With the housing market currently focused on McMansions, large colonial-style homes, and Cape Cod designs, it can be hard to find a home that meets your personal specifications. 

If you want a house that feels bigger than it is, focuses on airy, open spaces for family and gatherings, and helps you save money on HVAC in hot climates: Find a rambler house. A rambler style house is an excellent choice for families looking to increase their space and save money on heating and cooling.

What is a Rambler or Ranch-Style House?

Rambler homes are large, single-story homes with a simple open-concept design originally created by San Diego architect Cliff Mays. But there is more to these homes than meets the eye. In the 1930s, an influx of California immigrants meant a spike in demand for affordable and easy-to-build homes for families.

Mays drew inspiration from his upbringing. His Mexican heritage and large family inspired a style of home designed to accommodate everyone’s needs: a combination of Mexican adobe haciendas and the ranch-style of the southwestern cattle ranches. By blending these two styles, he designed a home that was affordable to build, stayed cool in the hot climate of the west and southwest, and provided ample amounts of space for families.

As more developers built ranch houses with unique styles and features, demand increased. From World War II to the early 1970s, rambler style houses dominated the housing market across America. Although the design’s popularity briefly declined in the 1970s, many modern families are returning to this style today because it meets their needs: large open spaces and natural light.

When you look on the market for a rambler house, it’s essential you know it by another name — a ranch-style home. Although these houses are quite different from the original ranches, this name is an homage to one of its inspirations. Therefore, ramblers and ranch-style are synonymous in the housing market.

You can view our selection of rambler/ranch style house plans here.

Critical Elements of the Rambler Style

Rambler-style homes have several features that differentiate them from a standard home on your street. Some of the key elements to look for are sizeable street-facing facades, large windows around the house, low-gabled roofs, extended eaves, open floor plan, L or U-shaped orientations, garages, patio, and three to four bedrooms.

Generous Street-Facing Facade

One of the most recognizable features of the rambler home is the front facade. In the 1930s, many houses were taller and narrower than the ranch house because space was right and builders can accommodate narrower homes on smaller plots of land.

Among row houses, then, the rambler style home’s long, front facade was as much about making a statement as it was about creating an iconic house plan.

The front side of the home typically faces the street and is about double the depth of the house. For example, if a home is 30 feet deep, the front should be around 60 feet long. This length produces an enlarging effect on potential homebuyers and neighbors.

Sizeable Windows Around the House

Large windows and sliding glass doors found on the front facade and around the home’s exterior let in natural light. Since these homes originated for warmer climates, the windows take advantage of the sun and light the house. Additionally, sweeping windows are aesthetically appealing and make the home feel open and spacious.

Low-Gabled Roofs

Low-gabled or low-pitched roofs are a crucial element of the rambler-style home. Since these homes are quite expansive and cover a lot of square footage, the low roof reduces building costs and helps maintain cooler temperatures. 

However, these roofs are the exact reason why rambler homes are not ideal for colder climates. The low-gabled roofs will easily retain snow and ice, which could result in expensive damage and repairs over time.

Extended Eaves

Low-gabled roofs go hand-in-hand with extended eaves. Since the roofs are not quite as steep as a traditional roof, the eaves extend from the roof and create a shady overhang, blocking too much sunlight from entering the windows.



Overhanging eaves also provide extra protection if you’re located in a state with hot and sunny climates. The additional shade helps lower the temperature within the home and allows you to sit outside and enjoy the weather without the sun beating down on your face.

Open Floor Plan

Rambler-style homes feature large, open spaces in their floor plan, which is distinctly different from other homes built in the 1930s. 

Whereas traditional homes in the 1930s were closed and had many rooms and hallways, the rambler breaks down these walls to create an open space for gatherings and ventilation. With few load-bearing walls (most ramblers don’t have a second floor), the only walls necessary are for the bathrooms and bedrooms. 

This open-concept design makes the home feel more substantial than it is and helps with allowing cool air to flow throughout the house. However, such an open floor plan also minimizes the privacy one gets while at home, so if that’s a priority for you, consider using furniture and room partitions to strategically create more closed-in spaces.

L or U-Shaped

This unique shape is ideal for this type of home as it improves its accessibility and connection with the exteriors. Since rambler houses have many doors to the outside, an L or U-shaped home can feature one to three entries that give outdoor access.

