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It might seem premature to think about resell value before buying, but it's important because other potential buyers down the line will consider these things when house hunting.
/\/\ Very very few folks will walk away from a LI house BECAUSE it has a basement or BECAUSE it has a garage. (Note: In life there are exceptions.)
There are many folks who won’t buy if the LI house lacks either. (Note: In life there are exceptions.)
So, it is just another factor to keep in mind regarding eventual re-sale when purchasing. And certainly a point to repeatedly address when negotiating purchase price.
If the basement is finished as a rec room for children and their friends, great! Otherwise, unimproved Long Island basements tend to encourage the saving of things you no longer need, which become ruined by mold, mildew, black mold and the generally damp environment. Holiday decorations do better in attics, crawl spaces, closets, lofts, garages and sheds.
Many people think Levittown or inline ranches in Shirley or other low-end areas when they think of homes without basements. There are other, more upscale areas that are basement free on the Island.
There is a development of Mid Century Modern homes in Glen Cove that are built on slabs.(not Levitt Built) My sister owns one. They are near the beach and the basement would be a dank, sodden mess if they did have basements. They are notable for their floor to ceiling windows and Eichler designed California ranch style. My sister's home has a laundry room, and utility room. Also a garage. There is no noise from the utility room.
In Roslyn and East Williston there are other up-market developments with really nice, similar basement free Mid Century ranches. I love the homes in these areas. To my knowlege, all of the more upscale communities built by Levitt - Strathmore in Stony Brook-Setauket and Coram, and Country Club Estates do not have basements. When one lives on an island, this can be a plus.
I've always had a fear of basements. Unless finished and waterproofed, they are musty and creepy. I like a laundry room on the first or second floor. Not in The Dungeon. Face it, most LI basements are dank and wet, unfit to store anything.
I remember an adult friend quizzing me about the possibility of removing the dampness from her basement (I think it only held a large gas-fired forced hot air furnace and blower with a maze of vents feeding the first floor, a gas-fired hot water tank, some auto-sprinkler controls, breaker box, and the usual water/waste water pipes. Her late husband’s workshop and permanent storage shelves took up the bulk of the space.) She had never heard of a dehumidifier!! (Modern basements built the last 30 years tend to be much airier with large windows and even egress doors, and 8-foot ceilings -builders know what folks want and grade property so basements are partially above the grade in the back of the house). It was the funniest conversation - she was happy to hear of the invention. We laugh about that conversation to this day.
I remember an adult friend quizzing me about the possibility of removing the dampness from her basement (I think it only held a large gas-fired forced hot air furnace and blower with a maze of vents feeding the first floor, a gas-fired hot water tank, some auto-sprinkler controls, breaker box, and the usual water/waste water pipes. Her late husband’s workshop and permanent storage shelves took up the bulk of the space.) She had never heard of a dehumidifier!! (Modern basements built the last 30 years tend to be much airier with large windows and even egress doors, and 8-foot ceilings -builders know what folks want and grade property so basements are partially above the grade in the back of the house). It was the funniest conversation - she was happy to hear of the invention. We laugh about that conversation to this day.
Most newer homes have 9ft basements now, mine is 8.5 when the ceiling is rocked it will still be over 8ft. 4 Windows is basically the standard now 2 egress and 2 32x22 or larger windows. Ours gets a good amount of natural light, yesterday at 3pm I was down there and did not need any lights on sunlight was enough.
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