The Most Popular House Styles in Minnesota

Everyone has different priorities when searching for a new home in Minnesota. Some want more interior space, some want a bigger backyard, some want closer or farther proximity to the downtown Twin Cities. Many home buyers are very particular about the style of the house they want to move in.

Most of us have a mental image of our dream house, and buying a home that's as close to that image as possible is a dream come true. Read on to learn more about some of the most popular styles of houses found in Minnesota.

Common House Styles to Check Out

• Mid-Century Modern Ranch - According to this survey, mid-century modern ranch houses are the most popular home style in Minnesota. This hybrid house design was popularized by Cliff May, who combined design features of Spanish colonial homes and American Craftsman homes to create what we now refer to as "mid-century modern ranch". The first mid-century modern ranch homes were built in the 1930s and during the 1950s, they became the most popular style of house to build across the United States. Mid-century modern ranch houses may be either single story or split-level and are characterized by their asymmetrical floor plans, floor-to-ceiling windows and low-pitch roofs. In Minnesota, mid-century modern ranch homes can most easily be found in St. Paul and in the inner-ring suburbs around the Twin Cities.

• Modern Farmhouse - The most popular style of house throughout most of the country, modern farmhouse is a design style that has recently risen to prominence. Modern farmhouses are built to be open and comfortable, with eclectic designs that incorporate salvaged woods and metals. While inspired by classic farmhouse style, modern farmhouses feature contemporary upgrades such as neutral color schemes and smooth lines. As a result, the modern farmhouse style features a perfect blend of the antique look found in classic farmhouses and design elements more common in modern homes. Modern farmhouses are usually either one-and-a-half or two stories tall. In Minnesota, modern farmhouses are most commonly found in outer-ring suburbs of the Twin Cities, where they are still being built today.

• Prairie - A style that is distinctly Midwestern, prairie style houses were first designed by Frank Lloyd Wright at the turn of the 20th Century. Prairie style homes are generally long and low-to the ground with low-pitched roofs and large overhanging eaves. They combine design elements of Native American architecture with American Craftsman style homes and are usually two stories with exteriors made of brick or stucco. Houses built in this style are known as "prairie" houses because they were designed to evoke the wide, open expanses of the Midwestern prairie region. In Minnesota, prairie style houses can be found in Minneapolis, St. Paul and older outlying cities.

• Colonial - There are several sub-styles of colonial houses, but all of them are characterized by a symmetrical design, gabled roofs, casement windows and a central chimney. Most of the early homes built in the United States were colonial homes, and most colonial style houses found in Minnesota are considered "colonial revival" houses which imitate the style of the original colonial homes but were built long after this style was commonplace. Most colonial houses are two or two-and-a-half stories tall and may be built out of anything from wood to brick, though their roofs are usually cedar shake. In Minnesota, colonial houses of various sub-styles including British, German, Dutch and Spanish can be found throughout the Twin Cities metro.

Need Help Buying the Right Kind of Home in the Twin Cities?

If you're interested in purchasing a specific style of home in the Twin Cities, work with a team of local realtors who will strive to help you purchase the perfect house. Get in touch with Chris Fritch Team at eXp Realty today for the ultimate home buying assistance in the Twin Cities metro area!