Stupid question... (Chattanooga: real estate, houses, new construction)

[apanda]

Ok, so I am from FL and have been looking into moving up to TN with the hubby to start a family in the next 2 years. While looking at all the houses on the market up there, (with VERY attractive prices!), I cannot help but to wonder when the sq. ft. is listed, does it include the basement? We go by heated living area here and I am not sure if a basement would qualify as such. Also, what is an unfinished basement?

[SPLIT]

A: Unfinished is just what the name says. Open studs for any wall partitions. No tile / carpet on floor. The electrical wall outlets may be installed per CODE certain distance apart. Any ROUGH plumbing for the toilet / half bath may be there, but no sink. No ceiling tiles.
. Real estate listings per sq ft SHOULD only include 12 month living space. No garage, no porches, no UNFinished basements. Like Fla may list amount "UNDER AIR CONd. Then a higher sq ft # for the garages, porches/linai.,etc.
. Maybe half houses here have basements, which is a good shelter in a tornado / storm warning, extra storage / kid noise area. Usually means slope of the lot more steep. A full walk out nifty if on waterfront. Also tend to be DAMP/Musty, most people usually run a De-humidifier most of the time.

[tcs1366]

I know in our area, square footage is considered anything above ground
if it has a basement, up north here - most every home has a basement; it will be listed as finished basement or unfinished basement.

Since I have had a basement all of my life, with the exception of 3 yrs ... i know it would be hard for me to be without one.

while i have been browsing the Chattanooga area -- i have seen a few that do have basements ... and the home listed the sq.ft, then will say "basement".

HTH.

[RiverView]

If a basement is finished out, has windows / doors and is heated and cooled it counts in the sq ft.

[tcs1366]

OK ... that makes sense. so far, all the homes i've looked at [via the internet] have been unfinished.

[apanda]

Many thanks for the info!

[su3y]

i have been looking at new construction in the chattanooga area & all the ones I looked at didnt have basements. I imagine if I were to have 1 built from scratch instead of already built but brand new never lived in, I could pay extra to have a basement right?

[RiverView]

Originally Posted by su3y

i have been looking at new construction in the chattanooga area & all the ones I looked at didnt have basements. I imagine if I were to have 1 built from scratch instead of already built but brand new never lived in, I could pay extra to have a basement right?

Sure

[Jon F Moss]

just like teacher used to say, the only dumb question is the one you didn't ask!