Getting ready to purchase a home? One type of home may show up on the market a bit more than most: the ranch home, or ranch-style home. Ranch home buying is pretty common in the modern real estate market. The houses have straightforward designs that work well for most living situations. Here is a look at some of the often-overlooked advantages of buying a ranch home. 

Ranch-style homes tend to be easy to maintain. 

Ranch homes don't have second stories, usually don't have a lot of major architectural features, and are built with practicality in mind. Therefore, most of these homes are easy to maintain for the long term. For example, you won't have to worry about things like ongoing costs for upper-story window cleaning or roof maintenance, as you will likely be able to handle these tasks on your own. 

Ranch-style houses hold their value relatively well. 

Ranch homes are practical, traditional, and classic. They never really fall out of style or popularity because they tend to have fair price points and the basic necessities that most buyers are going to be searching for. Further, the average sell price for a ranch home is around $320,000, which is higher than that of some two-story houses. Therefore, when you buy a ranch home, you can be pretty confident in the fact that it will not be difficult to sell down the road if you want an upgrade, and you will likely recoup what you spend without issue. 

Ranch homes are flexible enough for families of different sizes. 

The average ranch house will have the main living quarters on one end of the house and the bedrooms on the other. This layout does work out well for families with children, but the bedrooms in these homes are also usually ambiguous enough that they can easily be converted for other uses. For example, when one child leaves for college, their bedroom could become a small study or sewing room. 

Ranch homes work well for older people. 

If you are looking to buy a home that will last you for many years to come, ranch home buying can be a good idea. These single-story homes with simple layouts are friendly for people who may have mobility issues, so they support the idea of "aging in place." Further, the layout of the typical ranch house easily accommodates simple changes like widened doorways, hallway railing, or ramps for easy access from the outside. 

For more information, contact a real estate agency in your area, such as Thomas J. Real Estate.