Ranch house plans

 Ranch house plans were historically chosen for their simplicity and straightforward nature. Essentially a rectangle with a roof, this simple style of home was easy for western settlers to construct and made sense in the wide open spaces. The trend continued with 20th century homeowners saving money on the lower costs of construction that such a simple design afforded them.
 
 But now the options have increased, and ranch house plans can be elegant and grand as well as simple and straightforward. A key draw of the ranch style house is putting everything on one floor, avoiding the need for stairs, which still makes sense when there is enough surrounding land not to make yard conservation an issue.
 
 With modern ranch house plans, the rectangle shape has been stretched and added to. Elegant ranch style houses can have separate wings, and usually have large rooms with higher ceilings than commonly used in older models. The result is a combination of old style practicality with new style flair and finesse.
 
 It looks like current markets in the west and midwest will support both styles of ranch house plans: not only the simple, unadorned and low cost model, but also the higher end luxury home that retains its ranch roots and puts all the living on a single floor.