Selecting your desired features in a house marks the beginning of your home search. With the variety of house styles available, finding a design that matches your personal taste and lifestyle can be challenging.
Your budget and preferred location largely determine the types of homes you can afford, but you still have the freedom to choose a house that fits your desired aesthetic. This guide will walk you through various home structures, design elements, and floor plans to help you select your ideal home.
Start with the Structure
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Design structure refers to the type of building—whether it’s a single-family home, a multifamily property, or a modular home.
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Architectural style defines the home’s exterior features as well as its interior layout.
For example, Colonial homes became popular on the East Coast due to British influence and early English settlements, whereas adobe-style homes dominate regions like Arizona and New Mexico.
Before selecting your ideal home design, study the architectural trends in your local neighborhood. Knowing which home styles are common in your area can help you avoid less popular options and streamline your search. Thanks to modern construction techniques, builders can now replicate nearly any architectural design using a wide range of materials.
Types of Multifamily Homes
Buyers can own individual units in condominiums or rent apartments. Many people choose to rent before purchasing a home.
1. Apartment Building
An apartment building contains multiple units in a single structure, offering residents shared amenities such as pools, laundry facilities, and communal areas. These buildings can be high-rise or garden-style, but typically lack a distinctive architectural style.
2. Condominium
Residents own their personal units and share ownership of common areas, maintained through Homeowners Association (HOA) fees.
Types of Single-Family Homes
These homes are typically detached, with full ownership of both the building and the land it sits on. While most stand alone, some may share walls in configurations like townhouses or duplexes.
3. Townhouse
Owners maintain their own yard, entrance, and garage, but may pay HOA fees for the maintenance of shared areas.
4. Row House
Similar to townhouses, row houses share walls with neighboring homes and maintain a uniform architectural style. Common in cities like Washington, D.C., they often lack an HOA and feature private entrances and small yards.
5. Duplex
A duplex consists of two housing units within a single structure. They may share amenities like driveways or yards, though some are fully separated except for a shared roof or wall.
6. Triplex
A triplex includes three separate units under one roof, often with individual entrances and shared common areas. Many older homes, such as Victorian houses, have been converted into triplexes with a unit on each floor.
Traditional Single-Family Home Styles
7. Colonial
Colonial homes are popular in the historic North and Southeast. They feature brick, stone, or wood exteriors, gable roofs, symmetrical facades, and columned porches. These homes often have smaller, separate rooms and multiple fireplaces.
8. Victorian
Built during Queen Anne’s reign in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Victorian homes are large (2,000–4,000 sq. ft.), ornate, and often multi-story. They have steep gable roofs, wraparound porches, stained glass, and detailed woodwork. Many have been converted into multi-unit residences.
9. Tudor
Common in the North and Northeast, Tudor homes feature steeply pitched roofs, brick and stone exteriors, and decorative wood beams. Inspired by European designs, they often resemble fairytale cottages.
10. Cape Cod
Found mainly in the Northeast, Cape Cod homes are modest (650–2,000 sq. ft.) They are known for their simple, compact layouts.
11. Ranch
Ranch homes became popular after World War II. These single-story homes feature long, open layouts with sloped roofs. Variants include the storybook ranch and split-level ranch, with the latter offering multiple living levels accessed by short staircases.
12. Craftsman
Craftsman homes (also called bungalows) were popular from 1900 to 1950.
Modern Single-Family Home Styles
Modern home designs emerged in the 1950s and often differ from traditional styles with minimalist features, clean lines, and industrial or natural materials like wood, stone, and stucco.
13. Midcentury Modern
Peaking in the 1950s and 1960s, Midcentury Modern homes feature open floor plans, large windows, sloped roofs, and the use of natural materials. Their minimalist design often includes interior staircases and multi-level layouts.
14. Contemporary
Contemporary homes represent current architectural trends, often featuring open floor plans, expansive glass windows, and industrial elements like exposed beams and raw metal. These homes reflect a modern, minimalist aesthetic.
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