. The open floor plans can be somewhat deceiving when it comes to how much you think you can fit into one room without making it feel crowded.
Ranch Style
Ranch style homes are among ‘older’ construction. They are, of course, styled after rural Western ranches and were particularly popular in the mid 1900s. The homes themselves feature relatively open floor plans, and ranch style homes are almost always connected directly to the outdoors. Even among all the Californian home styles, these homes are much more likely to have large yards. These properties do tend to be a bit more costly due to their sheer size, however. And they come with some unique challenges, such as needing to pay attention to the key considerations for tree removal if they grow too close to your home.
Mediterraneanstyle
As the name implies, this particular example of California home styles draws inspiration from the Mediterranean region. The homes built in the style feature red tile roofs, plaster surfaces, and lots and lots of arches. They also tend to have balconies and lots of ornamentations, which makes the style popular even today.
Colonial Style
The so-called colonial style homes are, in fact, a product of the 20th century Colonial Revival architecture. They typically feature evenly spaced and shuttered windows, a symmetrical build, and a particular organization of the interior. Namely, all bedrooms and private quarters are on the second floor, with the first floor dedicated to a large sitting room and other ‘essential’ rooms for both entertaining guests and normal everyday life.
Victorian Style
The final of the California home styles on our list is the Victorian style. This style actually covers several different branches, such as the Romanesque style, Gothic Revival style, Second Empire style, and several others. They do all share some traits, however. First, this style of architecture always puts beauty over functionality. The homes tend to have large porches, multi-faceted rooflines, arches, interesting colors, and a lot of ornamentation. They make for stunning homes to live in, and a pain in the ass to maintain.
Final Comment
We hope that, with our homebuyer’s guide to California home styles, you will be able to find a home you are truly satisfied with. As long as you match your interests with your budget and needs, we are sure you will succeed!