Rambler homes usually sit on expansive pieces of property because developers build outward, not upward. This means you have plenty of outdoor space for a relaxing patio area. 

Additionally, the shape of the home helps create a friendly ambiance. L and U-shaped homes create a natural courtyard area. And with two to three sides protected by your home, you increase privacy while maintaining access to the yard from all parts of the house.

Garages

Since many ramblers are L or U-shaped, Cliff Mays and developers have since learned they can create more space with the addition of a garage. Garages help homes create privacy in the backyard and provide much-needed storage. Since rambler homes have open floor plans, you may not find an abundance of closets outside the bedrooms, so the garage provides much-needed storage space.

Patio

In addition to the floor plan, many homeowners building a rambler style house look for designs that incorporate a patio or outdoor area. Not only do these increase the value of the home, but they improve your lifestyle. There are many options available including wrap-around porches, decks, stone patios, a lanai, and a sunroom.

Three to Four Bedrooms

Generally, growing families opt for a rambler house style because it’s large enough to accommodate their needs. These homes have several bedrooms. And as your children grow and move out, you can repurpose a bedroom as office spaces, home gyms, or libraries. 

Different Types of Rambler or Ranch-Style Homes

The rambler house is a distinct style that stands apart from many other homes, but some variations meet different needs and styles. While these homes all have the previously mentioned essential elements, their structures will vary.

There are five main types of rambler homes:

• 1. California Ranch
• 2. Suburban Ranch
• 3. Split-Level Ranch
• 4. Raised Ranch
• 5. Storybook Ranch

California Ranch

The California Ranch features the unique L or U-shape with the most original design and truest to Cliff Mays’s conception. It often has a courtyard as the central gathering place in the backyard.

Suburban Ranch

Much smaller in design than the original rambler, the suburban ranch was adapted from World War II. It stems from building homes that require less maintenance due to smaller size and more straightforward design.



Many homes do not have garages and sit on solid slabs on smaller properties.

Split-Level Ranch

These homes look similar to California ranches but offer a half staircase to get to the second level. Often built on a sloping lot, these ranch-style homes contain many of the same interior characteristics of the traditional rambler house with a slightly different look.

Raised Ranch

The raised ranch home has a staircase similar to split-level ranches, but the stairs can go in two directions. 

Often called a split-entry, when you enter the home from the front door, you have the option to go “upstairs” to the main living quarters or “downstairs” to the garage and storage units.

Storybook Ranch

The fancier of the five styles, the storybook ranch is more ornate and decorated. Upon the first glimpse, you may not recognize it as a rambler house until you notice the low-gabled roof, extended eaves, and open-concept design.

Is the Rambler Style Right for You?

When you consider the right home for you and your family, you must consider your immediate needs and how those needs will change in the future. To know whether or not the rambler style is right for you, consider these questions:

• Do you like to entertain guests?
• Do you have a large or growing family?
• Do you want to spend time outdoors?
• Do you live in a warm climate?
• Do you have a substantial piece of property?
• Do you like open-concept floor plans?
• Do you prefer natural lighting to artificial lighting?

If you answered yes to these questions, the rambler house is the right choice for you. Additionally, consider these points:

• Is your family growing? Buying a home with multiple bedrooms is perfect because it will expand with your needs.
• Are your children moving out soon? If you expect your children to move out or go to college in the next two to four years, have a plan for all the empty bedrooms. Otherwise, you’re paying money for empty space.
• How much property do you already own? While any size lot can fit a rambler home, these homes shine on large pieces of property. It is noticeable when they look squished between treelines or houses since their wide facade appears prominent from the street. If a scaled-down version of the rambler doesn’t fit your property, you may need to reconsider other house styles.
• Do you experience severely cold weather? While most southern states experience freezing temperatures at some point during the winter, homes in the western and southern United States don’t have to worry about weeks and months of snow and ice buildup. If you live in a climate where you experience a lot of snow and ice, you need to address the roof of your house. Low-gabled roofs cannot handle heavy ice buildup, so you risk severe damage if you don’t take the necessary precautions.

Conclusion

Rambler homes are an excellent choice for growing families on large pieces of land. These homes feature beautiful street facades with large windows and gorgeous backyards that are perfect for entertaining guests and spending time with family.

Similarly, these homes come in various styles to meet your personal needs and the slope of your lot. You can design your home with a half staircase or split entry, which are perfect solutions for homes built on sloping lots.

