Architectural Styles of Real Estate

Different architectural styles are what make real estate so attractive to so many. Houses can range in all types, sizes and shapes. Some neighborhoods can have many different architectural styles and some may only have a few. When looking to buy real estate it is important to understand the different types of architecture.

A Cape Cod is usually rectangular in shape and have a pitched gable roof. Often times the roof has a small over hang. The exterior is usually wood siding or stucco. Chimneys are usually located on the side. Garages are usually detached and rarely have front porches. When men returned home from WWII this home became very popular, as it was easy to produce in suburban areas.

Colonial styles included, colonial revival, Georgian colonial revival, Spanish and Dutch revivals. Colonial Revival homes are usual large with at least two stories. Dark shutters on the outside of the home as well as wooden columns usually painted white. The Georgian style had pair chimneys, one on both sides, as well as five windows across the front of every story. This was often favored by the well to do. Dutch Revival is easily identified by the fact that they have a very distinctive gambrel roof and the front door maybe a Dutch door, divided horizontally.

Victorian is the term that describes many styles built in the 1800s to early 1900s. They are identifiable by their elaborate trim work and other ornamentation on the home. Other typical ornamentation includes a pair of columns and elaborate wright iron along the rooftop. The Folk Victorian is the more affordable version of the Victorian style. They are usually characterized by steep gable roofs and a front porch.

Bungalows are characterized by the emphasis on horizontal lines rather then vertical and by their simplicity. The California bungalow has a low profile with one to one and a half stories, a square porch and an offset entry door. Craftsman Bungalow tends to be the biggest, with full porches. The American Foursquare has become the most common housing style in the United States. It has a simple space effective box shape accompanied by a long front porch. It usually has a large dormer window centered in the front of the house.

Postmodern styles is housing and continuously changing. Most of the houses built after 1970 do not fall into a single category. Instead they are a mixture of a few different past styles. These homes are mixtures of different styles and many critics complain that they are oversized, without style. They do, however, have style; it just does not fall into one of the main categories.

Homes come in all different shapes and sizes. It ultimately comes down to the end consumer and what their tastes are. Homes are easily customized to meet many different people's standards. Make sure your let your realtor know exactly what kind of home you are looking for.