Are developed basements a turn-offs?

[M.alex]

I would never consider purchasing a property that had a developed basement - I've seen way too many septic/plumbing issues to even consider it.

Do other think the same way - I like my basement to be easy access and storage, not living quarters.

[ercchry]

We all know you are special

But no, for me it's a turn off since I see it as a way to grow my equity... But I'd say 99% of buyers today are all about a turnkey ready home that doesn't need anything done, and yes a finished basement adds value since it adds 33-50% more useable square footage and most people that buy single family homes... Have families and can always use more space

[Mitsu3000gt]

Personally if the basement has been developed professionally, and to a high standard that matches the upper floors of the property, it's a huge plus for me not to have to deal with any of that later.

[Swank]

^

Alternatively I like a hybrid scenario - finished exterior walls with electrical, simple underlay and carpeting (maybe subflooring), and a drop ceiling with decent lighting. This way you have a large open area you can use for storage, turn part of it into a simple room for surprise guests, and still be in a position where you could put up walls, run wiring above ceiling, etc without requiring too much extra work should you want changes down the road.

[mr2mike]

Septic?? You must live on an acreage and my guess is driving your ATV's and trucks over your septic field.

Rarely heard of a septic backup. Only ones were user errors. ie: Not knowing you need to get it cleaned out once a year or driving heavy stuff over it and eventually collapsing the field.


When I see an undeveloped basement, I think... idiot. Don't even have to rip your shotty work out before I build new.

Also drop ceiling where the plumbing is upstairs and you're good.

[BavarianBeast]

[JRSC00LUDE]

Originally posted by M.alex
.....I like my basement to be easy access and storage.....

So......5' ceilings?

[sexualbanana]

It depends. Would I like a developed basement? Yes. But not at the cost of storage. It boggles my mind when I see people who can't park in their garage because they developed their basement and have thus lost space to store boxes and other random house/family items. Personally, I'd rather park in my garage and live in a house with an undeveloped basement.

That's not to say that it's mutually exclusive. I'm just saying that I'd prefer having storage space if it meant not developing my basement.

[lilmira]

Of course it should add value to your home but what's the rate of return? Would you use it or are you doing it for the sake of doing it?

[ercchry]

Originally posted by sexualbanana
It depends. Would I like a developed basement? Yes. But not at the cost of storage. It boggles my mind when I see people who can't park in their garage because they developed their basement and have thus lost space to store boxes and other random house/family items. Personally, I'd rather park in my garage and live in a house with an undeveloped basement.

That's not to say that it's mutually exclusive. I'm just saying that I'd prefer having storage space if it meant not developing my basement.

Why are you hording that much shit? Besides seasonal stuff if it lives in a box and is stuffed out of sight, do you really need it? Most smart developments have enough storage space for sane people

[BavarianBeast]

Quit hoarding shit for fuck sakes

[Feruk]

Agreed, stop hoarding.

We just recently started thinking about buying, and I have A LOT of turnoffs when it comes to properties I see on MLS... but a developed basement isn't one.

[bjstare]

I'm looking for my next house, and I'm a big fan of the ones that have undeveloped basements. Mostly because people do a shitty job of developing them, or choose layouts that I don't like.

Also lulz @ hoarders. My wife and I limit ourselves to the amount of shit that can fit under the stairs - which is pretty much some odds and ends, and christmas decos. If you don't use it, don't keep it.

[rage2]

I didn't realize how much of a hoarder I was until I developed our basement.

[killramos]

33% more square footage of living space on a 2 story? 50% on a bungalow?

As long as its developed in a way that you like what is the problem with that?

Obviously anything built like shit is a turn off but that's not a good reason to write off the concept of developed basements off the bat?

+1 on the quit cluttering your house. If its in a fucking box you probably don't need it anymore. If you cant let go of anything rent a tiny storage locker instead.

I spend probably 30+% of my time in the home in my basement, its definitely a huge plus for me. There are other rooms in the house that i think are wastes ( for 2 adults no kids ) but none of them are in the basement.

[ercchry]

Yeah I much prefer my home theatre and pool table to a stack of boxes... Oh and the extra room for guests that's separated by a couple floors from my room... If ya know what I mean hahaha

[gogreen]

A poorly developed one is a real turn-off for me. That is, room layouts that don't make sense, or DIY builds of questionable craftsmanship. I'm quite sure ours was done at the time the house was built, so it's not too bad in that respect. It would have been nice to have an open ceiling downstairs rather than textured drywall so I could have easily run an outlet to our kitchen island though.

We also don't need the living space so it's not really something I personally value, but I expect it'll be good for resale since our upstairs layout kind of limits the mass appeal of our house (giant master bedroom with office/den, so technically only 1 bedroom upstairs).

Side note: Ours turned into a catch-all for junk regardless of the fact that it's developed, but that was remedied by a significant purge.

[killramos]

Sounds to me like disdain towards developed basements extends equally towards pretty much any pre-built home? New or Used?

Sure it would be great to customize all the layouts, finishing, and decide where everything goes. People do that all the time. Its called: Custom.

And its fucking expensive.

Maybe more of you should build new?

[msommers]

Depends how you look at it:

Do you want a headache finding out there was a crappy job done (or potentially a good one), or dealing with trades guys who may or may not give a shit about your job.

Provided both are quality work and designed well, I'd prefer to have one developed if it meant the house cost more.

[pheoxs]

What I've noticed is lots of people want undeveloped basements, with the intention of finishing them how they want, and then they never do anything with it. It just ends up being a huge junk storage space and sometimes a couch thrown down there.