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Making the big decision to move in to a new home is exciting.

You get to research and choose between awesome neighborhoods, the best cities, and you may even be in the midst of a fresh start in your career or a new relationship.

One of the most thrilling parts about the joy of moving is choosing the right house for you and your family.

Although there are many styles to choose from, your friends at Steinway Movers have done some research and compiled a handy list of 7 popular architectural design styles in and outside of New York to help guide you to figure out which style is best suited for you.

Because home is where the heart is – and its style reflects you, too.

 

Colonial

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Typically 2-3 stories with a high-pitched roof, the Colonial style home evolved from European influences in the 1600s. As one of the most popular styles in the country, the Colonial home is best known for its geometric symmetry, large chimney and double hung multi-pane windows. 

Identifying Feature: Decorative crown about the front door

 


Cape Cod

Cape Cod Home

First built in the Northeast in the 1600s, the Cape Cod style home is typically 1-1.5 stories with a steep roof and side gables. A large centered chimney adorns the roof. On Long Island, Cape Cod homes are most prominent in Levittown, where thousands of identical homes were built in the late 1940s.

Identifying Feature: A plain front door with (typically) two windows on each side.

 

 

Cottage

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Often found in garden settings, Cottage homes look like they’ve been plucked right out of a fairytale. They have tall, peaked roofs (typically with multiple rooflines), a prominent chimney and window boxes. They are usually made of brick, stone and wood to give the effect of varying textures.

Identifying Feature: Arched entryways and a curved, meandering walkway made of gravel or brick. 

 


Farmhouse

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Originally built on rural land, the Farmhouse borrows influences from other popular home styles such as Victorian and Colonial. They have an asymmetrical plan with dormers and gables. Farmhouses generally boast tall windows, horizontal siding and a steeply pitched roof. 

Identifying Feature: A long porch spanning the length of the front of the house, sometimes wrapping around the sides – known as a wraparound porch.

 

 

Ranch

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First built in the 1930s, the Ranch style features open floor plans and an attached garage. They are usually plain in nature, and boast practicality and a connection to the outdoors.

Identifying Feature: They are low to the ground, single-story homes.

 

Hi-Ranch

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The Hi-Ranch is a play on the traditional Ranch style. Extremely popular on Long Island in the 1950s and ‘60s, the Hi-Ranch is loved for its economical use of space. Hi-Ranches are basically Ranch homes placed on top of basements that are at least 50% above grade level, so they can be finished off and used as additional living spaces. They are not technically considered “basements” in the Hi-Ranch world. The top floor is typically where the kitchen, bedrooms and living room are, while the bottom floor holds the laundry room, a possible extra bedroom, and, as many families use it, a playroom. 

Identifying Feature: The front door leads to an entryway in the middle of the two floors, with one set of stairs leading down and another set leading up.


  

Tudor

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With a steeply pitched roof and wide gables, the Tudor-style home is based on late Medieval and early Renaissance styles. Made of brick, stone and stucco, Tudor style homes are solid and have a unique, whimsical look to them. With tall, narrow windows and elaborate chimneys, Tudors were originally made for wealthy homeowners.

Identifying Feature: Wood and stucco half-timbering on bar windows and the upper floors.

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