Basement or not?
Hello,
we are currently planning our single-family house.
Like many others, we are debating whether to include a basement or not.
Our plot is 380 sqm (about 4,086 sq ft)
Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.4
Two full floors allowed
Our architect and builder recommend skipping the basement.
Reasons:
1.) The building envelope is quite large: 12.9 m x 14 m (42 ft x 46 ft)
2.) Instead of a basement, use the attic space (eave and ridge heights will be respected)
Originally, we wanted a house with 140 sqm (1,507 sq ft) of living space (70 sqm (753 sq ft) per floor) plus a basement of 70 sqm (753 sq ft).
Additionally, a standard garage with one parking space.
To save costs, we are now planning as follows:
A house with a footprint of 8 x 12 m (26 ft x 39 ft). After deducting exterior wall thickness, this results in about 80 sqm (861 sq ft) of living space per floor.
That makes a total of 160 sqm (1,722 sq ft) of living space (20 sqm (215 sq ft) more than originally planned) plus a double garage measuring 6 x 9 m (20 ft x 30 ft).
The attic would have a knee wall height of 30 cm (12 inches).
It feels like we would have the same amount of space as with a basement. However, our office and pantry would be on the ground floor (instead of the basement as initially planned) along with a garage adjacent to the heating room.
What do you think about this idea?
Basically, we are shifting our space requirements above ground.
Many build basements because the building envelope is more restricted, which is not the case for us.
Has anyone built something similar?
Hello,
we are currently planning our single-family house.
Like many others, we are debating whether to include a basement or not.
Our plot is 380 sqm (about 4,086 sq ft)
Floor area ratio (FAR) 0.4
Two full floors allowed
Our architect and builder recommend skipping the basement.
Reasons:
1.) The building envelope is quite large: 12.9 m x 14 m (42 ft x 46 ft)
2.) Instead of a basement, use the attic space (eave and ridge heights will be respected)
Originally, we wanted a house with 140 sqm (1,507 sq ft) of living space (70 sqm (753 sq ft) per floor) plus a basement of 70 sqm (753 sq ft).
Additionally, a standard garage with one parking space.
To save costs, we are now planning as follows:
A house with a footprint of 8 x 12 m (26 ft x 39 ft). After deducting exterior wall thickness, this results in about 80 sqm (861 sq ft) of living space per floor.
That makes a total of 160 sqm (1,722 sq ft) of living space (20 sqm (215 sq ft) more than originally planned) plus a double garage measuring 6 x 9 m (20 ft x 30 ft).
The attic would have a knee wall height of 30 cm (12 inches).
It feels like we would have the same amount of space as with a basement. However, our office and pantry would be on the ground floor (instead of the basement as initially planned) along with a garage adjacent to the heating room.
What do you think about this idea?
Basically, we are shifting our space requirements above ground.
Many build basements because the building envelope is more restricted, which is not the case for us.
Has anyone built something similar?
Your large building envelope doesn’t really matter if the floor-area ratio limits your project to 152 sqm (1,635 sq ft).
The fact is: your plot isn’t very spacious. But regardless of having a basement or not, you can’t comfortably store cars, bicycles, and garden tools in a basement. Laundry usually ends up being done downstairs, which means daily long trips up and down stairs. Whether a pantry in the basement makes sense is up to you – I’m not going to go downstairs and back up for a bottle of beer in the evening.
Therefore, it’s actually good to plan these rooms, as well as an office, on the ground floor. In addition, there will be a garden shed or similar.
I find this completely common; most people in the forum seem to think this way or at least their plans reflect it.
Above-ground space is preferable to underground space when you have the choice. Of course, there are basement builders who are convinced of their benefits, but if they had the option, they would probably also choose above-ground. Many homeowners, however, are limited in height by the zoning or building regulations. If you’re allowed a roof with a knee wall of 30 cm (12 inches), that’s great for attic conversion.
However, I would reconsider every square meter of storage space there: once something ends up in the attic, it usually never comes down again, except maybe the Christmas decorations. It’s better to integrate a storage room on both the ground floor and the upper floor.
Your planned 70 sqm (750 sq ft) on the ground and upper floors plus a basement living area means 210 sqm (2,260 sq ft) of living space. The budget has to be there first. The main question is how much space you actually need. Just building a basement because your grandparents did it, storing all the old stuff, coal, and endless jars of preserves, is pointless if you don’t have that storage need yourself.
Best regards
The fact is: your plot isn’t very spacious. But regardless of having a basement or not, you can’t comfortably store cars, bicycles, and garden tools in a basement. Laundry usually ends up being done downstairs, which means daily long trips up and down stairs. Whether a pantry in the basement makes sense is up to you – I’m not going to go downstairs and back up for a bottle of beer in the evening.