Overall, there’s a reason the rambler home is still popular today even after nearly 100 years of existence — it consistently meets the needs of growing families, at an affordable price. If you need floor plan designs, contact Monster House Plans to start your designing process.

These days, a home’s total square feet area is declining while home prices are up. The cost to build a home in 2019 averages about half a million dollars, but the square footage is now the lowest since 2001, at around 2,500 square feet. 

This tells us that homeowners are trying to do more with less. From a multi-family plan to home plans with extensions as you grow, the most popular house plans this year are functional and economical, without sacrificing those luxurious creature comforts. 

Take your cues from these home plans and adapt them to your family.  

Ranking 2022’s Most Popular House Plans

Before looking at the most popular house plans right now, consider many factors that influence whether a home design is right for you. 

Some people, for example, want to know the cheapest or most economical house to build. Others want to keep things simple and are looking for quick and easy-to-build floor plans.

Quite a few architectural styles can fulfill your needs, so we’ve included these floor plans if you have a specific requirement in mind. 

Easiest to Build

An easy-to-build house plan should be simple in its parts, planning, and “assembly.” This doesn’t mean you don’t need technical or specialized help, such as expert plumbing and electrical installations. 

However, with the help of a small crew, you could just easily build it yourself. Easy-to-build house plans are not fussy because they don’t include complex excavations for basements. They also rarely include more than one floor — unless you want these features for some extra sq ft area. 

A-Frame 

The A-frame is an incredibly easy design to build because, in its most essential form, the layout has no other levels. All you need are the beams that sit against the two roof sides — which are also the walls in this house plan.

Log Cabins 

A log cabin is another house plan design that is easy to build. Again, like the A-frame, you can get more sophisticated with your sq ft use, such as adding things like a second floor, a bonus room, or a large deck for outdoor living. 

But its simplest form is low on sq ft and has no frills. 

Cheapest to Build

The smaller a dwelling, the cheaper it is to build. However, sq ft area is not the only indicator of cost. For example, you could opt for a compact home design, but amp up your bottom line if you go for high-priced interior decor and upgrades. 

Small Home

The “small home” is a layout where all your sq ft area rests on the main floor. Even a cottage-style home can be a small home if it has a compact design. Even if you have a larger lot, you can opt for a small home and your costs will be lean.

However, the “small” designation depends on the designs. For example, if you get a custom floor plan from architects, you could very easily keep a low sq ft area and still include up to 2 bedrooms, with a master suite, and 2 full bathrooms.

Two Bedroom Homes

Speaking of two-bedroom homes, opting for a two-bedroom home can keep your costs low but still serve as a multi-family dwelling. 
Again, it depends on what the designers do with the space they’re given. For example, if they use an open floor concept, you can enjoy a more spacious living arrangement but stay low on costs.

Most Classic Design

Classical designs are never going to go away. They’re well-loved and stand as a hallmark in everyone’s mind of a new and ideal starter home for families. Perhaps one reason these plans still stand today is that they were around during early settler history across the country. 
Of course, today’s designs are updated or “revived” and adapted to meet modern-day needs and creature comforts.   

Colonial

The classic colonial floor plan has iconic features such as dormer windows, double chimneys, and a symmetrical design. In fact, even home builders and architectural firms selling house plans will adapt the classic colonial style for their newest lot releases.

Hampton

The Hampton home is a unique house plan that is made for lots with large width and depth. Outdoor living is often part of the novelty of these plans and the sq ft can vary. Hampton designs are perfect for entertaining, often featuring a guest area or bonus room. 
However, they’re also very sturdy against East coast storms and prevailing winds — which is where you can usually find these home plans.

Most Modern Exteriors

Quite a few house plan designs are updated to include features like a home office, guest quarters, open floor layout, dens, bonus rooms, and more. But the exteriors are really where you, as a homeowner, can make an impact.  

Contemporary

The Contemporary style plan features smooth, clean, and elegant lines in the exterior design. They can feature flat or sloping roofs, but usually include a mixture of building elements like:

• Vinyl siding
• Wood
• Glass
• Wrought iron
• Stone
  

Modern

The “Modern” plan is a new way to blend several styles together for a unique look. Many classic styles, such as the Craftsman or the Farmhouse, can be updated to reflect these modern sensibilities.

How to Pick the Best House Layout For Your Family

The most popular styles for a new home should also reflect your family’s living style. When considering the best layout for a house, you should be looking at four key aspects beyond just the sq ft size. 

