Ranch houses. These two words immediately conjure up an image of American suburbia. Postwar ranches, sometimes referred to as “ramblers”, were typically family homes designed and constructed on a wide scale all across the United States as a part of a large tract development. The beginning popularity of the ranch can be traced to the late 1940’s and early 1950’s as part of the post World War II housing boom for returning G.I.’s. Some well know ranch house clusters in Nashville and Williamson County include West Meade, Hillwood, Seven Hills, Forest Hills and Brentwood.
Mad Men may almost be almost over but the Ranch House has made a triumphant return for good!
Ranch houses have been enjoying a huge surge in popularity in the past decade. Young families, contemporary architecture fans (think Mad Men) and aging Baby Boomers are drawn not only to open floor plans, single-level living and flexible spaces but also a community of neighbors nearby.
With the recent BOOM in Middle Tennessee area real estate, Nashville’s ranch houses, typically well built and on good-sized lots, are prime properties to purchase and remodel.
“A master bedroom downstairs is a selling point for all houses.” says realtor Elizabeth Walls of Fridrich and Clark who wrote in her January blog “The Ranch House Is Back!”
“Nashville-area ranches are just as valuable per square foot as a two story home.” adds Tommy Patterson, managing broker of Christianson, Patterson, Courtney & Associates. “If they’re well maintained, and have updated improvements, we’re seeing them move just as fast as everything else in this current market.”
Four Nashville Ranch Houses from MLS as of May 13, 2015
Where do you start when faced with a ranch house renovation?
Luckily, to remodel a ranch house the architectural “puzzle” is usually a logical one to solve. Outdated floor plans can become modern with or without adding square footage by creative shifting of space. Adding on a master suite or family room, for instance, can often times be a straightforward exercise.
The Wills Company has extensive experience in designing and renovating ranch houses in Nashville. A recently completed ranch house renovation that added zero square footage A Ranch House Transformation was featured on StyleBlueprint.
Ranch house exteriors are important too! Ridley Wills showed 20+ ideas for renovating the typical “Southern Ranch” from basic to extensive in Ranch House Renovation Ideas .
“Knowing that ranch houses really do provide space that many families want (and most come with ample land for kids, dogs and gardens!) but that many need some updates, we’ve relied on Ridley’s experience today and asked him to provide three different renderings of a renovated ranch house, each at a different price point. See how each one successfully changes the house into a new and inspired home.” StyleBlueprint from Ranch House Renovation Ideas
Extend the driveway, as in the low-cost option, to the front door. This welcomes guests to the main entry and creates parking space. Paint the brick a crisp white, and add a dark color to the doors. Pull the entry hall forward and vault a ceiling to create a gable, which allows the front door to be accessed from the side, at the top of the stairs, under the overhang/porch. (Note that the roofline remains the same.) Lastly, remove the decorative ironwork from the front entry for a contemporary effect.” Ridley Wills from StyleBlueprint Ranch House Renovation Ideas.
“Keeping the same gray paint color throughout, while making the lines of the house simple and clean, makes this house cohesive and dramatically more contemporary.” StyleBlueprint from A Ranch House Transformation
The number of seniors in the United States will more than double in the next few decades, and the overwhelming majority want to remain in their own homes. Nine out of 10 seniors actually stay where they are when they retire, according to AARP. After all, it’s hard to replace the intangibles such as long-time neighbors, beloved streets and cherished memories associated with a family home. Another compelling reason? Staying put can often be the best economic choice.
Did you know? Only 5 percent of Americans ages 65 and older live in group quarters like nursing homes. In recent years, this share has been steadily declining (based on 2008 American Community Survey data).
With 78 million baby boomers about to hit retirement age, some say the time is ripe to overhaul the way homes are designed and maintained.