Therefore, it’s actually good to plan these rooms, as well as an office, on the ground floor. In addition, there will be a garden shed or similar.
I find this completely common; most people in the forum seem to think this way or at least their plans reflect it.
Above-ground space is preferable to underground space when you have the choice. Of course, there are basement builders who are convinced of their benefits, but if they had the option, they would probably also choose above-ground. Many homeowners, however, are limited in height by the zoning or building regulations. If you’re allowed a roof with a knee wall of 30 cm (12 inches), that’s great for attic conversion.
However, I would reconsider every square meter of storage space there: once something ends up in the attic, it usually never comes down again, except maybe the Christmas decorations. It’s better to integrate a storage room on both the ground floor and the upper floor.
Your planned 70 sqm (750 sq ft) on the ground and upper floors plus a basement living area means 210 sqm (2,260 sq ft) of living space. The budget has to be there first. The main question is how much space you actually need. Just building a basement because your grandparents did it, storing all the old stuff, coal, and endless jars of preserves, is pointless if you don’t have that storage need yourself.
Best regards
M
mikiliki123210 Dec 2016 10:05Hi Yvonne,
thanks for your feedback.
The floor area ratio doesn’t provide information about the total living area, or am I completely wrong? So I should be allowed to build on 152 square meters (1636 square feet) of the plot area (including terrace, garage, etc.). We will definitely stay below that.
Your arguments are similar to ours.
We will have a 4 square meter (43 square feet) pantry, a 14 square meter (151 square feet) utility room (all on the ground floor),
space for a washing machine and dryer on the upper floor (about 6 square meters (65 square feet)), and a 9 square meter (97 square feet) walk-in closet.
Large garage with storage space...
Often, these are just other people’s opinions. We often hear that a house without a basement is not a house.
But by now, that just bounces off us.
thanks for your feedback.
The floor area ratio doesn’t provide information about the total living area, or am I completely wrong? So I should be allowed to build on 152 square meters (1636 square feet) of the plot area (including terrace, garage, etc.). We will definitely stay below that.
Your arguments are similar to ours.
We will have a 4 square meter (43 square feet) pantry, a 14 square meter (151 square feet) utility room (all on the ground floor),
space for a washing machine and dryer on the upper floor (about 6 square meters (65 square feet)), and a 9 square meter (97 square feet) walk-in closet.
Large garage with storage space...
Often, these are just other people’s opinions. We often hear that a house without a basement is not a house.
But by now, that just bounces off us.
...sounds good and reasonable
More reasonable than constantly going back and forth to the basement. That’s just jealousy!
The floor area ratio controls how much of the plot can be built on. The discussion was about the builder’s argument: a large building envelope of just under 200 m² (2,150 ft²)… with your floor area ratio of 0.6, the generous building envelope does not affect the house’s floor area; rather, it provides more options for positioning, so the argument is completely wrong.
Best regards
More reasonable than constantly going back and forth to the basement. That’s just jealousy!
The floor area ratio controls how much of the plot can be built on. The discussion was about the builder’s argument: a large building envelope of just under 200 m² (2,150 ft²)… with your floor area ratio of 0.6, the generous building envelope does not affect the house’s floor area; rather, it provides more options for positioning, so the argument is completely wrong.
Best regards
J
j.bautsch12 Dec 2016 11:44If I have enough space on the property, I have always wanted to build without a basement. I’m a bit lazy when it comes to stairs. I don’t like climbing them (they’re also a common safety risk), and our experience would likely be similar to what was mentioned: once something is stored upstairs or downstairs, it usually doesn’t get taken out again.
I am always in favor of basements – you have so much stuff to store; like Christmas, Easter, and other decorations; seasonal clothing, seasonal sports equipment and clothes, hobby and workshop space for the men, the accounting documents you need to keep for 10 years and sometimes even for a lifetime. Wine coolers, extra refrigerators, supplies, pet food, winter blankets, garden chairs and cushions...
.. Amber room, swimming pools, saunas, horse race tracks, model railways, go-kart tracks ...
I currently have a 2x3 meter (6.5x10 feet) basement in my apartment, and I would say that 90% of the stuff stored there could be thrown away. When I look at the basements of my friends and family, they are mostly used as storage for useless items.
If you need the space, you should build one, but having a basement just to store Christmas decorations seems a bit excessive.
I currently have a 2x3 meter (6.5x10 feet) basement in my apartment, and I would say that 90% of the stuff stored there could be thrown away. When I look at the basements of my friends and family, they are mostly used as storage for useless items.
If you need the space, you should build one, but having a basement just to store Christmas decorations seems a bit excessive.
Similar topics