1) Bedrooms, Bathrooms, and Location

Think of it this way: if you don’t have enough bedrooms and bathrooms, and they’re not strategically located in the house’s plan, every morning could be a potential for conflict. 
If you have a small family now but you plan to grow by three, where will your kids sleep, and who will share what? 
If you know you need two full baths, will your guests get to use a powder room — or will they use one of your full bathrooms? And are these located on the upper levels? If so, they will have to enter a more intimate part of your home. So, at least one of them should be located on the main floor.
These questions will determine whether a layout is your first choice — or a non-contender. 

2) Open Concept is Best

Whether you stick to a two-level house plan, a split bedroom layout plan, or a modern ranch style plan, make sure that you have an open concept design. 
Open plan designs don’t have any doors between rooms on the main level. Instead, the design features a natural flow — of light and air circulation — throughout the house. 
One can go from the living room to the kitchen to the family room seamlessly. It also makes your space seem larger and taller, which is great if you want to keep to a tight sq ft area. 

3) Walk-out Basement, In-Ground, or Neither?

Some people want a plan with a basement while others don’t want the added pressure of finishing that added sq ft area. 
However, there are a few more options at your disposal. If your lot is on a slope or a hill, you may have the perfect spot for a walk-out basement plan. On the other hand, an in-ground basement can be a great storage place and can give your house an added spot for recreation.

4) Don’t Forget Those “Add-On” Rooms

When you search on a site selling house plans, look for a design that includes add-on rooms.  These are optional spaces like mudrooms or butler’s passages. Add-on spaces give a new house the functionality a family needs. You should consider what your family’s practices are on a consistent basis. 
For example, suppose all your laundry sits upstairs in everyone’s bedrooms. In that case, it might be smart to keep the laundry room upstairs, beside the bedrooms rather than downstairs by the garage area.

10 Popular House Plans in 2022

The next 10 houses are the most popular house plans this year. These are a collection of different styles of houses, and each architectural plan varies in sq ft area and features. 

1) Colonial Styles

Colonial-style homes will continue to prevail among the most coveted type of plans in the country. If two or three fireplaces, brick or wood facades, and two stories feature prominently in your family’s new home aspirations, you’re not alone.

2) Cape Cod Homes

Cape Cod homes were first built in the 1600s. If their cozy and compact exteriors look familiar, you’re right. Cape Cod homes are found on the Atlantic coast, and they have their origins in old British cottages on the southern coast.

These homes have steep roofs and large chimneys. Some designs might also feature dormer windows, which are common for colonial homes. 

3) Waterfront with a Modern Twist

Waterfront homes may seem like a very “niche” house plan. However, an increasing number of people are taking advantage of the “vacation”-style architecture for their main property.

One of the main characteristics of a waterfront plan is its walk-out basement. It also features a combination of wood and vinyl siding, plenty of decks, and wrap-around porches. If you live on land with elevation, this could be the perfect design for your family. 

4) Modern Farmhouse

The “modern” farmhouse has inflections of Victorian and Colonial architecture, but this design prefers function to flourish. 
There’s an emphasis on the “agrarian” lifestyle, which makes use of every feature. For example, porches could be considered extra sq ft area because they act as a transition between the indoors and outdoors.

The modern farmhouse mixes the original farmhouse design’s classic features with current elements like large glass windows, a “shabby chic” wooden exterior, glossy accents, a contrast between dark and light elements, and clean lines. 

5) 2 Bedroom Starter Homes

Two-bedroom “starter” homes are not just for singles or newlyweds. There are quite a few empty nesters or families who want to downsize their current lifestyle and choose the two-bedroom house.

There’s no one architectural style, so you can design and decorate based on your sensibilities. Suppose you want to go for a modern, cottage blend. In that case, you might consider keeping the plan to one level, with some additional space for extensions and add-ons (such as a sunroom) in the future.

6) The L-Shape with a Contemporary Design

The L-shaped house is a fantastic example of clean and innovative design. Every part of the house is connected and accessible. At the same time, the backyard area is kept private and secluded by the smaller “arm” of the “L” shape.
You can go for any kind of architectural style, but the contemporary home is perfect for this adaptable layout design. It naturally features sloping roofs, clean lines, and mixed exterior building elements that enhance the natural “L” shape.

