Design Nerds----I need your HELP!

They’re very prevalent in the Seattle/Eastside and just awful to enter. I hope someone has a good suggestion!

OP, a raised ranch is economical housing, not architecting. Don't try to make a silk purse from a sow's ear. I like such housing as a commodity that served an era well. Respect it for what it is. You can add on but the additions in fact ALWAYS destroy the small cham of the original, utilitarian design. Best to add on porches and other space from the back.

Northern Westchester? Back home you have two housing styles - raised ranch or split level.

Yeah - I'd be interested to see a house that's been redone. I believe this style used to be called 'bi-level' when I was growing up. Raised ranch just seems wrong.

This one seems nice, but I wonder how much it cost.

Additions to these usually look stupid because the disturb the proportions. If you must, build out into the back so no one has to look at it. Inside these places are pretty standard--you might get a bathroom into the basement if there isn't one already. Decide where you want to spend your time (up or down) and put your energy into it accordingly. Does it have a deck--will you use it or would rather make it a screened porch/Florida room kindof thing? Does the lower level open out into anything that could be a patio?

Not my favorite kind of house, but there are any number of other floorplans that are just as awkward, depending on the size and slope of the lot.

It's called a splanch in Northern New Jersey and Long Island.

Do what r2 says. Or pass on it.

R4 , I think regionally the terms are different. That house here would be termed a split. R5, the proportions of the house ARE horrible, so I am hoping to radically change them. If I push the right side of the front forward and drop the entrance to ground level, I think it could start to work.

In Northern NJ, this would be a split.

Basically any room you you’re headed to includes a stair walk.

(Think of it as a series of small cardio/glues exercises.)

But, if you’re near retirement age or plan to live there for ages, skip it.

I agree with the others, but DON'T get rid of the garage. You live in a very wintry area where a garage is equal in value to a bedroom. You'll need a place to store your garden equipment. A raised ranch is a good value in that you get a lot of useful space for the money. It is what it is, so don't try to make it something it's not. Good luck and enjoy your new house.

You’re bitching about $500k housing prices while planning to make at least $350k in renovations? You don’t “push out” the front of the house & raise the roof for $50k in the NY metro area, girl. Nobody sells anyone a house for much less than it’s worth because of hoarding — they can hire Hunks For Junk to clear the place out. And everybody is paying for land when they buy a house. At the rate houses are being sold as tear downs nowadays you’re crazy if you think someone would sell cheap because you’re “just paying for the land.” But there are dopes in Podunk who will believe your fairy tale and get all involved in your fantasy bullshit, so I’ll give it

3/10

I would likely build a detached garage. A front-facing garage is an abomination in my eyes, R9. We have money to really transform the place, but I haven't seen much in the way of design inspiration. R10, hang on for a sec. I didn't say that 50k was the budget. I think we'll have at least 200k or more for renovations. It will depend on what we can sell or rent our properties for.

I’ve seen split levels extended to either side, but in the same split level configuration, with maybe a slight drop in the roofline. That way it looks original, and you can then decorate in a mid-century mode.

With all the changes you'd have to make, I'd pass and keep looking. Every time you drove up to the house, you'd see it and your heart would drop b/c it's your most-loathed housing style.

I'm not sure why people are so prissy about a garage being at the front of the house, esp. if you're in a modest neighborhood. Not trying to be mean, OP, but it sounds like you're trying to build a whole different house.

I'd not get rid of the existing garage.

This does sound like an EST.

I know it's fun to fantasize about all the cool things you can do with your first house, but don't over spend for the neighborhood, you'll never get your money back if you do. Also, any additions that you think are fantastic might not appeal to the next buyer. Spending money on kitchens and bathrooms offer the best return on your investment

keep looking. see what happens in 6 months too.

OP = I inherited my house from a roommate....I would suggest you do the same---but find a nicer house. You're Welcome.

Ok guys. Let me assure you this is not an EST. This is not my first house, nor the partners. It's an ugly house on 2.5 acres in a good town for cheap. I just thought there might be some people in the world of design that could offer ideas. I just can't afford a "nice" house in the towns I would prefer. So here we are, looking at an ugly raised ranch. I have a good eye, I think. But even I am stumped by this pretty common type of house.

