ᐅ Is a Basement Practical for a Single-Family Home or Usually Too Expensive?
Created on: 30 Jun 2018 21:56
A
Abzug86
Hello everyone,
I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself briefly: my name is Michael, I’m 32 years old, married, (currently) no children, employed at an insurance agency in northern Bavaria, and my wife and I are planning to build a new single-family house in 2019. I will share more details in a separate thread once the concept is worked out in detail.
At the moment, we are getting inspiration from the catalogs of several general contractors and are considering which "type" of house is right for us. This raised the question: do we need a basement? And if so, for what purpose? I’ll explain this further with an example (both plots are level):
Single-family house 1: basement, ground floor, usable attic, footprint 100 m² (1,076 sq ft), living area (according to the Wohnflächenverordnung) 140 m² (1,507 sq ft).
Single-family house 2: ground floor, usable attic, footprint 130 m² (1,399 sq ft), living area (according to the Wohnflächenverordnung) 185 m² (1,992 sq ft).
Both options would cost roughly the same (~375,000 EUR turnkey). Single-family house 1 has a basement; single-family house 2 does not but offers significantly more living space. Both are heated by a heat pump.
In my understanding, there are three main reasons for having a basement: 1. as storage space, 2. for the heating system, and 3. for the utility/laundry room. Step by step:
1.) I can’t really think of much that I would need to store down there—at least not on a total area of about 50+ m² (540+ sq ft)...
2.) Since heating is provided by a heat pump, the "heater" itself would be located outside anyway. The basement would only house the controls (and the hot water tank?). I assume these could also be installed on the ground floor, right?
3.) If the utility room is in the basement and the bedroom is on the upper floor, my wife would have to go up and down two levels. Also, ventilation would be difficult when air-drying laundry. For these reasons, it might even make more sense to move this area to the ground floor.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts on basements—perhaps I am missing important points or have a wrong understanding regarding the "heating room." Thanks in advance for your help!
I’d like to take this opportunity to introduce myself briefly: my name is Michael, I’m 32 years old, married, (currently) no children, employed at an insurance agency in northern Bavaria, and my wife and I are planning to build a new single-family house in 2019. I will share more details in a separate thread once the concept is worked out in detail.
At the moment, we are getting inspiration from the catalogs of several general contractors and are considering which "type" of house is right for us. This raised the question: do we need a basement? And if so, for what purpose? I’ll explain this further with an example (both plots are level):
Single-family house 1: basement, ground floor, usable attic, footprint 100 m² (1,076 sq ft), living area (according to the Wohnflächenverordnung) 140 m² (1,507 sq ft).
Single-family house 2: ground floor, usable attic, footprint 130 m² (1,399 sq ft), living area (according to the Wohnflächenverordnung) 185 m² (1,992 sq ft).
Both options would cost roughly the same (~375,000 EUR turnkey). Single-family house 1 has a basement; single-family house 2 does not but offers significantly more living space. Both are heated by a heat pump.
In my understanding, there are three main reasons for having a basement: 1. as storage space, 2. for the heating system, and 3. for the utility/laundry room. Step by step:
1.) I can’t really think of much that I would need to store down there—at least not on a total area of about 50+ m² (540+ sq ft)...
2.) Since heating is provided by a heat pump, the "heater" itself would be located outside anyway. The basement would only house the controls (and the hot water tank?). I assume these could also be installed on the ground floor, right?
3.) If the utility room is in the basement and the bedroom is on the upper floor, my wife would have to go up and down two levels. Also, ventilation would be difficult when air-drying laundry. For these reasons, it might even make more sense to move this area to the ground floor.
I’m curious to hear your thoughts on basements—perhaps I am missing important points or have a wrong understanding regarding the "heating room." Thanks in advance for your help!
You can definitely dry laundry in the basement! We have our utility room in the basement, connected to the ventilation system (exhaust air). This effectively controls the moisture problem.
Almost every house here in Bavaria has a basement, and I don’t see why the technical equipment should be installed in the valuable ground floor instead: solar thermal storage, battery storage for photovoltaics, heating system, washing machine, electrical distribution panel, and house connections. Besides that, basements are often used for less frequently used decorative items, winter clothes, possibly a sauna, and so on... As storage space, technical room, utility room, and sometimes even living space, basements are more cost-effective than the ground floor or attic. Especially if you are not allowed to build upwards anymore, basements are definitely more economical than larger plots of land.
Almost every house here in Bavaria has a basement, and I don’t see why the technical equipment should be installed in the valuable ground floor instead: solar thermal storage, battery storage for photovoltaics, heating system, washing machine, electrical distribution panel, and house connections. Besides that, basements are often used for less frequently used decorative items, winter clothes, possibly a sauna, and so on... As storage space, technical room, utility room, and sometimes even living space, basements are more cost-effective than the ground floor or attic. Especially if you are not allowed to build upwards anymore, basements are definitely more economical than larger plots of land.
H
hampshire1 Jul 2018 07:24Fuchur schrieb:
... and creates freedom in the areas where you live.That’s what it’s about. Most of the stuff (not just) in the basement is neither needed nor does it add to quality of life. So get rid of it instead of building a room for it.
Clothes go in the wardrobe, tools in the utility room, vehicles in the garage or a shed.
We take a maximum of 30% of our belongings with us when moving into the new house. The rest is given away, donated, sold, or discarded.
Laundry in the basement, lawn mower carried down the outside stairs to the basement, car tires and bicycles stored in the basement – sounds like a workout.
When I see how basements are used at my parents’ or in-laws’ houses, they often seem quite unnecessary. Modern houses no longer have oil tanks or wood storage areas. Potatoes, leeks, onions, and hundreds of preserving jars are no longer stored there either. Washing machines and dryers have moved into the living spaces – laundry logistics can be tiring.
In our case, the question of having a basement as storage space never arose. The property simply doesn’t allow it. Explosives would probably have been needed. A basement depends on the property and is a personal choice.
When I see how basements are used at my parents’ or in-laws’ houses, they often seem quite unnecessary. Modern houses no longer have oil tanks or wood storage areas. Potatoes, leeks, onions, and hundreds of preserving jars are no longer stored there either. Washing machines and dryers have moved into the living spaces – laundry logistics can be tiring.
In our case, the question of having a basement as storage space never arose. The property simply doesn’t allow it. Explosives would probably have been needed. A basement depends on the property and is a personal choice.
Fuchur schrieb:
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See, I told you—the front-line battle is starting again. I’ll probably stay away from this thread before someone tries to talk me out of using my existing basement. But you do realize that so far you are doing everything to create a "front-line battle" instead of a constructive discussion?
This is reflected, for example, in how you relate counterarguments personally to your situation (“someone trying to talk me out of using my existing basement”).
This discussion is not about you at all, so there is no reason to feel personally attacked.
Personally, I prefer to store items close to where they are used, and I don’t want to carry things up and down stairs either. Bicycles belong upstairs just like crates of drinks or clothes in a wardrobe. I don’t need those downstairs, but upstairs.
Therefore, I am opposed to using basements as storage space. If someone has hobbies, a gym room, or similar, then a basement can be useful.
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