7) The Luxury A-Frame

It’s not just millennials who love the A-frame design. The chic, almost Scandinavian look of A-frames is making them increasingly attractive to families who want to live a more affordable, sustainable, adventurous lifestyle. 
However, the A-frame’s sloping walls make storage and room separation a challenge. That’s why many families look for a more accommodating A-frame layout to adapt to everyday living. This increases the sq ft area but also allows you to create bedrooms and bathrooms.

8) Mid-Century Modern

Mid-century modern architecture was alive and thriving from the 1940s to the 1980s. The style focuses on using large glass windows, clean, smooth, and rectangular lines, flat planes, and the integration of nature.

9) Maximalism with Prairie-Style Homes

The Midwest-inspired prairie-style home is all about practicality and exudes a down-to-earth modesty. However, it’s the details where designers and architects, like the originator, Frank Lloyd Wright, can make their mark. 
Even though the minimalist design has been in vogue, maximalism is making a comeback. So you can opt for the long, flat roofs, rows of windows, horizontal lines, and an emphasis on an organic, “Zen”-like a garden, while emphasizing luxury in exterior design materials.

10) Modern Ranch

Ranch-style homes are popping up all over the country — with a modern twist. The style began in the 1930s, originating in the Southwest and rural areas of the Western states. These plans have generous, open concept interiors, attached garages, split-level floors, and easy connections to the outdoors. 
The modern “twist,” on this rather practical layout is the decadent and clean design elements.

Conclusion

Right now, the demand for homes is quickly outstripping the pace at which a builder can provide new homes. That’s why so many families are deciding to skip the waitlists and new releases to build their own homes from scratch. So why not take a page from their book and pick any of these best-selling designs for yourself?
When you’re ready to design your dream dwelling, head to Monster House Plans. Our insane inventory of designs and layouts features almost every architectural style you can imagine. Speak to our architects to customize any layout that captures your imagination. 

L-shaped homes are all about connection. Style is always important when you’re considering home plans, and that’s where most homeowners stop. But finding the right house plan for your family is about so much more than just one style over another. Instead, you need to consider whether the overall design, which includes a home’s functionality, works with your family’s lifestyle.

That’s why L-shaped homes are the hidden secret of the house plan world. The unique design helps create an exterior and interior layout of balance, harmony, connection, and privacy. When you can infuse your home with these principles through a house plan design, you’ll never want to leave the oasis you’ve chosen and built from scratch. 

The History of the L-Shaped House

Looking at the letter “L,” you can see that two lines are joined together, but one section is longer than the other. The L-shaped home began as an asymmetrical offshoot of the ranch-style home. 

But the highly functional design was so useful, that it quickly adapted to almost every other kind of contemporary home style possible.

The design of these kinds of layouts is so functional that many “tiny home” enthusiasts are repurposing the shipping containers into homes that feature the L-shape design.

An L-shape house plan is so flexible because it’s about solving a design problem, rather than capturing a distinct style or design aesthetic.

That’s why these home designs work with any architectural style. And you can’t trace the L-shape home plan to a specific architect because it’s so widely used.

For example, a Mediterranean architectural style of house plan could easily be customized into an L-shape home design.

Five Benefits of L-Shaped House Plans

View the L-shape home designs used in two different and distinct architectural styles. You can see the benefits of the features this kind of layout offers.

Take a look at the L-shape design of a modern farmhouse and that of a plantation house plan.

These two house plans are quite unique in exterior and interior features. However, the layouts of the main floor are similar:

The house plans of the main floor area show how the garage enjoys direct access and connection to the rest of the house, without taking up extra space in the home’s design.

Since the plantation style home has more sq ft to play with, architects can also include other functional rooms like a summer kitchen, a mudroom, a laundry room, several built-ins, a pantry, or even a storage closet. 

Upstairs, the added garage area means you can build additional bedrooms to accommodate an extended family. And these are just some of the reasons why L-shape house plans are so popular. 

1) Privacy

Notice how the L-shape layout of these house plans frame the front yard nicely. Meanwhile, the orientation protects the backyard from sight. 

In fact, many homes that use the L-shape design on the main floor will do so because they also want a pool or a private, outdoor space intended for entertaining. Depending on your lot’s orientation and sq ft, you can gain privacy with these layout plans.