Design
It isn’t necessary to wait for the gold pen at the retirement party. Modifying homes for aging in place (sometimes referred to as “Universal Design”) makes sense for all stages of our busy lives. Some elements of smart Universal Design include:
Wider hallways
Towel racks that double as grab bars
Audible and visual strobe light system to indicate when the doorbell, telephone, or smoke or carbon monoxide detectors have been activated
Temperature Activated Flow Reducers to prevent burns from too hot showers and faucets
Safe-T-element cooking systems installed over existing stovetop burners
A water faucet over the stove to fill large pots
Kitchen shelves that pull out like drawers
Exterior doors that are larger with no steps (which is great for a stroller as well as a wheelchair)
Showers with a smooth entry (which are all the rage with interior designers)
Door handles that are levers rather than knobs (perfect for small child hands)
High-tech remote “telecare” video monitors.
Modified and simplified furniture placement
Slip-proof floors
“These design options just make sense for so many phases in a family’s life” says Tony Brown, Director of Handyman Operations for the Wills Company. “You make a plan when you have a baby or when you go off to college or get married. Doesn’t it make sense to make a plan for when you get older?”
TOOLS for Aging in Place
Maintain
Most baby boomers consider their homes to be one of their largest financial assets. However, if not vigilantly maintained, a house can begin to become more of a liability. As we age, we may not notice or remember to have the gutters cleaned or paint our houses as needed. Before you know it, a relatively small repair balloons into a major problem. Out-of-town children may arrive for the holidays and be shocked to see “home” in need of an overwhelming rehab. Complicating matters, it is very hard to manage a project successfully from afar if you don’t have an established relationship with service providers you can trust.
Ridley’s design team hard at work with “Universal Design” implementation
The Wills Company is often called upon by families with aging parents who want and hope to stay on their own homes. Proper planning and the engagement of a maintenance program can prevent costly, ugly surprises that are avoidable. The Wills Company Handyman can be relied upon to diagnose the situation and develop a design and maintenance plan to ease this process.
Why is our handyman service consistently ranked #1? Because our prices are fair, our work is warranted, and our team is unmatched. The Wills Company team of Handymen has decades of combined experience in home repair, maintenance and remodeling. They are all experts in diagnosing, estimating, managing and maintaining people’s homes in Nashville.
We sat down with three of our handymen, Mike Fishbeck, Alan East and Dave White, to ask what they enjoy most about their work at The Wills Company and they all mentioned the same word – FAMILY. “I like that our Handyman clients grow to feel like members of a family,” said Mike. “After all these years working with many of them I feel very connected to our clients and their homes.”
No job is too big or too small for this team! Want a new door on your shower? Fix a stuck window to let this great Spring air in? Change out your kitchen or bathroom countertops? Install reading lamps over your bed? Move a light switch? Put in a pet door? Change your smoke detectors? Clean out those gutters? Give ’em a call!
Take a walk around the exterior of your house and take a good look at it. Homeowners walk around indoors daily but rarely take the time to do the same at the exterior of their homes. And don’t forget to look up! Roof damage, peeling paint, crooked gutters, chimney repairs can often be easily spotted.
Paint the exterior. Homeowners tend to put it off each year, and it gets worse and worse. If there is wood around windows or siding, it rots which is bad news. The longer it’s put off, the longer and more expensive it gets.
Did you change all the batteries in your smoke detectors when the clocks changed?
Want 20 more Tips for Spring? Click here!
Sunshine shows dirt! Get your windows cleaned inside and out and don’t do it yourself. It’s much faster and safer to get it done professionally. You’ll love the results!
Don’t wait for a hot day to discover that your air conditioning is not functioning properly. Test the air conditioning units and schedule a whole HVAC system maintenance call. Spring is the right time to change the filters, clean the system, and make sure everything is working to maximum efficiency. Clean filters will also prevent your air conditioner from straining. (Stock up on them and put a reminder on your smart phone or calendar to change them often)
Once trees are fully bloomed again, have them shaped and cut if they are touching the roof in any spot. Squirrels and insects LOVE to gain easy access to a roof and attic.
Sprinklers are coming on all over Nashville this week as gardeners check them. Make sure the irrigation is working properly. They should not spray on the home and they should not cycle ON if there has been significant rain.
Get outdoor furniture lightly power-washed while you are already getting the patio or driveway done.
If you find spots on your glassware, it’s time to run an empty cycle with a package of citric acid crystals you can find at the drugstore or supermarket in the canning or spice aisle.
