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Old 06-03-2010, 07:04 AM
 
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We have a house w/ a crawlspace now. I will never (ever!!) buy another house w/o a basement. Even if it is unfinished, you can have your washer/dryer down there and use for storing cleaning supplies. otherwise you have to find room in the floorplan for your laundryroom and cleaning supply storage.... all of which takes up significant SF.

It is not like down south where you can keep your washer/dryer in the garage. It freezes here.

Just make sure you get an inspection that guarantees there are no leaks. Those can be expensive to have fixed. And ask questions about whether it has ever flooded. Look for signs of seepage and flooding.
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Old 06-03-2010, 07:13 AM
 
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Some areas have a high water table and basements are not allowed. Where they are available, they seem to be a desired feature. I heard of one homeowner who put in a sub-basement. I wonder how they kept that dry.
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Old 06-03-2010, 08:06 AM
 
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Thanks! Yep, this house has the laundry room right off of the garage, which I actually really like since I have a toddler and hope to have another baby in the next year or two.

To answer a previous question, this isn't exactly an investment home, but it's not a forever home either. More like 7ish years or so while we are a one-income family and the kids are little. I think that's where my hesistation is b/c of resale. If I'm feeling this hesitation, then won't future buyers have the same feeling?

It would allow us to live well below our means, which is also very tempting and there is storage all over the house and very nice closets compared to what we've been seeing this past 18 months.
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Old 06-03-2010, 01:14 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by chisub View Post
To answer a previous question, this isn't exactly an investment home, but it's not a forever home either. More like 7ish years or so while we are a one-income family and the kids are little. I think that's where my hesistation is b/c of resale. If I'm feeling this hesitation, then won't future buyers have the same feeling?
Yes, they will. So: rent.
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Old 06-03-2010, 01:46 PM
 
169 posts, read 527,103 times
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If I knew that we could get a good landlord in a SFH for 7 years, sure. I feel like a lot of the SFH rentals are rentals until the market is better and then we'd get the boot anyways. We've already played out the scenarios in our head multiple ways and have made the decision to buy (we already own). Which brings me back to my original question and not about renting vs. buying....
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Old 06-03-2010, 02:04 PM
 
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Yes a basement is a good selling point, but so is more rooms, bathrooms, etc,.. If you like the house and the price is right i wouldn't let it be a dealbreaker.
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Old 06-09-2010, 12:39 PM
 
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Default You are to think this way, you aren't JUST buying for now...

Quote:
Originally Posted by chisub View Post
Thanks! Yep, this house has the laundry room right off of the garage, which I actually really like since I have a toddler and hope to have another baby in the next year or two.

To answer a previous question, this isn't exactly an investment home, but it's not a forever home either. More like 7ish years or so while we are a one-income family and the kids are little. I think that's where my hesistation is b/c of resale. If I'm feeling this hesitation, then won't future buyers have the same feeling?

It would allow us to live well below our means, which is also very tempting and there is storage all over the house and very nice closets compared to what we've been seeing this past 18 months.

When you evaluate the particular home it is VITALLY IMPORTANT that you factor in the impact of the surrounding homes and the WHOLE COMMUNITY that you are buying into -- down the road when you sell you will have to MARKET that whole package!

With that in mind here are some KEY questions: In the specific neighborhood you are considering how rare / common is a home w/o a basement? I know a handful of areas that have MOSTLY no basements and in such a neighborhood the lack of basement means that your potential competition probably will be in the same situation.

What is the mix of families with younger kids that TEND to like basements? If the school district means that other folks tend to move on once their kids get to school age maybe the basement is not such a big deal...

What are the specifics on the styles of housing and zoning? If these factors make you "fit in" vs "stand out" then you can safely make an offer on THIS house in THIS area...

Good Luck!
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Old 06-09-2010, 05:01 PM
 
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Chet, this is in Deerfield. On this particular block there are several homes of the same style and I need to investigate if they have basements or not. However, about 1/2 the block has new construction homes and a lot of kids due to the schools.
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Old 06-10-2010, 03:07 PM
 
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I think I know the section of Deerfield you are considering. My bottom line on that area is that you are covered IF you buy an under-improved place w/o a basement that otherwise would have been appealing to a builder of teardowns. That might be the case...

If the place you are thinking of is really "fixed up" it will be hard for any future shopper to consider it for a teardown and w/o a basement it will NOT be anywhere near as appealing to folks that DO buy the teardowns with dreams of fancy media rooms and play areas in the new basements...
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Old 06-10-2010, 05:07 PM
 
169 posts, read 527,103 times
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Great points as usual Chet!
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