basements? (Phoenix, Scottsdale, Chandler: new home, scorpions, camping)

[mamom1]

It is my understanding that the houses in AZ don't have basements. Is this true? If so, then where do you store all your stuff? I plan on getting rid of as much as I can before I move but will still have some things that need storing. I don't want to use a storing company, I'd rather have my items at my own house.

Also, are there a lot of cockroaches in AZ? My husband could care less about scorpions and spiders but will not tolerate roaches.

[aj661]

Actually some homes do have basements but only a small percentage. There was a builder in Buckeye that was offering them within the last year. I don't remember the builders name, but the houses were unimpressive. I had one built by Knoell (bought out by Shea) in Chandler in 1989.

Chances are that your house have will have a garage. That's your storage space. Two car garages only hold one midsized car so you should have plenty of room. Better yet, get a place with a three car garage!

I can't think of one place in the country that doesn't have roaches. But that's why WalMart sells insecticides. Tell your husband not to worry~they aren't a major problem.

[SOON2BNSURPRISE]

I always thought it was funny that we in the west anyway, store stuff we may never use in the garage while our cars that are worth $25,000, $35,000 or more are parked outside. My garage is for our cars and it holds two of them. My thought is that if you haven't used something in a month or two, maybe its time to part with it.

There are homes in the area that have basements. Infact I noticed a lot of homes in the center of Phoenix that have basements. They are older homes that are built out of cinder block or brick. Within the forum you will also find some builders that offer a basement option. I know of some newer homes in Gilbert that offer it. If you are looking for a new home check out the remaining builders in the area to see if they offer a basement.

My ideal home when I am rich and famous is a three story home with a finished basement and a finished attic, meaning a total of five livable levels. Each floor, basement and attic will have 10 foot ceilings as a minumum. I want a ten car garage and my favorite brands to fill it. No stuff taking space in my garage. And of course the place would have a pool and tennis court along with lots of space to roam around.

[sablebaby]

Many people will fill their garages with their stuff and park their cars in the driveway. I don't agree with this, as it's just harsh on your car, especially in the summer. We have a 3 car garage and it's filled with ONLY cars. My bf will not allow ANYTHING else in the garage. So, that makes it a bit difficult for items like ladders and mowers. However, whenever I pass by a garage that's filled with crap I'm grateful for his rule. LOL

There are such a small percentage of homes with basements. I only know of one development in N. Scottsdale that has them and they are very expensive homes.

About roaches, some will say they have them and others won't. I only had one place that had them in my 33 yrs here and that's because it was an old apt complex on a lake - it was cockroach heaven!

[shiphead]

I dont understand why AZ homes aren't built underground. 7ft and under would keep you nice and cold all summer.

[sablebaby]

Originally Posted by w1ngzer0

I dont understand why AZ homes aren't built underground. 7ft and under would keep you nice and cold all summer.

There's been other threads written about basements and why they can't be built here. You can try searching for them for more answers.

[shiphead]

i'll give that a go

[aj661]

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

I always thought it was funny that we in the west anyway, store stuff we may never use in the garage while our cars that are worth $25,000, $35,000 or more are parked outside. My garage is for our cars and it holds two of them. My thought is that if you haven't used something in a month or two, maybe its time to part with it.

Ahh, reminds me of the classic movie "It's a Wonderful Life". Going by your rule, Christmas would have to come at least every other month here . Even if I could do away with those 15-20 plastic storage bins, there's camping equipment, a universal weight station, a tool chest, air compressor, shop vac, two table saws, two steamer trunks and a WWII era footlocker filled with old "stuff", a chest style freezer and four wood cabinets filled with more tools and supplies. I really wish I had more room here, but my garages have always had to double as workshops. It's just a fact of life. Tools rust in the rain-cars don't. I tried packing everything into the hall closet but when my wife said towels had to stay, well, that was that. The pickup we used to have didn't fit length-wise and the two cars we have now would be a tight squeeze; I can wash the dust off but door dings are a different story. Bottom line, the nicest of the two cars sleeps in the garage, while my old Ford holds the driveway down.

Originally Posted by SOON2BNSURPRISE

There are homes in the area that have basements. Infact I noticed a lot of homes in the center of Phoenix that have basements. They are older homes that are built out of cinder block or brick. Within the forum you will also find some builders that offer a basement option. I know of some newer homes in Gilbert that offer it. If you are looking for a new home check out the remaining builders in the area to see if they offer a basement.

My ideal home when I am rich and famous is a three story home with a finished basement and a finished attic, meaning a total of five livable levels. Each floor, basement and attic will have 10 foot ceilings as a minumum. I want a ten car garage and my favorite brands to fill it. No stuff taking space in my garage. And of course the place would have a pool and tennis court along with lots of space to roam around.

Sounds like Malibu.

I love basements. They make so much sense here from an energy conservation standpoint. So do the ten foot ceilings (nine was the best we could get here). Maybe too much...I think SRP and APS would lose a lot of money if every two story in the valley was a basement home. Maybe it's a conspiracy and they're paying off the builders. Hmmmm.

[AzDreamer]

Because of the climate most homes in Phoenix will have roaches. Ours did too until we found out about boric acid. It is not toxic to humans but for some reason roaches don't like it.

We drilled some small holes in the wall under our kitchen cabinets and sprayed some boric acid into the space between the studs. Boric acid is a powder so we used a bulb syringe to spray it.

[ranman469]

basements can be built anywhere, excluding high water conditions.
think about it all the utilities are underground.
they aren't built due to the fact of cost, you have to install a sump system fro ground and rain water, and large windows and egress for escape, and beams and support for the above floor.so these things do cast allot. a slab is cheap.

i`m from Michigan and i do miss my basement but adding 30grand to the cost of a home is just to much for me.
funny thing back in mi. you almost never see a home without a basement and here you almost never see a home with one. kinda funny