Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Jun 27, 2013 12:02 am Hi, Just wanting to get opinions on whether it's worthwhile building a basement (three storey home), vs building a two storey home, if the difference is ~200K. The block of land is a standard 15.2 m, and of average depth. The main reason is be able to have a home theatre and 3 car garage - this could easily be achieved with a basement; or could be squeezed into a two storey with an L-shaped garage. Building a basement seems a bit wasteful; as you have to build an area to drive/manouvre your car; have an extra staircase ???or lift; which is kinda like wasted space/bit inconvenient; and the outside driveway slope is less useful for parking other cars etc. Does anyone think that having a house with a basement would hold its value/be appealing in 10-20 years time if in the inner east suburbs of Melbourne? Re: Building a basement worth it? 2Jun 27, 2013 1:52 am Well, you can have more living space on the two "upper" levels, without having a garage to look at or waste space on. However, I'd probably only consider it if the plot of land was sloping (enough). A benefit with a basement is that you can also place the laundry and so on down there too. On a semi flat or completely flat piece of land, I figure the best option is to have no basement (because of moisture, mould, mildew and infrastructure (pumps etc.) to keep possible floods away. As for space for a stairwell: It doesn't need to take up much space, as you already have a stairwell to get from level 1 to level 2. At most, you're giving up some storage space under the stairs on level 1, but gaining that in the basement under those stairs, plus the general ekstra space you're gaining. There are benefits to a single level dwelling too: It's cheaper, it's easier to make crutches- and wheelchair-friendly, and it's easier to clean/vacuum. In short: It depends, imo. Re: Building a basement worth it? 3Jun 27, 2013 7:54 am As someone who has exactly what you are contemplating (except mine is cut into slope and not a full basement) I find it very rewarding. However if you are going to do it you must pay particular attention to waterproofing and ventilation or else you will end up with dampness, mould and unhealthy conditions. I have a client where it was botched up by the builder and it's a huge headache.The problem is featured on my blog: http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog/b ... -the-cost/ Also Danois is right, as you get older it will be more difficult with three levels to get around and the house will be too big, and too big to clean but if you get 20years+ to enjoy it it will be worth it. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Building a basement worth it? 4Jun 27, 2013 8:53 am My Gosh! For 200k just buy a bigger plot of land, surely!! Hahaha. Build thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=65085 Re: Building a basement worth it? 5Jun 27, 2013 9:55 am You won't get much for $ 200k in inner east of Melbourne If you want to maximise the value of your development, basement is a good option Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Building a basement worth it? 6Jun 27, 2013 9:47 pm Thanks building-expert and Danois for the advice! The land is mostly flat, with a slight downslope at the front. Drainage is my main concern .... esp after looking at your blog post. What is the best method of waterproofing a basement? Digging at 45 degree angle staying away from the boundary and using bricks/concrete, bitumen/membrane/drains, or using vertical bore piles (however waterproofing may be less effective?). Are these or other waterproofing methods which are resistant to foundation/wall cracking or shift in the building? What type of pumps + what size holding tank would be appropriate? Re: Building a basement worth it? 7Jun 28, 2013 7:20 am Hi mycl Your questions will be answered by your competent building designer, that is what they get paid for: to know and to specify the right technical solutions for your design. Make sure you get a good one as water ingress and dampness are unforgiving of mistakes and lapses in builder's attention to detail and quality of workmanship. There is no reason why you could not build on the boundary but you may need to underpin adjoining property. Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog Re: Building a basement worth it? 8Dec 19, 2016 4:26 am The value you are adding to your land is Value of land/divided by sqm x area of basement + cost of basement. Where the cost of land is high, as in inner city, the additional value from new floor area will be substantial (thats why we have skyscrapers with multiple basement levels)however you must be careful not to overcapitalise. Take into account whats around you, does everyone else have a basement or are you going to be the only one in the street? Foremost Building Expert in Australia,assisting with building problems/disputes, building stage inspections,pre-contract review advice for peace of mind 200 blogs http://www.buildingexpert.net.au/blog DIY, Home Maintenance & Repair to do it properly you need to dig out the garden and waterproof the outside of the wall. There are some products you can put on the face of the bricks but the water is… 2 4601 In fairness nobody gave a crap about the ACCC and the gag clauses continued in the pro forma templates of a few other builders after the ACCC took on Wisdom, and more… 20 73079 Hi I am wanting some opinions about the build of a steel shed I am going to get one about 4.5 x 2.5 m steel shed and the height will be about 2.3-2.4m high The one I am… 0 14389 |