How to Turn a Basement Into a Basement (and When Not to Do It)
Space is a big motivator when it comes to buying a home; sometimes it seems that people start planning to buy a bigger house as soon as they move into their current one. And yet, after years of growth, the size of new homes has actually gotten smaller over the past few years, falling from a median of 2,519 square feet in 2015 to just 2,191 last year.
The rule of thumb for square footage is that you need between 600 and 700 square feet per person living in the home, so if you’re a family of four, you’ll ideally need around 2,400 to 2,800 square feet. And adding square footage can pay off: Every 1,000 square feet of additional space in your home can potentially increase the value of your home by 30% . There are several options for increasing the size of your home, but most of them depend on the availability of space for expansion. If you lack open space, can’t develop due to zoning laws or other barriers, and have a shallow crawl space that can’t be used for any activity other than crawling, you may want to ask yourself if you can solve problem with square meters, going downstairs. .
Could you? Maybe. You must ? This is a more complex question.
Dig
Digging a basement or shallow basement is exactly what it sounds like: you dig , removing dirt and other debris currently forming the floor, lowering the floor until there is usable space overhead. Of course, it’s more complicated: you also need to expand and strengthen the foundation and supports with reinforcement or support, and you need to figure out how to remove all that dirt.
There are many factors to consider when deciding whether a crawl space can be dug:
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Earth. The type and condition of the soil your home is built on makes a big difference. Loose, sandy soil is more likely to collapse during the process.
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Age. Houses built before the 1950s rarely have reinforced concrete foundations and tend to have thinner foundations , making excavation much more difficult.
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Foundation. The type of foundation also matters; old brick foundations are less stable, especially if the mortar is sandy. Monolithic concrete foundations are better suited for excavation.
If you consult with a structural engineer and decide that you can dig out a crawl space and add valuable square footage to your home, you’ll still have to decide if it’s worth it. And this may well not happen.
Considerations
There are many potentially disastrous downsides to digging up a basement to create a basement that can then be finished :
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Cost: The total cost of digging a basement and creating a finished basement can be as much as $200,000 . Even if you get a 30% increase in the sale price of your home, it will be difficult to get a solid ROI from it.
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Risk: Homes can —and do — be destroyed when basements are dug out. Even if handled with extreme care, digging can weaken the foundation and cause it to shift, which can set off a chain reaction of bad luck that will leave you not only without a new basement, but also without a home.
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Again, cost: Because of this added risk, you are advised to purchase additional insurance if you take on the project, especially since a catastrophic failure of your home’s stability could affect your neighbors on all sides. You better be prepared for that responsibility.
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Time: This is not a quick job. Digging a basement can take weeks , and you won’t be able to stay home during the process.
Bottom line
You have a crawl space that you try your best to never enter. You dream of a finished basement or additional living space . Is it worth digging a basement? Only if you answer “yes” to the following questions:
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Do you have no other option to increase the area of your home?
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Was your home built after 1950 or so?
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Is a licensed civil engineer signed up?
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Are you prepared for the costs and potential liability?
If you answered “no” to any of these questions, put down the shovel and move away from the scanning area.