6 Ranch House Plans for Easy Single-Story Living

As one of the most popular home styles in America, ranch-style floor plans have been around for decades. Most ranch homes are one story, have open-concept great rooms and feature large, covered porches in the front. With these desirable features, and so much more, it’s easy to see why ranch homes are so popular. From small and economical to larger homes with more luxurious touches, there’s a ranch home plan to fit any property and any personal preferences. Read on to find out all of the great benefits of owning a ranch home, and check out some of our favorite ranch-style home plans. You’ll fall in love with this style and want to move right in!

What Is a Ranch-Style House?

Ranch houses embody a laid-back lifestyle with simple appearances and casual layouts. Ranch homes, which achieved their peak popularity in the 1950s and 1960s, still exist across the United States, although they are less prevalent along the East Coast.

The history of the ranch style traces back to the 1920s and earlier in the American Southwest and the original ranch homes of Spanish Colonial architecture. These homes were ideal for the climate of the hot Southwest area, with their low-slung roofs, wide eaves and single-story layouts.

In the 1930s, builders on the West Coast adapted the style of these original ranch homes, and it quickly gained in popularity, spreading across the United States. During a period of rapid growth in the 1950s and 1960s, ranch homes popped up in new subdivisions and suburbs, making up nine out of 10 new homes in the country. Although this boom tamed by the 1970s, the style remains a popular choice.

Ranch home designs today are generally simple, one-story house plans featuring low-pitched roofs that have deep, overhanging eaves and simple overall designs. The homes are usually rectangular, but are sometimes in an L- or U-shape, with very little ornamental exterior design. The plans for these homes often include an attached garage, large picture windows in the front and sliding glass doors and patios in the backyard. Inside, the ranch home generally features an open-concept living and dining area and often has three bedrooms and one bathroom, although there are plenty of variations on this theme. The house can be on a cement slab, or have a crawl space or full basement.

Sometimes also called ranchers or ramblers, ranch homes remain popular because of the convenience of living in a single-story home, the simple design and the level of customization available. Today, there are a plethora of ranch-style house plans to choose from, so you’re sure to find one that is perfect for your family’s needs.

6 Ranch House Plans for Easy Single-Story Living

If you’re ready to explore some exciting one-floor house plans, we’ve got six gorgeous ranch house plans for you to check out. Each of these homes features classic aspects of ranch home architecture like open-concept living spaces and cozy covered front porches, but with unique twists. So, whether you’re looking for economical, luxurious or something in between, you’ll find a home to fall in love with in this list of amazing single-story house plans.

1. Traditional Ranch Home With Country Charm

This charming home is one of Family Home Plans’ most popular plans under 1,800 square feet — and for a good reason! The beautiful house plan has a traditional ranch home layout, with an open-concept living area and three bedrooms all on one level, and with charming, country-style exterior design elements. The plan also features a two-car garage, two bathrooms and lovely covered porches in both the front and back yards.

This home plan has a higher-pitched roof than older ranch-style homes, with gables and country craftsman touches that give it an extra-charming appearance. With an option for a full basement, you’ll have plenty of storage space or more room as your family grows. The main level features plenty of walk-in closets and other storage spaces — essential for any modern family. And a fireplace in the great room brings extra coziness to the home’s design. Check out this popular ranch home design, full of extra storage options and plenty of character.

2. Southern-Style Ranch House

If you love the classic style of Southern homes, with their large, welcoming porches, you’ll love this Southern twist on a ranch house design. This charming home features a lovely covered porch across the whole length of the front of the house and doghouse-style dormers in the roofline for added character. The Southern-style porch is the perfect place for hanging planters, rocking chairs and sharing lemonade with family and friends. Welcome your guests right into the great room through the front door on the porch.

The great room is open to the dining area and kitchen, and is perfect for entertaining or casual family gatherings. The kitchen has a large island, with plenty of storage space, which allows the cook to be part of the family activity while preparing meals. A large master bedroom with an en-suite bathroom and walk-in closet offers plenty of privacy, away from the two extra bedrooms on the opposite side of the house.

The layout of this charming home has plenty of room, making it ideal for a growing family, and is easily expandable later. Another porch runs the length of the home in the backyard as well, providing tons of outdoor living space in this lovely country home. You’ll love this family home loaded with Southern country appeal.

3. Economical, Stylish Ranch House

For the best style aspects of a ranch home in a smaller package, this house plan delivers. This smaller home flips the traditional ranch layout on its side, placing the front porch, main entry and great room on the shorter side of the rectangle. Even though its footprint is not as large as other plans, this front porch packs plenty of country charm and is a great place to relax — alone, or while entertaining company.

A hallway at the back of the great room area leads to the side door, mudroom and a cluster of three bedrooms, with two full bathrooms. The plan packs a lot of great amenities into a smaller space, making it a perfectly charming starter home — or a great way to downsize. This economical, classic home is easy to build, with all the great ranch-style house characteristics included.

