Ranch Housing Style Makes a Comeback: The one-story abode with a Mad Men vibe is finding new fans
WHEN SHE WAS SHOPPING for a house, Melissa Cicaloni told her real estate agent something a broker seldom hears: “I want a ranch.” It was a surprise even to Cicaloni, who had not started her search with a ranch in mind. “I’m much more of an Arts and Crafts/bungalow kind of person,” the 43-year-old says. “Actually, my ideal house would be a huge Victorian, but I could never afford that.” After looking at several bungalows, though, she came to the realization that the style wasn’t what she wanted at all. “They’re kind of small, and they have tiny closets,” she says. “So I looked at a ranch.” And she liked what she saw: plenty of space, a layout good for entertaining, and a house that would be easy to update and maintain. By now she should be settling into the three-bedroom ranch she just bought for $269,000 in Hyde Park.
Cicaloni is not alone in her appreciation for the ranch. Though it will never be as popular as the ubiquitous Colonial here in New England, the ranch is making a return. The simple home is being embraced by young people attracted to the mid-century modern vibe; by aging boomers who no longer want to deal with stairs; and, as always, by those looking for an affordable home.
“I am a ranch freak,” says Stephen Lussier, a broker with Arborview Realty Inc. who lives in one on Moss Hill in Jamaica Plain. “They’re really designed for living, for comfortable living. They bring a family closer together in many ways. And it’s very easy to renovate a ranch. They’re less expensive to work on.”
And more ranches are being built. According to figures from MLS Property Information Network, the number of newly constructed ranches on the market in early April — excluding those in over-55 developments — had more than tripled over the same period a decade earlier, from 55 to 183. (Again, the figures are small, because the number of ranches in Massachusetts has never approached those of more traditional housing styles.)