New England Style Homes
December 18, 2009 by Customer Care
New England Style Homes in Des Moines, by Des Moines Real Estate Experts RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts is your resource for Des Moines Homes
There are many different styles of architecture in the Des Moines area. Three styles in particular reflect the New England style of architecture. They are:
- Salt box
- Cape Cod
- Colonial
The Salt Box style of architecture is named for its resemblance to an early salt box. The homes have a gable roof that slopes sharply. A salt box style home is usually two or more stories high in the front of the building. The rear of the building is usually one story high. This makes a more interesting (and steep) roofline. Many homeowners of original salt box homes back in colonial times used the back portion of the home as a shed. This side of the house often faced north. The harsh wind and weather hit this side of the home first, which insolated the family from the elements. Today we can still find smart home design using this same principal in the Des Moines area.
The Cape Cod style of architecture goes back to the early days of our country. Those original Cape Cod homes were simple compared to the beautiful examples found across the country today. Originally the Cape Cod style had plain front exteriors, and was only one story high. Contemporary Cape Cod homes are often one and a half stories high and have second story dormers. The roofs are gabled. The roofs have a steep pitch, which is a practical element in climates with harsh winters. The windows of the home usually have shutters to accompany them.
The Colonial style is at home in New England, although this type of architecture is found throughout the United States. Traditionally colonial architecture is rectangular and has at least two stories. The second story is where the bedrooms can be found. This is part of the popularity of this style with home buyers. Families with young children often prefer to have all members of the family sleeping on the same level of the home. Another identifiable feature of a colonial style is the windows. Colonial style homes have windows with many small square panes in each. The window type is usually double hung.
If you would like more information about New England Style homes, or other architectural styles in the [Profile.market] area, I would be glad help.
There is a lot of free information available to you about buying, selling or investing in Des Moines real estate. For complete information about the Des Moines real estate market including current homes for sale, property values and more please visit the most complete online website dedicated to everything Des Moines has to offer and your complete resource for Iowa Homes. Please feel free to contact us with any of your real estate or mortgage related questions and we will be more than glad to answer your questions. Call us at 1-800-708-5890 or email us at dsm@realestateconcepts.net.
Filed under Des Moines Real Estate Blog
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