New Home Builders in Portland, OR

Portland Home Builders

Whether you're planning a move or already live in The City of Roses, the prospect of building a new home is as exciting as it gets. Fortunately, Portland is one of the absolute best cities for home building. A model for city planning, other metropolitan areas have looked to Portland to plan their own mass transit systems and urban development projects. A great combination of affordable and luxury housing also means that whatever your budget, you'll be able to find a house plan that fits your needs.

Urban Growth Boundaries
If you're unfamiliar with Portland's local government, urban growth boundaries (UGBs) are a big buzz word. Since 1979, the Portland City Council has enacted strict land-use controls that encourage dense housing developments in the city center and allocate outlying areas for purely agricultural use. Then, big business came to Portland, primarily in the form of Nike and Intel, and in 1995, the Oregon State Legislature got involved and forced Portland to expand their UGBs. This doesn't mean land development was suddenly a free-for-all and wisely so. Suburban sprawl can kill a city's culture. Now, however, is the perfect time to build a home in Portland. Past land-use controls have left plenty of building sites available close to the city, but at the same time, the flexibility of the new laws allows people to build homes.

Custom Home Builders
Many people who choose to build their own homes have a vision of a dream home where they intend to live for the majority of their lives. This alleviates any concerns about the current state of property values. So long as you have the credit and income to get a home loan, Portland home builders will be lining up to build your home, and they'll give you the home of your dreams. You might want to take a page out of European architecture, for example, and consider an interior courtyard where you can have your own rose garden.

Custom home builders have also taken up the call for new standards of energy-efficiency and luxury. Rising fuel costs will be offset by the latest technology in home heating and electrical and plumbing efficiency. The most popular forms of luxury and customization include wireless operation of home temperatures, lighting, home security, and other basic home functions. Various electrical wiring and conduits will enable you to conveniently hook up the latest TVs, computers, and stereo systems for generations to come. You can roll out of bed and hit a button that will fire up your coffee pot in the kitchen. However you want your home wired, any level of automation is possible and customized to your needs and lifestyle.

Hiring an Architect
Most home building companies have an in-house architect. They can design your custom home, or you can choose a home from the home builder's catalogue. Of course, for a decision of this importance you might want to talk to a few different architects about designing your house plan. Most Portland home builders are happy to work from plans created by an architect of the homeowner's choosing; you may even be able to get a lower rate from the builders by providing your own plans.

Modular Home Builders
Due to the extremely high cost of custom home builders, Portland residents who are on a budget, but still want the flexibility that comes with building a new structure should consider a modular home. While many people associate "modular" homes with "manufactured" homes, the fact is the two have very little in common. In actuality, the only real difference between modular homes and conventional, site-built homes is where they are constructed. Just like site-built homes, modular homes are built from a design that can be altered, customized, and individualized; the difference is, modular homes are built indoors in sections that are then shipped to the building site to be erected.

The indoor building process can definitely make a significant dent in the overall cost of the project, but that isn't the only reason why more and more people are hiring modular home builders! Portland residents who are concerned about environmental issues take note: modular home construction is far more efficient and produces far less waste than conventional construction. Modular home builders are also likely to be a lot faster than conventional home builders, as the indoor construction can be done day or night, rain or shine. That means that you won't only get a house that is more eco-friendly and more affordable, it will be ready to move into more quickly, too!