The Most Popular House Style of the Moment Is Not What You’d Think
It’s a classic, timeless look.
Thomas J. Story
If I had to guess the most popular house style right now, I would probably bet $100 that it’s modern farmhouse. Thanks in large part to Chip and Joanna Gaines, these types of homes have been all over Instagram, Pinterest, and in neighborhoods as new builds. Because of its ubiquity, it can be a controversial topic—some people love it and some people loathe it.
We can debate the pros and cons of this architectural look another day because it turns out I’d be out $100—the most popular house style is not modern farmhouse, but ranch. The sprawling, one-story, open-floor-plan style topped the list.
Zillow revealed the most popular (and unusual) home searches back in December, which included the most-searched-for home attributes. The Zillow team compiled the list through data from its natural language search feature, which allows home shoppers to search for their next home by using everyday language instead of preset filters.
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According to Zillow, this year’s top trends highlight a preference for variety and character in housing. It seems that future homeowners are looking for comfort and charm (ranch houses), flexible living spaces (duplexes and loft gained popularity), and practical features (garages and patios). Take a look at the top 10 attributes below:
- Ranch (ranch style)
- Lake
- Duplex
- Cabin (cabins)
- Farms
- Acreage
- Garage
- Loft
- Luxury
- Furnished
Home preferences aren’t the same across the country, though. One of the most popular search terms for people in California, Florida, and Texas was “pool.” In Alaska, North Dakota, and Wyoming, home shoppers prioritized “garage” or “ranch” homes. People in coastal California and Indiana were searching for homes that “allow small dogs.”
There were some interesting searches, too. Zillow reports that one Colorado shopper looked for a “roller coaster,” another in Michigan looked for “laser tag,” and one potential homebuyer searched the whole country for a “party barn.” There are also some daredevils among us—home shoppers searched for “haunted” and “spooky” homes.
Take a look at the full report here.
