Basements (Gillette, Cody: house, inspector, subdivision)

[GEORGIAINMT]

I think that basements are the norm for a lot of Wyoming. I know they were where I grew up then lived for years in the Big Horn Basin. They were also in almost every house in the Billings area. Yes, they are super for extra storage and they are also nice to finish off to give that extra living space. It used to be that they had small windows called "non-egress" that would be difficult to get out of in case of a fire, etc., so those bedrooms aren't really considered "legal", so to speak, bedrooms when it comes to real estate. Over the past several years houses have been built with basements with large windows, either by raising the house & basement higher so there's a "daylight" basement, or by putting in window wells around the windows. Basements really are great if you don't mind climbing stairs. I would never have my washer/dryer in a basement again after having it on the main floor, but a lot of people do have them in their basements. I'm getting too old to deal with stairs that much Basements definitely do add a lot of square footage, especially if on a small lot, and from what I understand, it's much more cost effective to have a basement than to build the same sq. ft. house all on one level. I've heard that there aren't a lot of basements here in Gillette due to the ground water, but I know there are some in some parts of town.

[Kristynwy]

Originally Posted by navyvet79

Yeah, I agree. It seems like crawlspaces are much more common here than basements. Both houses I've lived in out here had crawlspace foundations.

I think crawlspaces are popular in some areas because of the high water tables in some places. I know people in Story and the surrounding area are constantly having problems with basements flooding or sump pumps not working, my husband used to work on quote a few failed pumps up in Story when we first moved out here...

[TooHotInTexas]

Having to Google what a crawl space basement is .... I just thought all basements were the same, but I see now there are several variations.

[Kristynwy]

I don't think crawl spaces are considered a basement... I could be wrong... but I don't think they are..

A crawl space is basically a raised foundation so you can have a space underneath the house rather than just a concrete slab or pier and post for manufactured.

I know for manufactured a crawl space foundation is considered a "permanent" foundation and makes the overall value of the home better.

For basements there are walk out basements, partial basements, and full finished or unfinished basements...

[nativetogillette]

Basements are great for storage, spiders, and a wonderful musty odor most of the time if you ask me. I personally will never own another home that has one. I would rather have a level above me than a level below. Yes, they are great for tornados, though most certainly you'll have a neighbor close by that has one. Alot of the homes in Gillette have been built on flood plains so always be careful of that as your basement also can be home to water!

[GEORGIAINMT]

Originally Posted by nativetogillette

Basements are great for storage, spiders, and a wonderful musty odor most of the time if you ask me. I personally will never own another home that has one. I would rather have a level above me than a level below. Yes, they are great for tornados, though most certainly you'll have a neighbor close by that has one. Alot of the homes in Gillette have been built on flood plains so always be careful of that as your basement also can be home to water!

Being new to Gillette and considering where we may want to buy or build a new home, can you help me with which parts of town are NOT good for basements? I know we looked at a new construction home and it had a bunch of water in the basement (earlier this summer)! Let me know what you think! Thanks!

[nativetogillette]

I would stay away from 4J, Sage Bluffs, Southerland, and Heritage for starters. I would also be cautious about Remington Estates as they had to pump the water out of there during contruction. Alot of lower lying areas were built on flood plains, (something that always seems to happen during the boom cycle.) Also, anything from Kluver Road South would be an area of concern. Some good places to look depending on your finanacial situation would be, Doud Subdivision, College Park, Westover, and Saunders or McCann Heights. I know it seems as if the choices are limited and quite possible they have taken care of some of these issues in the older subs, just be cautious and get with a realtor who knows the area well. I always recommend Pat Avery.
Good Luck!

[GEORGIAINMT]

Originally Posted by nativetogillette

I would stay away from 4J, Sage Bluffs, Southerland, and Heritage for starters. I would also be cautious about Remington Estates as they had to pump the water out of there during contruction. Alot of lower lying areas were built on flood plains, (something that always seems to happen during the boom cycle.) Also, anything from Kluver Road South would be an area of concern. Some good places to look depending on your finanacial situation would be, Doud Subdivision, College Park, Westover, and Saunders or McCann Heights. I know it seems as if the choices are limited and quite possible they have taken care of some of these issues in the older subs, just be cautious and get with a realtor who knows the area well. I always recommend Pat Avery.
Good Luck!

Thanks so much for the info! Being new to Gillette we are learning all we can about the different subdivisions. That's one good thing about renting before we go ahead & buy or build! We are in Sleepy Hollow now & most of the homes do not have basements, but we've noticed that the new construction on the N. end of the sub. does. Any ideas about water in that area? I'm glad you mentioned Pat. He was the one who showed us homes when we first started considering Gillette and he showed us the one with the water in the basement! He was very professional in the way he didn't "dis" the builder, etc., but cautioned us about the water. One other question I have....what's the deal about building on reclaimed land? We've been told to make sure that the land being built on hasn't been reclaimed. Also, someone I know who lives in the Antelope Valley area said they have to completely redo their basement because everything has shifted so much beneath their home. Any pointers on that? Thanks again for all your help. You're awesome!

[Clay Lady]

An appraiser told my husband that the basement space was not counted in the sf of the house. There are three finished bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a laundry room "downstairs" - in the basement. I like the downstairs for sleeping in hot weather. This is in the Rawlins area.

[nativetogillette]

Originally Posted by GEORGIAINMT

Thanks so much for the info! Being new to Gillette we are learning all we can about the different subdivisions. That's one good thing about renting before we go ahead & buy or build! We are in Sleepy Hollow now & most of the homes do not have basements, but we've noticed that the new construction on the N. end of the sub. does. Any ideas about water in that area? I'm glad you mentioned Pat. He was the one who showed us homes when we first started considering Gillette and he showed us the one with the water in the basement! He was very professional in the way he didn't "dis" the builder, etc., but cautioned us about the water. One other question I have....what's the deal about building on reclaimed land? We've been told to make sure that the land being built on hasn't been reclaimed. Also, someone I know who lives in the Antelope Valley area said they have to completely redo their basement because everything has shifted so much beneath their home. Any pointers on that? Thanks again for all your help. You're awesome!

I have never heard of any troubles in Antelope Valley or in Sleepy Hollow though alot of the "soil?" in and around Gillette is clay and maybe even some bentonite, so I wouldn't doubt that there would be some shifting. I know that at one time all of the houses in upper Foothills were literally sliding off of the hill. Most of your subdivisions that were built in the late 70's, early 80's were built in the middle of an energy boom so be careful. While not all construction was below standards, alot of fly-by-night contractors were here building homes as fast as they could in order to make the biggest buck. They had no intentions of sticking around to face any consequenses so quality didn't come into play. Avery is pretty honest about the properties that he shows as he is here for the long haul and has a reputation to uphold. McCann Heights, (Across HWY 59 from McDonalds) is probably one of my favorite neighborhoods as it is small, tucked away, and very quiet for being right in the middle of town. There's not usually alot of homes for sale there as most that live there have for many years. Worth keeping an eye out though. Same thing with Saunders, (East of 4J). I live in the country which I wouldn't change for the world however any inquiring you do on that note, be very careful of the water situations!
I will keep thinking on it for you...