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Those considering making renovations to their homes are often plagued by doubts. They know what they want, and yet they’re afraid that their dream home may not have resell value in the future.

Many people will suggest that you renovate raised ranch homes to suit yourself rather than worrying about how well it will sell years down the road.

Knowing ahead of time how long you plan to remain in your home may make renovation decisions easier to make. If you plan on remaining in the home for a number of years, you’ll feel freer to make changes to suit yourself.

When you’re relatively sure you won’t be staying in your home more than a year or two, you may be less willing to make changes that won’t necessarily bring higher dollars on the sale.

If you plan to add on to your ranch house, try to use similar materials that were originally used in the house unless you plan on completely redoing the exterior. This will help maintain the character of the original house as well as keeping some of the outside elements.

Remember the basics.

When you renovate raised ranch houses, it is probably better to avoid thinking horizontal if you want to add on. Instead, try adding onto the rear of the house especially if the visual from the curb is already a long box. It would also be better to have an additions offset rather than plunked down at one end or the other.

In some cases it is alright to add onto the end of a raised ranch if it is a true split level house. It would be best, if you’re going to add onto one side of the house, that you also increase the window size nearest the addition. This will help the curb appeal and make the house not look lopsided.

Another option for adding onto the length rather than onto the back of the house is to incorporate the built-in garage into the actual living space. You can then build a new garage onto the opposite side of living area which will create a more of a symmetrical look rather than an asymmetrical one. Of course, if you move the garage, don’t forget to redo the driveway as well.

Check with the local building ordinances in your city or town. They may have restrictions to the type of additions that can be made on particular models of homes. It is also a good idea to have an idea of what you would like to do and then talk with an architect.

Your primary goal is to maintain the curb appeal when you renovate raised ranch houses in addition to giving you more space. Talk with an architect and listen to their suggestions. The ideas you have may be great, but then again they may be better left on the paper.

When you renovate raised ranch homes you want to maintain the integrity of the house without destroying the look of it. There are ways to make renovations that will help the curb appeal and things that you can do to destroy it. Your best bet is to look, listen, and then decide what is best for your renovate raised ranch style house.

Ranches: Design Ideas for Renovating, Remodeling, and Building New

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Homeowners of ranch style houses appreciate the simplicity of the floor plan. This one-story plan makes living easier for those with limited mobility. However, they may consider ranch house addition designs to enlarge the house to better fit their needs.

Ranch houses are typically twice as long as they are wide, or very close to those measurements. A common size for a ranch style house would be 28 feet wide by 50 feet long, including a built-in garage. The houses are often laid out with bedrooms to one side of the floor plan and the remainder of the living space is to the other side.

When considering ranch house addition designs some homeowners look into the prospects of building a second story on their home, at least at the end where the bedrooms are located. While building up won’t take up any of your yard space, especially if your lot is small, it may not be the best course of action.

Building a second floor onto a house will require that the roof be removed so the second story can be added. This could mean you would have to live in your living room or in a hotel until the upper level is dried in. If you have children it may upset them to see their home being torn apart despite the fact they will have more room when the renovations are finished. Second floor additions are also harder to recoup your money from if you don’t plan to remain in your home for more than a few years.

Homeowners may also consider ranch house addition designs that simply knock out a wall to put on the addition. This type of renovation will only require that one or two rooms be inconvenienced during the renovation, but the addition will take up considerably more lawn space. If you plan to live in the home after you retire, this may be a better option for you.

Finally, the other option for ranch house addition designs is to enclose the built-in garage. For those with limited capital to make the changes this may be the best option. You won’t have to knock out any walls and the roof is already in place so you won’t have to worry about weather delaying the work.

Check out some books about ranch style houses from the library or pick up a few magazines that show pictures of additions similar to those you would like to make. This literature can help you choose the best floor plan addition for your ranch house.

Ranch house addition designs are a popular way to give your home more space. Knowing ahead of time what you’d like and where you’d like to place the addition will help the architect design the renovation to meet your needs and your budget.

Home Addition & Renovation Project Costs: Planning & Estimating Successful Projects

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Living in a ranch house can be a great thing.  However, since many were built more than 50 years ago, you may be considering a ranch house floor remodel, especially if you still have pink tiles or avocado green shag carpeting.  What are your options to keep with the original style?

When ranch houses were first built, the interior design styles were much different than they are today.  You expect styles to change, so you may want to update the look of your home and flooring is a great place to start.

Many homes had tile floors in the kitchen and restrooms and wall-to-wall carpeting in the remainder of the house.  Some people like the warmth of carpeting while others prefer the ease of cleaning hardwood floors.  Unfortunately hardwood can be very expensive for good quality flooring.

You may want to purchase high-quality laminate flooring for the kitchen as opposed to hardwood or tile.  If you can afford hardwood, it is more durable but takes an additional effort to keep it in the best shape.  Tile is another option to consider depending upon the décor of your kitchen.

If you choose to go with a laminate, go online and see if you can find a website that compares the different laminate manufacturers and their products.  Then go and look around at different home improvement stores to see what would work within your budget and give you the look you desire.  You may find that the cost of laminate and hardwood isn’t that different.

You may want to keep carpeting in some of your rooms, particularly in the bedroom where many people like having carpeting to keep their feet warm on cold winter mornings.  Of course, you could lay a laminate in your bedrooms and then use throw rugs for warmth when getting out of bed.

Flooring options in the restrooms are to replace tiles with up-to-date granite or slate tiles.  Be prepared, however, once you see how great your new floors look, you may find that you want to update the walls of the restroom, too.

One benefit of using tile flooring, particularly in the restroom, is that you can install an electronic floor warming system.  These systems are also available for other floor types, but they may be cost prohibitive due to the size of the room.  You know your budget best, so it may be an option for you.

If you live in an older ranch house, floor remodel options may be something to consider when you want to make a change in your home.  This is one of the easier remodeling jobs to do and you can probably do the work for yourself.

Check out this article on How to Finish Hardwood Floors

Design Ideas for Flooring (Design Ideas)

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