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The triangle area doesn't have too many basements (you can do a search on this forum for the subject, I know there are some responses to it). The basements are built as "daylight basements" meaning, on a sloped lot, where the back part of the basement is windows and a door. There are some older homes inside in the beltline that may have your typical basement, but many are just dirt basements.
I know in chapel hill (on tinkerbell specifically) we lived in a house with a typical basement.........now that was 1972, and the house is still there!
You can have an realtor do a search for you with homes specifically with basements.......
basements are built as "daylight basements" meaning, on a sloped lot, where the back part of the basement is windows and a door.
Aren't these called "Walk-out" basements? I also wanted a basement when we bought a house here, but only some of the more expensive new construction or old small homes had them. In Northern VA, just about all new houses have walkout basements and the topograghy and soil are pretty much the same as here. I wonder why they don't build more with basements here? It's always cheaper to finish a basement, then it would be to add a similar size addition to your home.
About half the homes in our neighborhood in Cary has them. They're very nice, but were not in our budget. I'm a bit skeptical of the possible long term water issues given the soil here--especially with our builder.
There are a few basement homes and lots in the new Brightleaf development in eastern Durham near Brier Creek. There are also a number of newer homes in Long Lake with basements. As a general rule, they're pretty hard to come by in the Triangle area.
If that is what you want, narrow your fields and only look at basement homes.
Just put them into your search, or have your agent do so, like Leigh said.
I just did a quick MLS search, and came up with 1797 active Triangle home listings with basements.
Aren't these called "Walk-out" basements? I also wanted a basement when we bought a house here, but only some of the more expensive new construction or old small homes had them. In Northern VA, just about all new houses have walkout basements and the topograghy and soil are pretty much the same as here. I wonder why they don't build more with basements here? It's always cheaper to finish a basement, then it would be to add a similar size addition to your home.
The reason why you don't see as many basements here as you do up north is because we don't suffer from the hard freezes as people do up north. In colder climates, pipes must be buried deeper in the ground to prevent them from freezing. That isn't a major issue here in the south.
I am still struggling with basements. In Maryland they are a must have and should be finished. That was a big deal with our selling a 3,200 sq ft house with unfinished basement. We know people who are having their basement finished just to sell the house. They know they will not get back as much as they are putting into having it finished. They need to do it just to sell. Now we buy in North Carolina and it is pretty much why do you need a basement. We have adjusted but I wonder if in 20 years the northerners relocating will have made basements standard. Doesn't surprise me that Cary has a lot of basements since we all know what the letters CARY stand for. If my kids can't sell the house because of no basement I will be crying as they drop us off at the home.
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