Looking at a house w/o basement...is it a mistake?

[WoodwardGirl]

Originally Posted by LPerkins33

basements are overrated, mine floods yearly even with a sump pump.

Basements that don't leak, that aren't dark and damp, are a great space to have, imo. Mine has storage space, a spare bedroom, a ping-pong room that subs as a photography studio, a family room, a sewing room, and a large office. It is never damp, and only the ping-pong and storage areas don't have "regular" windows. It would have been prohibitively expensive to put that space above the main level of the house. I've lived in lots of houses without basements. I appreciated the storm cellars of the Iowa slab houses in which I lived, but I love having a full basement and can't imagine living without it!

[LPerkins33]

its hard to have a dry basement when your house was built 80 years ago. Like it or not most older houses with basements are going to have water problems that cost a ton to fix and generally aren't worth the money to fix.

[gordon23]

I think it sounds like a great house, just make sure there is a room or some place that is strong enough to stand up to a storm. It does NOT have to be in the basement. In fact think of where everything falls! Parkersburg should have showed you that. Everything was in the basement, if anyone had been in the corner they would have been crushed. Also if it doesn't have a basement it maybe that it floods in the area so a crawl space doesn't really matter as long as your house doesn't get wet. Basements aren't all they say. One man in Woodward that is rebuilding from a tornado in 2005 just put cement walls around one of his bathrooms. He will be just fine next time. SO good luch and best wishes.

[jinxer]

This may be a little late but I would never buy a house without a basement either.

[fadedgirl]

Depends where you are. Around Ft. Dodge there are a lot of homes without basements because the water table is too high. Many of the homes in that town that did have basements had major water leakage issues with them, as frankly, they should not have been built with basements in the first place.

The town I grew up in had a tornado tear through in the late 70s. A girl in our class was out of town visiting grandparents. Their home imploded into their basement. Everyone said, including the city's civil engineers, that if they'd been home and in their basement they would have all been killed. So don't assume that a basement automatically equals safety. (their house was a newer home built just a few years before the tornado)

Having grown up in Iowa in homes that all had basements, it really freaked me out to move out to the west coast and not have a basement underneath me! It took me a long time to get used to it. Now i can't imagine having all that space under me, ha! I think its a mental thing...if I lived in the midwest again I would initially be inclined to want a basement for "emotional safety" reasons, not rational reasons. During tornado warnings we used to go downstairs, and we'd sleep all night down there if the storm didn't pass! So "the basement" was truly ingrained in how I grew up, and how most Iowans grew up, I'd assume.

If you love the house and have the cash, build yourself a "structurally-safe room". I'd sleep better having something properly engineered versus having just any old basement!

Although I do agree with the other posts that your home may be less desirable when you try to sell it due to the midwestern expectation of having a basement.

Let us know what you decide!!

[mofford]

But for the tornado thing, a crawl space can be much better in many ways, for old houses and new contruction. Egress windows and door, the extra concrete, drain, stairs, electrical and finishing will really run up the cost of new construction.
In an older house like mine with a concrete block foundation, Im sure pleased its a crawl space. I dont have to worry about the walls caving in from the pressure of the earth. That happens here, everytime the ground freezes or becomes saturated, the pressure is very great. That doesnt happen with a crawl space, because theres dirt on both sides of the wall and equalizes the pressure. If it cracks, it wont buckle in. Of coarse I put plastic on the earth floor to prevent dampness, and bats of R-19 insulation along the perimeter of the wall. NO insulation under the floor. Why ? The crawl space will keep itself at 40 degrees even when its -15 outside, just enough heat pushes down thru the floor to keep it warm enough. Therefore, my pipes dont need insulation or heat tape. Having all cracks and holes plugged and calked is critical to prevent drafts. My carpeted floors do not feel cold, the tile kitchen floor is chilly.
Poured foundations are the way to go with a basement, concrete blocks do NOT endure in this climate, florida yes, not here. Ive seen too many concrete block houses that wont sell cause the basements caving in, beware.

[Lovethem]

I was in DSM last week and went through about 4- 6 tornado sirens in Altoona and near Winterset during my 5-day stay. It's making me re-think the basement vs. FEMA room choice.

My thinking now is that a basement would be allot easier to sleep in during the night while the tornado sirens are going off at all hours than cramming my large family to sleep in a FEMA room. I just seems easier.

Any thoughts?

[Maiden]

I'd go for the basement. Will add value during resale and more space for your family.

[Tiger One]

I would go for the basement, also. If you can reinforce a room down there, like a family room, laundry room, bathroom, etc, that would even be better.
The FEMA room is OK for a house without a basement, but your best bet is a reinforced underground area.

[PerryGeek]

If you like the house, then do it.

Basements are over rated around here, mostly due to storms. If you can manage it, just put an addition on the house with a pre-fab storm shelter. It's much safer than a basement is anyways. Also (if like me), I have to consider having handicapped people in my home. They cannot make it to a basement for shelter. An addition to the house off the main floor they can.

Depending on what you can afford, a pre-fab can be big enough to sleep several people. Think bunk bed, sleeping bags