Love a Ranch Home - endless remodeling potential!

 Love a Ranch Home - endless remodeling potential!

Working in Houston's Inner Loop neighborhoods has provided me with a lot of insight into the endless possiblities of a Ranch Remodel.  4" tile, retro paneling, sculpted carpeting and avocado-green appliances are typicall of the vintage 1970s ranch home.  Many of my Timbergrove and Lazybrook neighbors have done extensive remodels on their ranch homes in order to accommodate their daily lives.

The essential design of a ranch house was based on minimalism but many have found ways to alter this type of home and create a new sense of style and functionality without comprimising the original intent.

Whether you're considering a major home remodel or are just trying to get a bead on some cost effective do-it-yourself home improvement projects, here's some areas of your home to focus on to help your ranch style home stand out:

Landscaping. When it comes to ranch style home remodeling, landscaping is a biggie. Often the landscaping of ranch homes is as minimal as the structure itself. Just think how it would look if you replaced that featureless lawn with flower gardens, rock gardens, stepping stone paths, and new trees and shrubs? Nothing draws attention to your home like an exceptional landscape. Another way to visualize your new style is to find a ranch home being built somewhere and see it before the landscaping is installed. This will give you a nice pallet to imagine your new beginnings.

Porches, Decks, and Patios. Because ranch homes are built with economy in mind, they often forgo these wonderful backyard additions. Even if they do have an outdoor recreation area, it's often as unimaginative. Bring in a deck builder or contractor who specializes in these types of additions and remodels in order to add some pizazz and character to both your home and landscape. Be it a screened-in porch, a stone patio or a new redwood deck, this is an addition you're sure to enjoy.

Windows. Many homeowners underestimate what a few new windows can do for a home. Remember, bigger is generally better. Larger windows make for more light and better views. And if you can, install bay windows when/where appropriate. One of the most important things you can do when remodeling this style home is to add texture to the uniform exterior. Bay windows are a great way to do that, but also don't overlook picture windows, French doors and even different styles of windows, such as palladian or colonial. These window styles can create a completely different home vibe from both the outside and the inside.

Interior. Ranch homes tend to have open floor plans, keep this in mind when planning your remodel by creating cased or arched openings between rooms. Use materials that have a similar look like easy to care for wood flooring, fresh paint in neutral tones and new energy star appliances.

These are just a few suggestions and ideas for updating your ranch-style home that I hope you find helpful.

Pamela Efferson , Broker Associate
ASR, CSR, GRI, HRC, SRES
Member HAR, NAR, TAR, WCR

Phone: (713) 822-8555

PAMELA EFFERSON PROPERTIES
     Keller Williams Metropolitan

Pamela Efferson Properties, a real estate agency under Keller Williams Metropolitan, is a company that specializes in properties located in Houston, particularly in the Inner Loop and Near Inner Loop neighborhoods.