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!
H
HilfeHilfe1 Jul 2018 21:18Bookstar schrieb:
Basements today are not like they used to be. If you build a basement, it should be fully insulated with flooring and a ceiling height of 2.50 meters (8 ft 2 in), same as the ground floor. Ideally, with a light well or similar features. This way, the basement won’t be a dark storage room but a fully functional living area.
Flat plot >800 m² (8600 sq ft), and then I think I would build without a basement.Terrible ... and then put that unwanted, illegitimate child in thereC
Caspar20201 Jul 2018 21:57The basement rooms at our friends' place were always the best; at least theirs was clearly larger, and you could also be louder there.
With the summer temperatures, it is also more comfortable in our basement.
With the summer temperatures, it is also more comfortable in our basement.
H
Hausbauer11 Jul 2018 22:15Bookstar schrieb:
Basements today are not like they used to be. When you build a basement, it should be fully insulated with a floor and a ceiling height of 2.50 meters (8 ft 2 in), just like the ground floor. Ideally with light wells, etc. This way, the floor won’t be a dark storage space but a fully usable living area.Instead of light wells or other solutions, you could also build a raised basement, which depending on the state or region can protrude significantly above ground level.
By the way, I really appreciate having a sleeping area in the basement during the height of summer.
Personal opinion? We decided to skip the basement and instead invested in more living space. This includes a fully insulated attic with 120m² (1,292 sq ft); a cargo winch will eventually help move all the storage stuff up there. We placed the utility room on the upper floor, right where the laundry is done. The technical room on the ground floor is only 10m² (108 sq ft), so it doesn’t take up much of the valuable ground floor space. Bikes go where they belong—in the garage—along with the stroller, scooter, etc. Garden tools are stored in a garden shed. Our last refrigerator will be moved to the technical room to cool beverages. All in all, the extra living space was cheaper than building a basement. So why have a basement at all?
A little side note: two weeks ago, there was heavy rain on our future street. Our neighbor’s basement flooded through her basement entrance... good thing we’re building "just" a slab foundation.
A little side note: two weeks ago, there was heavy rain on our future street. Our neighbor’s basement flooded through her basement entrance... good thing we’re building "just" a slab foundation.
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