By Erin Middleton, September 29, 2023
I needed to renew my Real Estate License this month. So what better way to get Continuing Education credits than to learn more about common architectural styles in Portland! After taking both “The Art of Portland Metro Architectural Styles and Home Design” and “Know your Housing Styles,” I can confidently report on five of the most common styles we’ll see in inner Portland (SW, West Hills, N, NE, and SE.)
- Starting with the most common, The ever-popular Bungalow is characterized by the following features:
- (appear) smaller in size
- 1-1.5 floors
- Open-floor plans
- Large front windows
- Presence of attic or dormer windows
Bungalows appear a lot smaller than they actually are. Apparently they were in response to the Victorian Era of gauche abundance and extravagant features. In contrast, these lil’ cuties appear demure in stature. Current Bungalow Market in Portland:
- 182 homes on market
- Prices range from $228k to $1.59 million
- Average price per sqft = $302
In this range, you can find everything from a 688sqft 1bd/1ba to a 4bd/4ba Bungalow with 4577sqft – although this doesn’t sound very small to me.
2. The Ranch. Typical features of Ranch-style homes include:
- Huge plate glass windows in front
- Pitched pyramid-style hip roof
- One-story
- Long, close to the ground profile
- Minimal use of exterior/interior decorating
Two fun facts about Ranches: they have Frank Lloyd Wright roots and in Seattle, Ranch homes are called “Ramblers.” Current Ranch-home market in Portland:
- 143 homes on market
- Prices range from $299k to $3.95 million
- Average price per sqft = $342
In this range, you can find small 2bd/1ba ranches up to 1000 sqft all the way to a 6000+ Ranch home with 5bd/4.2ba in the West Hills.
3. The 3rd most common style of home you’ll find in Portland, is the Craftsman home. Also referred to as Arts & Crafts, these homes are characterized by:
- Decorative braces and stickwork under the gables
- Tapered columns
- Covered front porch
- Double-hung windows
- Wide window-and-door casing
Craftsman homes were being built at the same time as Bungalows, probably a major reason you’ll see a low of Craftsman-Bungalows or Bungalows with Craftsman features. Current Craftsman market in Portland:
- 134 homes on market
- Priced from $350k to $2 million
- Average price per sqft = $298
As Craftsmans tend to be larger, this market includes everything from a 3bd/1ba with 1700sqft to an 8bd/4.5bath home with 6000 sqft in Council Crest.
4. Probably the most popular style of home (to Millennials) is the Midcentury Modern. Typical features of Midcentury Modern architecture:
- Clean and simple lines
- Exposed structure of house
- One-story
- Few windows in front of house, often lots of windows in back
- Flat or shallow-pitched roof lines
It is extremely common to find these homes in Palm Springs, but Portland probably goes crazier for the style. Rummer anyone? Current MCM Market in Portland:
- 54 homes on market
- Prices range from $369k to $4.9 million
- Average price per sqft = $408
As you can see these are the most expensive price per square foot, and rightly so. However be careful here, a lot of homes built in the 50s will be called “midcentury” in the literal sense but lack the distinguishing architectural elements. Expect to see everything from a 2bd/1ba MCM with just 720sq ft all the way to a 5bd/4.1ba home with 6000 sqft in Council Crest.
5. And last but not least is the stunningly simplified Northwest Contemporary home. Typical features of these homes are:
- Tons of windows
- Typically two stories (distinguishes from MCM)
- Overhangs
- Materials from the PNW: wood, concrete
- Open and airy spaces
A lot of these homes will look MCM in style but the 2nd floor will tip you off that it’s a NW Contemporary and not a true Mid-century Modern. Current Market for these homes:
- 38 on market
- Priced from $369k to $2.4 million
- Average price per sqft = $374
Since most of these NW Contemporaries are newer, they are the 2nd most expensive per sqft. These can be small 2bd/1ba around 100 sqft to 4bd/3.1ba just under 5000 sqft off Skyline in NW.
So as you can see, homes vary in the Portland market – and isn’t that a great thing about this city?! I hope this gives you a good sense of features to look for if you have a favorite style. And keep in mind: not every agent will correctly label a home’s architecture. It can be tough, since there are a lot of hodge-podge homes that mix styles, so go easy on your agent and have fun house-hunting. Here if you need me.
Erin Middleton
Broker | OR
She/Her
Passionate Realtor and Adventurous Soul Hailing from the coastal town of Bandon, Oregon, Erin is a dynamic individual who enjoys meeting people with a thirst for life and adventure...
Read More
- erin@livingroomre.com