2) A Balance of Elements

The perimeter formed by the connection between the two lines frames the front yard and protects the back courtyard area. When you look at how the two sides of the “L” arms extend outward, it feels like an embrace. Meanwhile, the front and back yard spaces remain separate from each other, so you can design and landscape these areas as you’d like. 

Inside the home, the intersection point allows you to create a real balance in the sq ft you’re using. L-shape plans can feature a garage, certainly, but you can also use the two arms to create a separation between “wings” on the main floor. 

If you’re building a 1-story house, for example, one wing might be for the living area, while the other is a sign you’ve entered into the bedroom- and bathroom area.  

3) Adaptable to Any Kind of Architectural Style

L-shape home plans are adaptable to almost any kind of architectural style. You can even adapt it to something like a cottage style home, widening the width and depth to account for how many stories you have or bedrooms you want. 

Essentially, your options around square footage are entirely up to you. You can even add details like skylights, or rely on a mixture of shingle clad domestic forms, brick, wood, and modern glass to get an entirely new and unique exterior to your home.

4) Almost Everything is Linked and Accessible

Of course, there are variations to the “L” design that could add on more sq ft to your home’s total area. For example, you could add an extra wing extending out, perpendicular to the shorter arm of the “L.” You could use this area as yet another wing for guest bedrooms and bathrooms secluded from street view.

This is more like a “T” design and you can expect the additional sq ft to increase the price as well. But you now have additional exterior free space, almost like an extra front yard space.  

5) Shelter Against Prevailing Winds

The layout of the L-shape design provides more than protection from unwanted prying eyes. The corners and arms that extend out create a buffer against wind, rain, and snow. 

Anatomy of an L-Shaped Floor Plan

The L-shape floor plan’s inherent flexibility means you can do almost anything with the exterior and interior features. There are no two homes that necessarily need to look alike when you use this design. 

However, the common features make this home unmistakable.

Exterior Features

You’ll see garages featured prominently in the design of these homes. However, it’s not a hard and fast rule. Exterior elements commonly include:

• Front and back porches
• Multiple dormers
• Front hip roofs and gables
• Multiple car garages
• Uninterrupted access from the garage to the interiors
• Strong, clean lines

Interior Features

Upon entry into L-shaped homes, you’ll naturally experience a more open-concept type layout. Many families opt to use organic or makeshift room separators, also doubling as modern decor, for an almost “loft”-like look. 

Interiors can include:

• Open concept living and dining areas
• Extended bedrooms over the garage or second arm of the house
• Mudrooms and extra storage space
• Asymmetrical distribution of sq ft throughout the house
• Nooks, pantries, and dens 
• A separation between both “wings” of the house

Choose L-Shaped Design On a Floor Plan That’s Right For You

If you’re looking for true customizability, both inside and out, then the L-shaped home design is for you. When you’re ready to view this layout on a diverse array of floor plan styles, visit Monster House Plans. 

Our powerful advanced search should be your first go-to, as you select the specific interior and exterior features you want. Looking for guest bedrooms or a floor plan with a basement and a butler’s pantry? Our search will pull it up for you. Monster House Plans is your trusted hub for all things home design.

It’s time to stand out. It’s time to be unique. It’s time to build a barn house. 

A barn home features a style in existence for hundreds of years. Many people used barn house plans for necessity, using simple and sturdy building materials. Barn style design plans are now an ideal home construction project full of personality, craftsmanship, and flair. 

Homeowners looking for function, beauty, and family-friendly features will love barndominium floor plans. If you’re one of these homeowners, you’ll be happy to learn that this house design, its architecture, and interior and exterior features are very accessible when you’re building from scratch. 

Once you construct the basic frame of a barn style project, the rest is up to your imagination. The construction process is uncomplicated and highly flexible, allowing you to create additions like a loft or a basement with ease.

In this article, you’ll find a beginner’s guide to designing and building the barn house of your dreams, along with barn house floor plans for that spark of inspiration.

The History and Design of Barn Homes

A barn home is a rustic design known for its spacious interior, offering tons of storage space, classic timber exterior, and open concept design. However, today’s barn homes were not originally meant to house people. The history of the barn style design dates back to the 1600s as a residence for animals, their feed, and manure.

Today’s designs, however, boast creature comforts like:

• A loft
• Storage space
• Beautiful double garage doors
• Tall exposed ceilings
• Sliding farm doors
• Timber beams 

These details make this dream structure the ideal home for you, your family, and your friends.

