ᐅ Which type of basement did you choose?

Hello everyone,

We are currently still in the brainstorming phase and are interested in hearing about the experiences and opinions of other (potential) homeowners.

What type of basement did you have built, and why? Looking back, are you satisfied with your decision? What would you do differently now? What would you consider the most successful aspect of your basement choice?

If you haven’t built yet: What is your favorite option and why?

We have a favorite among the various basement options, but first want to see how you all vote to avoid influencing anyone.

Best regards,
Ddorfer

One of the reasons we decided to build without a basement was to avoid having to access one! We went through with it and are happy: it works better without it!

Lower construction costs, about 9 square meters (approximately 97 square feet) more living space on the ground floor for freezer/utility room, storage room behind the garage, and 5 square meters (approximately 54 square feet) of utility space on the upper floor balance it out, plus added convenience in daily living.

P.S. There are plenty of discussions in this forum about whether to have a basement or not. Whether it’s a flat site or a sloped one depends on the property. If we had a slope, we probably would have a basement level with main rooms located there 🙂

It depends on the purpose.

If the plot is not too large and there is a need for space, then go with a basement.

If the basement is also going to be used as living space and not just for storage, then the ceiling height should be at least 2.30 meters (7.5 feet).

Without even being close to starting construction...
In my current opinion, if finances allow, I would build with a basement.
Somehow, I prefer this isolated feeling more than, for example, having a "hobby room" (home theater, music studio, etc.) on the same floor.

But I might be wrong... This is just my current opinion.

I believe that the price per square meter (sqm) of the plot also plays a crucial role. In some regions, it has unfortunately become the case that building a basement is (significantly) cheaper than providing the same area above ground.

Hello,

we have a slight slope on our plot, with a height difference of 2.2m (7 feet) over a length of 25m (82 feet).

Since we demolished an old building that already had a basement, it was clear to us from the start that we would also build a basement—partly because the “hole” was already there after demolition, and partly because without a basement we would have had to do a lot of excavation and filling.

Additionally, considering land prices of around EUR 500.00 per square meter, we also wanted to include a partially finished basement with living space (guest room and hobby room).

As you can see, this always depends on many different factors—there is rarely a single, perfect solution...

Best regards,

Dirk