4. Classic Country Ranch Home

This popular choice is another bestselling plan from Family Home Plans. The classic design features an open floor plan and an attached garage hidden on the side. This layout offers a much more charming and streamlined front facade, which continues over to a beautiful covered porch. The porch’s columns give lots of country style, and set the scene for a relaxing summer evening outside.

The master suite, split away from the additional two bedrooms, offers plenty of extra space and privacy. The generously sized en-suite master bathroom has many of the amenities of a larger house plan, in a more compact design. The country kitchen has a snack bar with extra seats for dining, and more kitchen prep area. The kitchen and dining area also open up to another covered porch in the back of the house — a perfect hangout space for the whole family.

This classic ranch home plan comes with the option for a full basement or attic, giving tons of extra storage space or room for the family to expand. As an affordable choice, this house plan packs in lots of country ranch style, along with modern amenities.

5. Country Farmhouse-Style Ranch Home

This versatile home plan is full of personality and blends the best from both traditional ranch design and the popular farmhouse style, with a few unique touches. In keeping with classic ranch home style, this home features a delightful front porch that leads into an open-concept great room, with the bonus of a library room off to the side. The country kitchen has a generous pantry and lots of extra storage and prep space.

In the center of it all, the large family room boasts a vaulted ceiling and fireplace for extra coziness. A screen porch opens up off the family room, and leads to the backyard deck — the perfect place for warm-weather entertaining. The master suite on the opposite side of the home from the other two bedrooms offers privacy and luxurious touches like extra-large closets, a private sitting area and a large, spa-like master bath. Each of the other two bedrooms also features generous closets and en-suite bathrooms.

This farmhouse ranch home also comes with an option to add a roomy bonus space as a second level. This bonus room addition gives an extra three full bedrooms, a double bathroom with a shared bathtub and a unique sitting area to use as a home office or homework space. This option adds a ton of versatile space, great for a larger family. Add the optional attached garage plan for even more space in this delightful farmhouse ranch home.

6. Tuscan-Style Ranch House

This gorgeous house plan brings a touch of Tuscany to a traditional ranch-style home. With large, Tuscan-style columns, the welcoming front porch on this beautiful home leads into a large foyer and open-concept living space. The dining room and living room share a cozy fireplace in the middle, while the country-style kitchen boasts a large pantry, additional dining nook and tons of extra storage and cooking prep areas.

Just off of the dining nook is the generously sized master suite. A luxurious spa-like bathroom, his-and-hers walk-in closets and a private sitting area give the master suite lots of upscale amenities. The two other bedrooms are on the other side of the house, just off from the family room. The bedrooms share a bathroom in the middle and have generous closet spaces.

Even the attached two-car garage comes with all sorts of exciting upgrades, including an optional third car stall. A separate storage area and workshop will keep your garage organized, and the upstairs bonus room above the garage gives you extra space for whatever you desire — it could be an office, game room, family room or more.

The back of this beautiful home features an extra-large porch, with a dedicated BBQ area and a built-in fireplace. This Tuscan-style ranch home is a foodie’s paradise and a dream for anyone who loves to entertain.

Benefits of Living in a Ranch Home

A classic of American residential architecture, ranch homes are perfect for laid-back lifestyles, and there are numerous benefits to choosing a ranch-style house.

• Lack of stairs: With some exceptions, most ranch homes are single-story, avoiding the need to go up and down stairs numerous times every day. It’s easier to get around these homes, which can be a plus for anyone with mobility issues, or a safety feature for families with young children. Plus, you don’t have to worry about vacuuming the stairs, which can be quite a chore.
• Exterior maintenance is easier: Any cleaning or maintenance projects on the outside of your home are easier on a one-story home than on a two-story one. Gutters, windows, roofing and more are safer to reach with a smaller ladder.
• No upstairs noise: If you find creaky floorboards above or kids stomping up and down the stairs bothersome, a single-story home, like a rancher, is right for you.
• Easy to renovate: With straightforward one-story house plans, extensions and additions are a breeze to plan, and with fewer load-bearing walls, it’s less of a challenge to move walls around and create more open-concept rooms. It’s also easier to add in skylights when there is no upper level, and have more light-filled rooms on the main level. Many ranch home plans come with optional bonus rooms you can add later, too.
• More room for porches and patios: It’s much less labor-intensive to construct a patio or deck on a single-story home, and it takes more planning and work to build a deck off a second-story room.
• Great resale value: Ranch homes have been popular for quite a while and continue to be in demand. Many people value the benefits of one-story living, so when it’s time for you to sell, you’ll see a higher resale value for your home.

View More Ranch-Style House Plans

The six ranch home plans featured here in this article are some of our favorites, but at Family Home Plans, we have thousands of plans available to choose from. You’ll find every variety of ranch home, to fit any sized lot and any personal design preferences. With their casual layouts, large windows and expansive porches and patios, ranch homes make for cozy, laid-back living. Family Home Plans partners with many different home plan designers to bring you the widest variety of designs all in one location. Check out all the exciting options we have today, and look forward to the joys of living in a single-story house!