Questions about home construction in the Mid-West (Sioux Falls, Brookings: rental, houses)

[fatman66]

In doing my house hunting research I've discovered that the primary choices in my price range will be the ever popular and ubiquitous ranches, split foyers and what they call 1.5 story houses. I'm plenty familiar with ranches and split level ranches but not so much with 1.5 story houses (I've seen some plan online and get the general idea of the half story in the loft between the main level and the ceiling). The split Foyers look pretty nice and would be my preference but my wife likes the idea of the 1.5 story. I was curious if anyone had comments on their experience with 1.5 story houses in the Sioux Falls area, most seem to be built between 1920-1950 something. I'm generally interested in impressions of space usage, ease of renovation (especially do it yourself projects, I'm moderately handy), construction/ insulation materials, and experience living in these. Any comments are greatly appreciated.

While I'm at it I've also noticed that most houses in the Sioux Falls area have finished basements. Typically is the entire basement finished or is a portion of it left unfinished to serve as storage/ workshop area? I know this will vary on a case by case basis but any general info is good. If the entire basement is finished I guess I'll have to find a house where I can put my tools and workbench in the garage.

As always, Thanks South Dakotans.

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by fatman66

In doing my house hunting research I've discovered that the primary choices in my price range will be the ever popular and ubiquitous ranches, split foyers and what they call 1.5 story houses. I'm plenty familiar with ranches and split level ranches but not so much with 1.5 story houses (I've seen some plan online and get the general idea of the half story in the loft between the main level and the ceiling). The split Foyers look pretty nice and would be my preference but my wife likes the idea of the 1.5 story. I was curious if anyone had comments on their experience with 1.5 story houses in the Sioux Falls area, most seem to be built between 1920-1950 something. I'm generally interested in impressions of space usage, ease of renovation (especially do it yourself projects, I'm moderately handy), construction/ insulation materials, and experience living in these. Any comments are greatly appreciated.


While I'm at it I've also noticed that most houses in the Sioux Falls area have finished basements. Typically is the entire basement finished or is a portion of it left unfinished to serve as storage/ workshop area? I know this will vary on a case by case basis but any general info is good. If the entire basement is finished I guess I'll have to find a house where I can put my tools and workbench in the garage.

As always, Thanks South Dakotans.

1 1/2 story houses, though cute, gives a homeowner limited headroom upstairs. The roofs on these type of houses are steep, thus when you go in every room upstairs (4 rooms of any size max.), the usable space where you can walk upright is cut down. All newer 1 1/2 story houses will have dormers cut in and this helps considerably.

To me, the only good thing a 1 1/2 story house has is that the roof's slope greatly reduces your snow load. A house with a full 2nd story is much more practical.

Finished basements are really nice. As mentioned before, pay special heed to water tables as it varies greatly, even in neighborhoods.

You are in tornado country. I would never consider a house without a basement. Besides, basements make wonderful junk collectors.

[Jammie]

Fatman, if you do end up with a house with no basement, contact your local emergency management director. Most of our larger cities/towns have tornado shelters and I'm sure Sx. Falls has a few of them. I know where they are in Mitchell, but don't know where they are in Sx. Falls. It' always an option.

[fatman66]

Thanks guys. I don't think I could buy a house with no basement but I wouldn't want my workshop and tools messing up a nice finsihed one.

[Chris19]

The spit-foyer houses (1980s and newer) are nice for the fact that they are partial basements on the lower level and a little higher on the upper level. This limits problems with the water table and give one a chance for walkout if on a hill.

If one is looking for a house, I would suggest the NW part of Sioux Falls along Marion Rd. The landscape is nice and has rolling hills and drains better than most areas of the city. The eastern part of the city has gently rolling hills also and would be a good area to buy a house, although the SE part is a little nicer.

[Sandhills Guru]

I'm going to trouble all you helpful South Dakotans again with another set of questions...