I would suggest a bulldozer for starters....And you keep saying PARTNER----please tell me you aren't lesbians?....Surely Lesbians wouldn't be stupid enough to buy this monstrisity?...

What about all the stairs? I currently have to walk up one flight of stairs to get into my apartment. I've already decided. My next place: no stairs.

OP - is this a Split-Level; where there are short flights of stairs between major rooms that are offset from each other a few feet and then a single level bedroom wing; or a High Ranch - where you enter off a stoop onto a landing with half flights of stairs up and down, but then all the rooms in each floor are on the same level, with the kitchen, LR / DR and bedrooms all on the same (usually upper floor) and the ground floor has the garage / laundry and a den that opens onto the yard?

Split Levels are built like an interlocking Tetris and are impossible to really reconfigure. With a High Ranch you could rip out the staircase and stoop and do a ground level addition that has a large foyer and a single flight of stairs up to the main floor, but that’s a lot of expense for a really minor change in function.

The picture conveys the idea, a high ranch or raised ranch depending on location R20. R18, Partner, boyfriend, whatever you deign proper. Been together a year, not married. I struggle with terms. Boyfriend seems weird at over 40. Man friend?

Turning the garage into something else never works---it's always obviously the garage and the front will look weird. Again, build out the back, so that no one can see how much uglier it's become.

OP are you PolyAmorous? Who will get the house when you break up?

You can change the decor and play with the symmetry of the house to de-emphasize that it's a split ranch. It's not shown in this pic, but you could also do a front patio style porch, very rarely seen on a split and would similarly distract from it.

For the interior, I LOATHE open floor plans but for a split it actually could work well. It would also distract, making it feel less like a split and more like a loft.

Another example, with the lower floor opened up:

Frankly, looking at R24 's before and after photos, I prefer the "before."

What was the point in this design originally? What did the split offer? What was the advantage here?

I say get it. It's a nice house and you'll make it great with your own design skills. Add on after you've lived with it for a bit. Being in/near a nice town with that acreage is nothing at which to look down one's nose .

If you have the money, fix the proportions, and turn it into a Greek Revival. It's surprisingly easy to do with timber houses. Square pillars with a veranda always looks schmich.

Seems like these "raised ranches" are built on hilly-type land. The basements are really only halfway underground, then there's a level right above the basement.

The open stairway annoys me the most - you enter facing 1 and 1/2 stories of blank wall - or paneling underneath a vaguely Spanish pendant lamp in yellow or green. Ascend to find a fence of wrought iron in the living area.

You need the entry because it's connecting garage, lower leven, and upper level. Walling up the living room side of the stairs is possible but then you'll need framing at the top of the stairs so it doesn't look stupid. Plus, you now have two huge walls of blank space in the entry. Murals would have to be primitives and this is not colonial.

The contractors in the area probably do this regularly if it’s a popular style.

OP This is a “Deck” house, these were built in the Northeast (MA), and we’re essentially modern split levels. They were well built, had cathedral ceilings, and lots of natural wood. You can search more images under Deck/Acorn (the company). You could probably do something similar with that split.

Can of gas. Match.

Keep the land tear down and build from scratch. Like others are trying to say anything you try to do will end up looking like lipstick on a pig. Or if you don't have that kind of money just update what you can and accept it for what it is instead of wasting tens of thousand of dollars making an ugly bitch look pretty through your beer goggles, no one is going to want that made over pig. Let the pig be a pig or get a new pony.

We have a beautiful 3 story victorian house in old Montreal for 659,000. I would never live there, in that. It depends what you value and where you want to be. There are many nice suburban homes, but what is the appeal in living 90 minutes from edge of NYC in a house meant for a married couple with 4 kids? I don't get it. The land, yeah. What are you gonna do with that lawn? The house can be made nice, but start out with something more to your taste. I don't see the appeal in any way. Less land = better house. Live in a beautiful neighbourhood in a pretty city instead of 2 hours from a place you'll seldom go back to. NYC, you're either in or you're out.

R6 - “It's called a splanch in Northern New Jersey and Long Island.”

We call them “high ranches” on Long Island. I lived in one for nearly 25 years.

