In this market, affordable homes abound.
But price is only part of what makes a home a good value. If you want a home that you’ll love today and 20 years from now, seek out high-quality materials, a breathable moisture barrier, and thoughtful building and maintenance, say people in the homebuilding industry.
“One of the things I believe in is that you get a feel for a home, whether it’s been maintained or not,” says Susan Walker, board president for the Oregon Association of Home Inspectors. “I really encourage people to look at a lot of houses, because you’re gonna get a feel. Don’t be afraid to turn the water on, open the cabinets.”
Standing in her Southwest Portland kitchen, Walker makes her point by swinging open one of the original white cabinet doors. She knocks on it, and the sound is solid — the cabinets are made of wood. In many newer homes, she says, the cabinets are made from lower-quality particleboard or medium-density fiberboard. The problem with those materials, she says, is that moisture can seep into them after just a couple of years if they’re not properly sealed.
In cabinets and elsewhere, high-quality materials are essential for a well-constructed home, say experienced builders such as Jerry Reeves, owner of J.C. Reeves Development & Construction, who has been building homes in the Portland area for more than 30 years.
Reeves’ luxury homes are rich in wood and stone, which he says are superior to processed materials because they don’t contain toxic chemical compounds such as formaldehyde and they require little maintenance, aging gracefully for decades and even centuries.
“Quality materials to me means natural products,” says Reeves. “It’s kind of like with food — we (say) you shouldn’t eat anything that your grandmother or your mother wouldn’t know or recognize. In the homebuilding business, it’s a bit like that. The real wood, the real stone, the real earthy stuff is what’s going to last.”