Barn homes offer excellent square footage, and their charm and flexibility allow you to maximize your site as well as your interior living spaces. 

The design and style of a barn home are highly adaptable. If you like the structure’s hallmark design, you can begin construction of a barn home project on any property size.

Pulling inspiration from the “rustic” look and feel of the traditional frame construction, barn house plans adapt the original style to provide ample space and simplicity in the home. 

Most barn homes keep the kitchen, dining room, and living room area connected through an open concept design. Instead, it features the bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry room, and any other room to the side. 

That’s why barn homes are ideal for families who want a lot of space indoors for themselves and guests.

What Goes Into Building Barn Homes?

Undertaking a building project like a barn home is both a rewarding and stressful experience. From finding the right build location to budgeting for your home construction and choosing from barn house plans that will suit your family’s needs, there is a lot of information to consider. 

Here are five steps to building and starting construction on the barn style design:

1. Research and calculate barn house costs
2. Decide on the best barndominium floor plans
3. Choose a style that fits your needs
4. Properly manage your land and space efficiently
5. Find the right designer

Even though it is exciting and fun to watch your dream house come to life, there are always unforeseen issues that come up. Following these steps will allow you to control and order the process, which will make your barn home building experience significantly smoother.

Step #1: Research and Calculate the Cost of a Barn House

One of the first pieces of information and research to begin with on your project is about costs. The cost of construction, materials, and labor can be very affordable as long as you know what you’re getting into.

Once you purchase your building site, you’ll need to know the average cost to break ground, lay a foundation, and begin frame construction. The simplicity of these structures can cause many homeowners to wonder: Are barn homes cheaper to build?

The answer to that really depends on your living space’s square footage, the barn style’s floor plan, and the cost of materials you choose for the exterior. 

In other words, a barn home can be as cheap or as expensive as you make it. If you’re using everyday materials like siding, most barn homes can be highly affordable structures, especially when compared with traditional projects.

Let’s take a look at the costs for a simple pole barn layout. The chart below details information available for planning pole barn homes, each with its features and costs. As you can see, the price for a post and beam design is the significant amount of space available for a low cost. For example, a 6,000 sq. ft. pole barn home costs about $50,000!



Of course, these pole barns are great for hobbies, machinery, and animals. Still, they are not as conducive to people’s original structure to live in and raise a family. 

Even though the post-beam method of construction is intended mainly for farming needs, these values should give you ideas for your costs. It also shows you that, with suitable finishes, layout, and attention to detail, your home can be an investment with high resale value.

So, with some slight adjustments, a pole barn can easily turn into a residence full of warmth and charm. To break down how much it costs to build a barn home, let’s take a look at some average costs in America for each aspect of these structures.

The tight housing market in America right now means that competition between buyers can make it tough to secure your dream home. That’s why many families chose to build their homes from scratch, instead of overpaying for a residence that may not serve their family’s total needs.

While the costs listed here will change for each build (once again, consider material and design factors), a pole barn house is a significantly cheaper option for everyone.

And even though an increasing number of families choose barn houses for their charm, style, and open concept design, affordability is one of its primary benefits.

Step #2: Decide on a Floor Plan That Suits Your Needs

There is an infinite number of options available when designing a barn home. Figuring out which floor plan style is right for you and your family can be a difficult decision. There are thousands of options available, so you need to decide what is most important for your barn home. 

To do this efficiently, begin by compiling a list of ideas that are needs versus wants. Needs are things that your future home must have for you to be happy. Wants are things you would like in your home. 

Having a clear, objective list will make this step in the process easy for both you and your designer. 

So, ask yourself:

• Do you want ample kitchen space that opens to the dining room and living room area?

• Do you want a smaller indoor space with a large overhang for outdoor space and activities?

• Do you want a traditional barn house or a barndominium?

The decisions can be overwhelming. However, when building your barn home, you have the flexibility to build it as you want. So whatever you can dream up, your designer should be able to put it into a plan.

For example, you may decide you want a dedicated media room, plenty of ground floor living room, and you need the location of your stairs to be right at the foyer. 

You may decide that you don’t need a basement but large, open windows with lots of light and a porch would be a fantastic addition for that lazy, relaxing lifestyle.

Sorting through the must-haves, nice-to-have, and comfort features first will put you in a great position to review ready-made floor plans then.

