Hello dear forum community,
I have a question and I hope you can help.
We are building a house measuring 8.84 x 10.64 meters, so the ground floor area is 85 sqm (915 sq ft). My husband really wants to have a basement. Our prefab house manufacturer has already told us that this would cost at least €50,000 (watertight concrete, purely functional basement).
My husband does not want to accept these costs and is currently looking for a local basement specialist to work with him so they can build the basement themselves, with some support.
I do not want this basement. Either we can afford the one from the prefab manufacturer, or we will do without. Any discussion with my husband about this leads to an argument.
I have researched online and read several times that building yourself might save at most 20%, but I worry that the local basement builder might charge less.
Could you please give me a realistic assessment whether it is possible to build a watertight basement of this size with a budget of €25,000 in cash? I would sleep better if we were talking about a price of €30,000 to €40,000 because then the basement would definitely be off the table.
Thank you,
Julia
I have a question and I hope you can help.
We are building a house measuring 8.84 x 10.64 meters, so the ground floor area is 85 sqm (915 sq ft). My husband really wants to have a basement. Our prefab house manufacturer has already told us that this would cost at least €50,000 (watertight concrete, purely functional basement).
My husband does not want to accept these costs and is currently looking for a local basement specialist to work with him so they can build the basement themselves, with some support.
I do not want this basement. Either we can afford the one from the prefab manufacturer, or we will do without. Any discussion with my husband about this leads to an argument.
I have researched online and read several times that building yourself might save at most 20%, but I worry that the local basement builder might charge less.
Could you please give me a realistic assessment whether it is possible to build a watertight basement of this size with a budget of €25,000 in cash? I would sleep better if we were talking about a price of €30,000 to €40,000 because then the basement would definitely be off the table.
Thank you,
Julia
Without a soil survey, no one can answer this question.
Do you need a waterproof concrete basement? Drainage? If yes, it will get even more expensive. Expect around €50,000 (about $54,000 USD) – it won’t be much less than that. Doing the work yourself is nice and all, but do you have the time for it?
That time also costs money if you’re paying rent.
On the other hand, a usable basement is definitely a valuable addition. And maybe a partial basement will be enough for you. Or like we planned: an extension attached to a garage or carport.
But as I said, first get a soil survey done. No basement provider can give you a reliable quote before that.
Do you need a waterproof concrete basement? Drainage? If yes, it will get even more expensive. Expect around €50,000 (about $54,000 USD) – it won’t be much less than that. Doing the work yourself is nice and all, but do you have the time for it?
That time also costs money if you’re paying rent.
On the other hand, a usable basement is definitely a valuable addition. And maybe a partial basement will be enough for you. Or like we planned: an extension attached to a garage or carport.
But as I said, first get a soil survey done. No basement provider can give you a reliable quote before that.
Hello Der Da,
just to be clear: I do NOT want this basement because I understand the points mentioned above (longer rent payments, higher costs, etc.).
The soil survey is currently in progress, but we expect the results in 1 to 2 weeks. Looking at our neighbor’s excavation, it’s obvious even to me as a layperson that the soil is clay. So, waterproof concrete (WU concrete) will be necessary around the basement. Water could be an issue since the property is slightly on a slope, causing water to run down and potentially press against our basement when it rains.
For the price my husband is considering, between €20,000 and €25,000, one could build a large carport with an extension there. Plus, a garden shed and probably complete the landscaping faster. We will need extra storage space outside the house anyway for bicycles and garden furniture/tools. So it would be paying twice.
My question is: With a rough estimate of €50,000 from the builder, can we save so much with an owner-managed build (self-building, EL) that my husband’s budget of around €25,000 is realistic?
just to be clear: I do NOT want this basement because I understand the points mentioned above (longer rent payments, higher costs, etc.).
The soil survey is currently in progress, but we expect the results in 1 to 2 weeks. Looking at our neighbor’s excavation, it’s obvious even to me as a layperson that the soil is clay. So, waterproof concrete (WU concrete) will be necessary around the basement. Water could be an issue since the property is slightly on a slope, causing water to run down and potentially press against our basement when it rains.
For the price my husband is considering, between €20,000 and €25,000, one could build a large carport with an extension there. Plus, a garden shed and probably complete the landscaping faster. We will need extra storage space outside the house anyway for bicycles and garden furniture/tools. So it would be paying twice.
My question is: With a rough estimate of €50,000 from the builder, can we save so much with an owner-managed build (self-building, EL) that my husband’s budget of around €25,000 is realistic?
50,000 for a basic utility basement is quite a significant amount, especially without knowing the soil conditions.
My colleague is building a basement, partially finished for living purposes, for 79,000 euros, size 10x12 m (33x39 ft). The price also includes the shell construction of a solid garage measuring 6x7 m (20x23 ft).
Excavation work is included as well.
My colleague is building a basement, partially finished for living purposes, for 79,000 euros, size 10x12 m (33x39 ft). The price also includes the shell construction of a solid garage measuring 6x7 m (20x23 ft).
Excavation work is included as well.
P
perlenmann26 Mar 2013 13:25What does your construction company say about building a house on a basement (not built by them)? Specifically regarding warranty?
Thank you for your responses.
Because of the warranty, I don’t want a basement. And the considerable costs are also giving me a headache. But my husband is completely resistant to advice.
I can already see that I will have to wait for the "offer" from the local basement builder before I can possibly convince my husband to abandon the (sorry) silly idea.
We have a large house, a utility room of 12 sqm (130 sq ft), the option to extend at the carport, and an attic (although with a fairly low height of 1.20 m (4 ft)), but my husband still thinks we don’t have enough space.
He doesn’t even have a hobby that he could do in the basement. We actually only need a storage room. And we already have one. In the rental house, we have a basement room of about 15 sqm (160 sq ft) plus some extra stuff in the garage.
That’s enough for me!
Because of the warranty, I don’t want a basement. And the considerable costs are also giving me a headache. But my husband is completely resistant to advice.
I can already see that I will have to wait for the "offer" from the local basement builder before I can possibly convince my husband to abandon the (sorry) silly idea.
We have a large house, a utility room of 12 sqm (130 sq ft), the option to extend at the carport, and an attic (although with a fairly low height of 1.20 m (4 ft)), but my husband still thinks we don’t have enough space.
He doesn’t even have a hobby that he could do in the basement. We actually only need a storage room. And we already have one. In the rental house, we have a basement room of about 15 sqm (160 sq ft) plus some extra stuff in the garage.
That’s enough for me!
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