Not from SD but their neighbors to the south, thought I would chime in with my opinion.

I've been looking into homes and trying to come up with a list of desirable features as well as make or break features. In doing this I've come across some things that are unfamiliar/ different from what I'm used to here in Western NY.

First, it seems as if "Hardboard" is a common siding material. The Wikipedia entry says it's like tougher particle board w/o the chemicals. I usually look for vinyl (or possible aluminum) siding, can anyone comment on how hardboard compares? My current house has some crappy composite tile that has so asbestos in it, this makes it fun to drill or cut when you need too. The stuff is brittle as heck too and cracks easily so I'm wary of siding I'm unfamiliar with.

Hardboard is a fine choice for siding, some you will find with permanent coloring, some you may need to repaint over time. So keep that in mind. I would stay away from aluminum due to hail damage. Vinyl siding is an excellent choice also. Stay away from any masonite siding for sure.

I am familiar with the asbestos siding you are referring too, it is a pain to work with.

My second question has to do with a one car garage vs. a two car garage. My current house has one car and I just park in the driveway. It gets plenty cold here (w wind-chill down to -15/ -20 on occasion which I'm well aware is not as cold as I can expect in SF) and it snows A LOT, so I'm used to clearing a car off in the cold from under a lot of snow. How important is having your car in the garage, I notice that many are heated and I assume that makes starting your vehicle in the morning much easier. How important should making sure my truck can get in the garage be?

Personally if I had my choice I would have a 3 car garage, 2 car minimum. How important is having your car in the garage? Well it does save on exterior deteriation from uv for one, inside and out. Also its nice to go out on those frosty mornings and not have to scrape a windshield or remove snow from the vehicle. But if you don't mind doing some scraping or snow brushing and your truck is tuned up, I see no problem with it being outside.

Third, I notice that only a few house list sump pumps. In the area I live in I don't recall seeing many houses without them (and I'd replaced mine since my basement would be in trouble if I didn't) but I know that friends in other areas of the country don't have them. Is having a sump pump a common feature in SD or is the presence of a sump pump evidence that the house in question might be in a wetter area than those that don’t list it?

Sump pumps are a must in some areas and some they are not needed. Check with neighbors or city with ground water conditions in that area.

[fatman66]

Water Softeners... Seems like ~half the place we looked at or looked up in Sioux Falls had one. I assume that the water supply is pretty much the same across the city, are these really necessary or rather personal preference? Never had to use one before, better to rent or purchase if you need/ want one? Ballpark cost to rent and or purchase? Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

[MJ1986]

Originally Posted by fatman66

Water Softeners... Seems like ~half the place we looked at or looked up in Sioux Falls had one. I assume that the water supply is pretty much the same across the city, are these really necessary or rather personal preference? Never had to use one before, better to rent or purchase if you need/ want one? Ballpark cost to rent and or purchase? Any thoughts greatly appreciated.

Sioux Falls does not have hard water at all... The water supply is the same across the city. I received the Water Quality Report in the mail a month or two ago. I read through it... Everything is where it should be.

[rjl78]

The question usually amounts to, does the soap not suds up like it should, do the dishes have water spots. Does the laundry take more detergent than normal to get cleaned?

As far as purchase versus rent... I have had to replace my softner as of right now, the cost of owning it not counting the cost of salt is about $3/month. The softner still functions so hopefully it runs for anouther 10 years and keep the cost even lower. Rent without salt runs about $12 a month.

[Alicia Bradley]

Sometimes describing a house as "1.5 stories" means it has a "great room" (a large, high-/cathedral-ceilinged room that combines the functions of a living and family room) whose upper part (empty space) takes up half the space on the second story. The "actual" second story, though, has regular bedrooms, etc. with regular ceiling heights. (We lived in a house like this in Nebraska in the '80s - a lovely pseudo-tudor "prairie palace." ) "1.5 stories" can also mean what jmgg said, though, so consult a realtor to be safe.