Custom floor plans can give you ideas about your dream home’s final result before the frame construction begins. Reviewing the layout, finding out how to customize the interiors and living space, and then proceeding to build ensures that you’ll land on a frame that truly works for your family.

Consider the interior living area of this basic floor plan:

Based on this sample floor plan, it’s clear that your priority is having an open space for entertaining guests and having company over in the kitchen, living room, and large deck. Meanwhile, rooms like the den, master bedroom, and bathrooms are off to the side. These take up significantly less space.

This method is perfect for finding a floor plan that closely matches your needs and then customizing the interiors through an addition here and there.

Step #3: Which Barn Home Style Would You Prefer?

Even in the simplicity of a barn home, the barn house has multiple stylistic options available. You can choose between a traditional barn house, a pole barn house, and a barndominium. Each of these styles have great things about them and some things to consider.

A traditional barn house is a permanent structure and very sturdy. It is typically larger than the other two options. So it’s understandable that this style costs a bit more.

A traditional barn house provides a lot of flexibility in design and can last for generations. These homes are quintessential for those looking to have gatherings for family and friends year after year.

A pole barn house is built differently than traditional barn homes. Instead of a typical foundation, a pole barn house uses poles in the ground to hold it in place. This style choice is quicker and simpler to build, but it does lack the longevity of a traditional barn house simply because it does not have the same foundation. 

A pole barn house is a great option for a family or individual on a budget. These houses can provide the same great amenities and luxury at a fraction of the cost. Most houses have concrete foundations like the traditional barn house. With planted poles replacing the concrete foundation, a pole barn house will save a lot of money.

Barndominiums are a great choice for someone looking to build a uniquely styled home. Barndominiums are approximately the same size as a traditional barn house, but they use metal in the framing and design, whereas a barn house utilizes more wood and stone. These homes are typically cheaper than traditional barn houses and take significantly less time to build. 

Originally, barn homes helped ranchers in Texas stay closer to their livestock and horses during storms and bad weather. This style of home made it easier to check in on the animals because the livestock’s living quarters were connected to the main house.

The connected live spaces translate really well to modern-day families looking to settle down. While you may not want livestock near your home, you can design your barndominium to accommodate coverage and protection for your vehicles!

Within these three styles, there are several variations and options available to you. Don’t be overwhelmed by the options. Look at this as an opportunity for you to get exactly what you want when building your home.

Step #4: Manage Your Land and Space Strategically

If you want to build a barn house, you are going to need land. You won’t necessarily need more land than if you were building another style of home. 

For some homeowners, building a barn house means the chance to build their dream home out in the country, cultivate at least a few acres, and get started with that country life.

The good news is that you can position your barn home to capture sunsets or picturesque views.

However, other homeowners want to enjoy a barn house’s flexibility and curb appeal in smaller spaces like urban or suburban areas. 

In other words, the amount of land you are building on will affect your chosen floor plan. This is something to consider when building a barn house. 

The amount of living space you’ll need for the interior, compared to how much land remains unoccupied for the exterior, will make a difference when you plan out the maximum square footage.

Step #5: Find the Right Designer for YOU!

One of the most challenging aspects of building a home is finding a contractor or designer you can trust. Finding the right designer can help you translate your imagination and vision into an affordable reality.

When finding a designer for your barn house, you need to find someone who has experience with this style of home. 

While a barn house may be relatively simple in style and approach, there are several options available, so a knowledgeable designer will help you narrow down the details such as:

• Windows
• Ceilings 
• Materials
• The roof
• Whether you need a basement or not
• Options for entertaining 
• The length and size of a porch
• How many stories you need
• Where your bathroom is best placed, and more

If you do choose to work with a designer, opting for Monster House Plans® can bring your imagination to life in a more effective way. 
With Monster House Plans, you can also use the “Ask the Architect” function to ask detailed questions about the plan. This features truly lets the homeowners build their dream house within their budget.

Conclusion

People love flexibility and options when designing and building their homes. Barn homes and barndominiums provide space, quality, and most of all a unique design. What’s even better is that building a barn frame and style doesn’t have to break the bank.  No matter the size of your site or budget, barn homes are inherently adaptable!

Monster House Plans® will provide you with thousands of options and help you narrow down your search. Their advanced search feature helps you hone in on floor plans specially catered to your wants and needs. So the next time you are looking to buy or build a house, contact Monster House Plans® to get started and get one step closer to your dream home!