One Story with Basement vs 2 Story no Basement (for sale, loft) - The Mountain Region including Asheville - City-Data Forum

blueridgerider · 12-03-2011, 08:48 PM

For those who are builders or have built in the past. Is it more economical to build one way or other say on a lot with approx 30% slope?

We are planning and trying to save where possible and decide if less expensive to build a basement where you'd have addtl concrete costs or better to go with 2 story with only framing costs. If one story the heating & cooling costs would also be lower, I believe? Thanks.

lovesMountains · 12-03-2011, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blueridgerider

For those who are builders or have built in the past. Is it more economical to build one way or other say on a lot with approx 30% slope?

We are planning and trying to save where possible and decide if less expensive to build a basement where you'd have addtl concrete costs or better to go with 2 story with only framing costs. If one story the heating & cooling costs would also be lower, I believe? Thanks.

Providing you are not sitting on thick bedrock, building down is cheaper than building up

When you build a second floor, or even just a loft you will have increased heating and cooling costs too.

Go with the basement, but do plan to invest in a dehumidifier to run in it to save yourself from any "basement smells" or mildew

Shooting Stars · 12-04-2011, 02:10 AM

If you are on a slope, the advantage is that you can have a walk-out basement that gets plenty of daylight.

Also, in summer a basement is much cooler. Second stories get hot.

I know people who have built two-story houses with basements on sloping lots. Now they say they would just build a basement level and street level, and skip the second story.

Slope building creates some interesting house plans. You often see normal-sized living areas combined with enormous bedrooms in the basement level or second story because there is so much space to be used up on those levels.

motordavid · 12-04-2011, 06:00 AM

Not a 'builder', but we have 'built' 3 houses on steep slopes here in western NC: one we live in for past decade, and the other two were spec homes I was involved in.

Hard to diagnose from your post, but imo, building a home on that slope with no basement will in effect be a triangled 'crawl space', with tall wall on downslope. Why not do a basement? Good space for 'mechanical', storage, etc.

The foundation will require poured footers and either block or poured walls anyway, and why just have it a 'crawl space', (albeit 'tall space' on the downslope side), vs a usable basement?

As for 1 floor vs 2 vs multi floors, that argument could be a whole separate thread, imo, for many reasons.

If the OP is really focusing on 'savings', then 1 story on a slab, ala much of FL housing, is the least costly method, but that is not practical on slope property.

Just being facetious about above, but beyond that there are probably hundreds of existing houses for sale in 'western NC' that are in the OP's house description.

I feel we need more specific info, needs/wants, from the OP, otherwise we are just rattling on and it is difficult to respond well in these generalities, imo.
GL, mD

waytosouth · 12-04-2011, 07:08 AM

Of the houses I have been involved working around lately.....I have seen to basic designs that I think are caused by cost reduction. First, I have seen a large increase in cantelever (spelling) house designs. I think the big savings with that is reduced grading for the house pad, less foundation work, and a more natural look (the houses appear to be sitting on the face of slope as opposed to being cut in). The second design I am seeing our stepped foundation were the back of the house is on a slab (or small crawlspace) and the front is a full basement. Once again this is a reduction in grading and hopefully a reduction in foundation work.

As for just trying to get a slab foundation....it can be done, but the one cabin I worked on like that ended up costing about twice as much for grading work and geotechnical work as a foundation or crawlspace. So there was no savings and IMHO slabs just aren't practical on a lot with any slope to it.

blueridgerider · 12-04-2011, 09:35 AM

Thanks for your all's comments. We've been playing with design plans for past 4 yrs and now due to economy and practicality need to downsize. Original plan was to have full basement (garage & game room) and two stories on top. Now trying to re-work plans and a FL style home on slab is definitely not it...LOL!

I had heard that the 2nd story loft concept would require more heating/cooling costs and wasn't sure if building up was more practical cost wise than having to pour a slab for rooms in the basement.

Loves mountains · 12-05-2011, 08:22 AM

we decided to go with a crawl space as opposed to a basement - for our steep lot the cost of concrete was not worth it - we will still be able to have mechanicals in the crawl space area - and we just don't need the full basement space.

waytosouth · 12-06-2011, 05:17 AM

I have to ask....do you own a lot already? I ask this because all off the steep house site lots I have worked on lately....Have the house designed to the lot. It sounds strange, but I have found that houses that are designed with the lot topography in mind have been much more successful than the lots were some one was forcing their design into the lot.

Having been around residential development here for 6 years.....There is definitely a successful pattern that the successful builders and developers use. You can message me and I can give you some insight into the steps that they use.

MrRational · 12-06-2011, 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by waytosouth

do you own a lot already? I ask this because all off the steep house site lots I have worked on lately... Have the house designed to the lot.
It sounds strange, but...

It's not strange at all.
If anything it's the complete opposite to strange.

As for full basements vs other options, this question is usually based around the practicality of having to dig out most of the basement to get a proper foundation relative to the frost line. If you have the equipment and people on site anyway, it quickly becomes quite practical to go a few feet deeper. If you go this route you aren't obliged to finish that space immediately.

hth

motordavid · 12-06-2011, 07:56 AM

Agree with waytosouth and MrRational...

Everyone has their own needs/budget, but I can count on my thumbs the homes I've been in/seen that don't have a basement or serious crawlspace, on a sloping lot.

Much of the 'basement' floor space is often already 'there', and some careful cut back and grading allow for that unfinished slab space to build up from, whether that build up be one living level or two, or more. And, a foundation of some fashion will be first step, so the basement floor can serve as part of that base. People often put a deck out from first living level, 'above' the downslope basement side, and poured footers to support the vertical decking timbers are quite standard and easily done, in my experience.

Very difficult to suggest house plans from a post.

GL, mD