We called those split level in Calif. Very 70's Brady Bunch modern. Very short lived out here. It kind of defeats the purpose of a ranch style home. That being all on one level, simple open usually linear floor plan with a low roof line. Mainly for shade from the hot summer sun. Not my favorite but on the plus side, they are good for older people who plan to retire and live there for the rest of their life. Many people, as they age, suffer knee issues or end up in wheel chairs for a good portion of their lives. Going up and down stairs is a nightwear for them.

Those places were not well built in most areas. If you dislike it from the jump, it’s better to keep looking. You might try over the border in PA for cheaper prices/better build quality and style.

OP = Where are we at with a Gloryhole option?. Are we talking side door loads or Front Door Foyer action?. Please tell me you aren't doing a basement access!!! Can you imagine one of these queens falling down the stairs and then you trying to explain that to your State Farm Agent?

I'm not following another poster into PA, r40. We already have a tasteful friends nut looking for four+ bedrooms.

Accept your friend's offer of selling it for the land value, de-clutter all the junk, invest the minimal amount to make it as sellable as possible within its existing architectural style, (which there are buyers for) then flip it. You'll make a substantial profit to then score your dream house.

What R43 said.

Sounds like a huge headache or possible scam even. Not worth it unless it’s a really close friend and you can trust them.

Split levels are hard to make right with any decor.

These were the default in subdivisions that had smiley face water towers.

Thank you for your thoughts. I'm gonna keep trying to play around with some redesigning.

Unless you decide to become a pussy eater by going straight or becoming a Dyke, so bout live in let alone buy a raised ranch home.

What a dump!

We called them raised ranches in the Capital District of New York. I lived in one until I was 7. The development we lived in had two models, colonial or raised ranch. The only variances were siding colors and an occasional mirror image of the colonial floor plan.

Split levels in my area were different in that there were rooms when you entered the door...typically a foyer, family room, garage and powder room. Two small staircases existed, one to the level with kitchen, living and dining rooms, then the other to the basement. The bedrooms were up another staircase from the kitchen level.

Raised ranches did not have rooms when you entered. You were on a landing and had to go either up or down. Much like the set in "The Sound of Music."

If you get it for cheap, don't consider it your first home, flip it. Clean it, repair the things that need to be repaired, put some neutral color on the wall, stage it, and then sell it with a mark-up. With that money, you might be able to afford something that is closer to what you want for your first home.

If you really hate it, the R43's suggestion makes the most sense. Your preoccupation with redesigning it makes me think you'll make it look like a frankenhouse that will looks stupid.

Ranches, raised or otherwise are easy to screw-up because the original proportions are usually right and add-ons seem too big. True two story houses tend to be more versatile, because additions are less distracting and having multiple levels (e/g/. a one story addition) can add interest. In the Cleveland area, these were usually called bi-levels, but occasionally raised ranches or split-levels. Variations on this have been used for townhouses in many places--typically the lower level is used as a family room or office. The bedrooms are on the top (third) level.

Most often these were built on sloping property, where a more typical split wouldn't work. You've told us nothing about the land and what you could do in the back---instead you seem pre-occupied with ruining the front.

In the course of decluttering, you may actually come to appreciate how the house works and its potential. I would wait until that's done before jumping to any design conclusions. Living in space changes your perspective on how to use it.

My cousins were raised in one of these and weren't allowed to enter their bedrooms until bedtime. They huffed glue.

I'm just afraid OP will join a nondenominational church and collect macrame owls.

I'm just wondering how much money it's going to take to do all the construction. It sounds like a lot - you have to wonder how the cost would compare with a tear-down, but keeping the foundation.

I’d like to see OP’s face when she finds out the cost of “bumping out the front.”

I wouldn't take a shit in that dump!

My question is - why would anyone 'gift' you this property for just the value of the land alone?

I get it was a hoarder - but you can hire firms to clean out houses for not a huge amount of money. How nasty is it?

I'm with above poster - clean it out, do minimal renovations / updates to sell it. Take the profit and then buy what you want.

Sounds like the friend is throwing away an opportunity to make some good money. Presumably, you could make a few hundred thousand profit on it. $50K can go a long way in making an ugly house presentable. Particularly in this housing market.

90 mins away could be a deterrent - where is this exactly?

[quote] We called those split level in Calif. Very 70's Brady Bunch modern.

