This '60s Mid-Century Modern Home Is Considered Highly Valuable

Somewhere between a postwar promise and a California dream, you'll find neighborhoods of distinctive mid-century modern homes. You'll see flat rooflines, floor-to-ceiling glass, and atrium gardens that catch the afternoon light. This is a neighborhood of Eichler homes. Motivated by the idea of bringing the outside in, Joseph Eichler built thousands of homes between about 1949 and 1974, each one an argument that modernist architecture wasn't just for the wealthy. The irony, of course, is that the renovated homes now often sell for $3 million and above.

Whether you aspire to own an Eichler home or just want to be inspired by its mid-century charms, you'll likely appreciate the integration of indoor and outdoor living, radiant heat in the flooring, and minimalist clean lines. A typical Eichler features a carport, post-and-beam construction, and small windows in the front. Bedrooms and bathrooms are relegated to the back of the home. The melding of indoors and outdoors plays out as enormous windows provide a view of the backyard.

One thing is almost certain if you hope to own an Eichler home — it will need to be in California because, of the 11,000 homes Eichler built, only three are not in the Golden State (they're in New York). Eichler homes are clustered in Southern California, the San Francisco Bay area, and around Sacramento.

Eichler, a San Franciso Bay area grocer, switched careers at 45 after buying and living in a Frank Lloyd Wright home. Unlike magnificent Wright homes, Eichler's houses represented his commitment to affordability for the middle class. He also ensured that non-white buyers did not face discrimination when they purchased his homes. Wright clearly influenced Eichler, and both Wright and Eichler helped popularize the open-concept floorplan introduced by architect Henry Hobson Richardson.

Despite their significant contribution to mid-century modern architecture, Eichler homes didn't get the attention they do today until 2006 with the publication of CA-Modern magazine, which significantly propelled interest in these homes and supported Eichler homeowners with renovations. As time has progressed, Eichler homes have appreciated in value faster than traditional homes and are highly regarded by both existing and prospective owners. Eichler neighborhoods tend to be unique communities of folks who revere this architectural style.

If you seek to own or renovate an Eichler home, you'll have plenty of support. You'll find realtors who specialize in Eichlers, as well as social media groups and YouTube videos that provide information and support for purchase and renovation. That support can be important, because as stunning as they are, Eichlers were not made for these times.

As Jack Boulware notes in Alta Journal, they lack basements, attics, and insulation, and have undersized kitchens and bathrooms by today's standards. Those massive windows are only single panes. Eichler flat (or slightly sloped), thin roofs may need replacement, in part, because of drainage issues. As with any renovation of a home in its eighth decade or so of existence, your Eichler revamp won't be cheap. You'll invest time and likely several hundreds of thousand dollars for a full reno. About half of Eichler owners have renovated, according to real estate agent Renee Adelmann in Alta Journal. Fortunately, the functionality, enduring quality, and nature-embracing qualities of architects like Eichler and their mid-century modern design will never go out of style.