buy a home without a basement in PA? (California, Wall: house, contractor)

[Seaharbour]

I love basements, always had one and always will, they help with storage and clutter for us!

[right-here-i-say]

Buying a home in Pittsburgh without a basement is like buying a home in Florida without a pool. Many homebuyers require it. If you get one without a basement, it could be harder to sell.

[Seaharbour]

Good point I say...I agree!

[valleygal]

Well, I didn't know that there were any Beaver County homes without a basement! I have one and don't use it much, but the concept of not having one amuses me.

[carolinacracker]

Well, one thing to consider is the amount of rainfall that occurs in Pittsburgh. A house without a basement might be subject to some damage due to movement of the earth. Don't forget there's a lot of clay and soft soil in the area. I'm no structural engineer, but I'd say there's a valid reason why 99% of homes in the area have a basement.

On the other side, basements OFTEN flood in Western PA. Anyone I know who's had a finished basement has had issues with water.

[juliegt]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

I know I wouldn't think twice about it, but I've lived in California for 23 years -- people don't have basements here either. I sort of like not having a basement.

I grew up in an old home in San Francisco that had a basement. In most SF victorians that have garages, those garages are actually converted basements. In other words homes in CA did have basements until the post ww2 building boom.Because CA wasn't as developed as the east & midwest until later in the 20th century, there just isn't as much housing stock with basements.

The storage area and extra space provided by a basement is wonderful. Iw ish I had one now.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by juliegt

I grew up in an old home in San Francisco that had a basement. In most SF victorians that have garages, those garages are actually converted basements. In other words homes in CA did have basements until the post ww2 building boom.Because CA wasn't as developed as the east & midwest until later in the 20th century, there just isn't as much housing stock with basements.

The storage area and extra space provided by a basement is wonderful. Iw ish I had one now.

The housing in my area was built in the mid 1920's -- and we all have crawlspaces. But this was definitely blue collar working class -- there might be a difference.

I don't mind at all not having a basement. But I'm weird. With no kids it's pretty easy to keep stuff under control... oh -- wait I have a pack rat hubby.... I DO need more storage. LOL It's hard to live in a small house.,,, I'm looking forward to retiring and cashing out (if there's anything left to cash out of!) and buying something bigger...

[rjpear]

I purchased land a few years ago a few hours north of Pittsburgh and am going to build... What I have read by some land developers etc.. is that it's much cheaper to build out or up then Down (basement) and you get "better" livable space (also ones that don't violate codes with egress's etc.). So what I was considering it to avoid the basement all together and just put in a bigger home....
Of course I have no idea what happens with the plumbing etc....crawl space? (YUK!)

Thoughts?

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by rjpear

I purchased land a few years ago a few hours north of Pittsburgh and am going to build... What I have read by some land developers etc.. is that it's much cheaper to build out or up then Down (basement) and you get "better" livable space (also ones that don't violate codes with egress's etc.). So what I was considering it to avoid the basement all together and just put in a bigger home....
Of course I have no idea what happens with the plumbing etc....crawl space? (YUK!)

Thoughts?

I have a crawl space out here in California... it's like an attic under your house. You get to it from your yard -- usually the back yard. It's not yucky at all. It is dirt -- but my furnace is under my house.

We did put a lock on the crawlspace door, because when we moved in I was POSITIVE someone was living under the house. (Just an old house creaking!) And Brent worked nights, so I wanted to make sure the guy under the house STAYED under the house....

Of course, I also was the one with the "little guy who lived under the stairs" that grabbed at your ankles as you ran up the stairs??? I wholely blame my oldest sister for that -- she scared with that tale as a kid...

[Joe B]

IMO, buying or building a home in this area without a basement is a very bad idea. And any contractor who would tell you to do it this way is full of cow poop. MAJOR cow poop.
People have tried it for decades, and the end results have almost always been the same. Homes with the first floor in direct contact with the ground are far more prone to moisture problems, settling problems, and heat problems. At the very least, consider this... if the contractor cut corners and didn't place a vapor barrier below the concrete, moisture penetration is guaranteed. It's only a matter of time. And prior to 1980, most contractors did NOT place a vapor barrier below the concrete; even if a vapor barrier was called for in the original design.

It may seem like a good deal now, but there's a reason for that. And the last thing you want is to discover that "reason" when and if you ever have to sell.