No matter how small or large your current to-do list is, The Wills Company team is qualified and ready to tackle it. A kitchen or bath update? Perhaps you just need to repaint a bedroom? Hang a mirror? Replace your counters? Clean the gutters? Service your HVAC? We’ve got you covered.
At the Wills Company we see a growing trend among grandparents who are renovating to add bunk rooms for visiting munchkins. We are also seeing more guest rooms equipped with TWO double beds rather than TWINS.
The fact is, alcove beds are just plain charming. Below are some favorite examples to inspire you.
Perhaps you’ve heard? Nashville is NOW-ville and the recent real estate sales numbers for February and January 2015 are being impacted in a big way. According to the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors (GNAR), total home sales for February were up 12.7% over February 2014 and the average price of a single-family home jumped 9% over the same time. As homes sell like hotcakes (the average time on the market is only 76 days) inventory of available homes for sale is plunging with over 13% less homes than this time last year. “The home sales data for February shows just how strong the Middle Tennessee market has become,” said GNAR President Cindy Stone. “While we have seen many months of positive increases, with the extreme winter weather our area faced last month, we were uncertain of the effect it might have on property sales. Remarkably, the market was essentially not phased. As January did before it, this February saw its best monthly sales numbers since 2007.”
What does that mean for your family if you’re looking to move in 2015? “A well priced home in Nashville can potentially receive multiple offers and have a very short shelf life” says managing broker Tommy Patterson of Christianson Patterson Courtney & Associates Real Estate Agency in Nashville. “With the influx of newcomers into Middle Tennessee, plus all-time low inventory and interest rates, the buyers are circling and snapping up everything almost immediately.”
Time for the Good News/Bad News. Good news if you want to sell your home. Bad news because it’s really tough finding the next house to move into. Plus, the chances are the house you do find hasn’t been updated since the sellers figured out they didn’t have to do much to get it sold.
But here’s the larger truth – you actually probably like your neighborhood. It’s your house that’s not working for you.
Odds are that your current house just isn’t meeting your family’s needs, but you’ve never had a problem with your location. That’s where your relationships, memories and lives have developed and you don’t want to throw it all away just for a new house. You don’t want to increase your commute to work and you definitely don’t want to make your kids change school districts!
Sound familiar?
Why not rethink your existing space?
Stay tuned for the next in our Nashville/Now-ville series.
While this hasn’t rivaled 1992’s ice storm, it has certainly has been a doozy! Promise of snow (schools out!) then disappointment of sleet (boo!) then more snow on top of black ice (scary!) then frigid, single digit temps (busted pipes!). Now, another ice storm is on the way (enough already!) And, while Tennesseans will never be able to compare ourselves to what’s been going on in Boston this year (“Stop jumping out of second story windows!” – Boston Mayor, Marty Walsh) we are entitled to a little bit of Winter Freak Out at Kroger’s on weeks like this.
If you’ve been cooped up indoors perhaps you’ve noticed some delayed maintenance issues needing a little, or a lot, of attention? Our Wills Company Handyman are at your disposal to help you weather the storm of upkeep on your home. And maybe these days indoors have you dreaming of better functioning rooms or an updated design for your home this year? NOW is the time to get some of those ideas down on paper. Our talented design team is ready to make those dreams a reality this year. We’ll help you think through all the possibilities for your home and make them happen.
Besides the things you WANT to do, this storm may bring on some unwanted emergencies. This home of someone very close to us at The Wills Company is a perfect case study. A flat roof is always vulnerable to ice-dams building up in the tiniest of cracks and crevices. Water get in, turns to ice, expands, melts and TWO STORIES DOWN you have a leak in your ceiling. These, and other emergencies, are when you need The Wills Company Handymen so don’t hesitate to call in the event of any home crisis like this!
“After the Ice Storm Ice Removal Tips” infographic.
Infographic courtesy of Ameriprise Auto & Home Insurance.
Let’s all hope we thaw out quickly from this next round. In the meantime, enjoy these fabulous Swedish “Ice Hotel” photos. There’s snow place like home! Have a safe weekend everyone!
