Video:Characteristics of a Prairie Style House

Transcript:Characteristics of a Prairie Style House

Hi, my name is Anita Cordell. I'm a licensed real estate agent in the greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area and I'm here today to talk to you about prairie style homes for About.com.

Prairie Houses are Common in the Midwest

This is one of the few architectural styles not imported from Europe. Most of them are located in the Midwest and they are square in design. And usually they are very simple.

One of the early designs of a prairie style home is actually right here in Kansas City and it was designed by a contemporary of Frank Lloyd Wright.

Prairie Homes Have Low Pitched Roofs and Window Rows

One of the main characteristics of this style is the low pitched roofs that hang over the porches or the yard. Typically the porches are one story porches and the overhangs are held up by the large square supports.

A very common characteristics of a prairie style home is that they have rows of casement windows which will allow for sunlight to come into the property. Giving your interior a warm cozy feeling. This style of home has an airy floor plan and it allows for the rooms to easily flow into other rooms.

Check for Updates in Prairie Style Homes

Most of the homes from the original build jobs are in older neighborhoods. So again, you will have to make sure that where it is located is an established historical or in a really good neighborhood, so that the re-sale of your property is good.

Due to the fact that they were built in the late 1800's and the early 1920's you will have to make sure that some of the upgrades are in order. And make sure that some of the safety features are taken care of.　

Most likely they will have lead based paint in them, so just make sure that you do your due diligence to make sure that you are buying a safe home or that the cost of maintaining it is not too high. Thank you for watching and for more information check us out on the web, at homegarden.about.com.