Brady Bunch didn’t live in a split level

Look around the area and if you see tear downs, be advised you will have a hard time getting contractors for a renovation. Nobody wants a renovation job when they can demolish & build a new hou$e. New house is easier to build and the contractor can charge $$$

So, I've continued thinking about it. The picture illustrates what I think could be done. The reasoning behind doing an extensive remodel is that the house is on a pretty piece of property with only 3 other houses. It's a dead-end private dirt road. Yes, I know that that will cause its own set of issues in the winter. One of the neighbors plows the road and the rest chip in for it. The property backs up to active farmland and there is a small stream that is on the right edge of the land. Anyway, thanks for the suggestions. And to the poster that feared I would start collecting macrame owls, I literally HOWLED at that.

OP, if you're getting the house for a good price, and you don't mind investing the money and everything else that comes with it, and you can see yourself living there for a while, go for it. I don't know that I would personally buy a house now since real estate prices are beyond ridiculous.

People, do you really think someone who can’t afford a $500k house can afford to buy a house AND do a renovation like link in R62?

[quote] Partner and I are more middle-class sorts

EEEeeewww

I grew up with a friend who lived in a split level but you walked into the living room foyer, that floor also had the dining room, kitchen, bathroom and the master bathroom. The stairs were off a small hallway near the bathroom. Upstairs went to the kids bedrooms and downstairs was the family room, bathroom, laundry/mud room, garage. There was a sliding door from the family room to the backyard/pool/patio area. I loved that house, it was so chic and modern.

Perhaps if you could raise the entry and move the stairs, it wouldn’t feel so chopped up. Otherwise I don’t think your budget will go as far as you will need it to go to turn the house into something you will be happy with.

After decluttering, I wouldn't be surprised if OP changes his mind, esp. after talking with contractors about the cost.

Snow in the cul de sac is the least of your worries.

R66 that sounds like a sidesplit or backsplit home. A slightly nice (IMO) option that a bi-level split.

The renovation at R4 -- I wonder what the cost differential would have been to just knock it down and build a new house?

They made so many structural changes it could not have been cheap

[quote] The property backs up to active farmland

That whole “backs up to active farmland” scenario is a trap, OP. The owner of the land will sell it to a developer who will build a subdivision of even uglier homes on it. So much for the lure of living surrounded by “farmland.”

Also, if you hate the style now but buy it anyway hoping you’ll ‘get used to it,’ you won’t. Anything that bothers you now you’ll hate more over time, not less.

[quote] After decluttering, I wouldn't be surprised if OP changes his mind, esp. after talking with contractors about the cost. Snow in the cul de sac is the least of your worries.

Exact,y why this is a fantasy thread. Nobody is this stupid except a troll.

Say OP, what’s the good price your friend giving you on this house? What’s the final number you & your friend have decided upon?

While it seems that active farmland would be more popular on DL, there are some of us here who prefer passive farmland

And what type of farm is it? Farms can be horrifically noisy and smelly and expose you to dangerous chemicals.

Here's a description of a previous house of mine, a split ranch that worked really well. Single car garage with entry off the lower level. 3/4 bath to the left plus access to the garage- guest bed to the right. Short flight up to the middle level that had a cathedral ceiling sloping down to a wall of windows across the entire back of the property. Kitchen to the left. Short flight up to a long hall with built- ins half way up otherwise open to the living room below- bedrooms faced the front.

SO is there any way to open up the middle- main living level- either by a wall of windows Or getting rid of the, most likely non-structural flat ceiling? Also having the entry off the lowest level makes life much more simple and avoids that stairway eye sore

Even if this is an EST, I guess I learned something about split-level homes. I guess it is more expensive to build a true "two-story" house with a true basement (100% underground).

R68. Those houses are known as tri-levels where I live.

Research is your friend, OP. I actually live in a split-entry house (the correct name for a house where the front door takes you to a small landing, where you either go up a half flight or down a half flight to a full-level. ). I bought it as a rental home, and when a house fire forced me to move just before COVID struck, I contacted my tenants to ask them to look for a new place. As many have noted, these types of home are almost always built on sloping land, and the back of the lower level is completely above grade. In my instance, french doors on the lower level lead straight out to my backyard, which continues to gently slope downward away from the house.

The advantages are that you get a lot of useable rooms in a fairly small footprint of land, and with luck, (as in mine), you get a fantastic expansive city view from the generous sized upstairs living room balcony. The downsides are that interior hallways are dark, that the entry is extremely awkward - you have to back up the stairs when you greet guests at the front door for instance - and that there can be heating/cooling issues. As noted above elsewhere, these were not high-end homes to begin with. Kitchens and bathrooms are generally small compared to what has become standard in the past 25 years and will almost always need substantial upgrading. I'm linking a planbook for redesigning entryways to disguise/modernize the awkward original entries. It's important to note though, that many of the fancy McMansions built in the 90s and "oughts" with all the nice en suite bathrooms, and large kitchens have had issues with substandard concrete, insulation, siding, and the overcomplicated rooflines that end up being a huge problem when it's time to replace them.

This house served my needs well during COVID. I teach music and was able to convert my entire lower level to my public area/music room. Students entered through the garage, via pinpad, removed shoes in the garage or wore realtor booties, came in with masks on, washed their hands in the bathroom just inside the door to the house, and the very sizeable family room could house 2 studio grand pianos with lots of room to spare for safe lessons.

Be sure to know the history and age of the house. Many split entries were built in the 50's and 60s with lead paint AND asbestos popcorn ceilings. These things were phased out by the mid-late 70s, so you'll have fewer issues to deal with during renovation if you buy a split-entry built in the late 70s or early 80s. Also, some split entries built between 1965 and 1973 used aluminum wiring, and that is a problem.

What do the other houses on the road look like? Do they have junk cars parked in the front yard?

How much are you paying for the “land” OP? What do you reckon the construction cost to bump it out, raise the roof & open it up? What kind of farm is it up against? What kind of town is it? Suburb? Ruburb? Urban sprawl?

Thank you R51

That helped me understand what a raised ranch is

Basic concept seems to have been to raise the ceiling height on the usual garage/basement level of a ranch house so it functioned as a more spacious version of a finished basement, and then have the entryway be between that level and the main floor, which had all the primary rooms--kitchen, living room and bedrooms.

Split levels sound interesting in that the concept seems to have been to create separation between the areas depending on the typical use cases--cooking, sleeping, watching TV, etc. which would give everyone more privacy.

Did that work out in practice or were there just too many stairs?

R77: There's no "correct" name for these houses. Builders and realtors varied in what they called them even in the same metro area, but asbestos and lead should be considerations, although latex paint became very common in the late 60s, particularly for interiors.

There's a lot of pre-occupation with stairs. My grandmother lived in a 3rd floor walk-up until she was 90. These houses typically have short staircases from the entry----most people can manage these unless they have arthritis or advanced MS. Exterior stairs at entry were common when these were first built and before. Flat entry usually meant a slab which has its own problems.

[quote]Brady Bunch didn’t live in a split level

Yes, we know, it was a figure of speech Dear.

The Dear Troll (not to be confused with the Oh Dear Troll) is back

Is this any help?

This is impressive, if a little bit pricey

Tear down that bitch of a staircase, and put a foyer where it ought to be!

Add two symmetrical wings flush to the front and extended out the back for a courtyard. Landscaping and Chinese-made plastic neoclassical elements. Aim for a Rosecliff elegance.

I think Sarah Richardson did a renovation of a raised ranch years ago. She devoted an entire season, 6 episodes, to the project. She spent a lot of money and the house was gorgeous.

Peggy Lee has some actionable advice

[quote] Yes, we know, it was a figure of speech Dear

No it wasn’t. There was no figure of speech

[quote] This is impressive, if a little bit pricey

Have no fear. The OP is getting the house for free, didn’t you know? She’s only “paying for the land.” She can’t afford a $500k house (unimaginable in her area), so we should assume OP is splashing out no more than 300k and that she will do the entire renovation herself, or have her uncle who’s “in construction” contribute free labor & bargain basement materials. Or she lives in such a poverty stricken area that contractors will gladly raise the roof and do a frontal addition for $75k.

I heard last night that housing prices on Long Island rose 18% in the past year to a median of $550k (not including the pricier Twin Forks), so OP is obviously buying in a more northerly area…..unless she’s in Pennsylvania.