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When we bought our house, we looked at 25 houses and only 1 had a basement. We walked in the front door, smelled a musty smell, and turned around and left. There are a small number of buyers who want a basement and a larger number of buyers who really don't want a basement. There are regional differences in housing, and this is one.
Since the Triangle is so humid, almost every house that's been closed up for a while smells moldy whether it has a basement or not. It's so bad that most of the times that I look at houses on concrete slabs that haven't had ventilation I feel like I'm going to vomit.
Since the Triangle is so humid, almost every house that's been closed up for a while smells moldy whether it has a basement or not. It's so bad that most of the times that I look at houses on concrete slabs that haven't had ventilation I feel like I'm going to vomit.
True... homes that are lived in tend to have the smells of people... food, flowers, perfumes, furniture, etc. So one does not get the same smells in a house like that when viewing it. If so, we'd all never visit anyone.
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All depends on lot slope and how the basement was designed
Great Basements = Full walkout, Lots of windows and door, Plenty of direct sunlight, No musty smells!
Poor Basements = Minimal windows, Some not fully walkout, moisture issues, musty smells!
Not a basement fan. We have a fully finished walkout basement that doubles the size of our house. Wish I had a second floor instead. We have water intrusion issues occasionally, have to run a dehumidifier constantly, or we will get mold and mildew. I would take the same space in an upstairs any day. Every basement I've ever been in has been this way. I'd much rather have a bonus room over the garage. Heat doesn't bother me. Mold and moisture does.
And these Southerners park our car in our garage just fine, thanks.
All depends on lot slope and how the basement was designed
Great Basements = Full walkout, Lots of windows and door, Plenty of direct sunlight, No musty smells!
Poor Basements = Minimal windows, Some not fully walkout, moisture issues, musty smells!
I'd add the thoughts: properly managed/manageable surface (rain) water, and maybe quick draining sandy soil (as opposed to clay) or a lot of gravel.
It'd be hard to back a parked car out of a basement so thanks for letting us know you park it in a garage.
Well, you're welcome, but it was really directed at laloesch, who seems to be under the impression that Southerners don't use their garages for their cars.
Quote:
Originally Posted by laloesch
Down south no-one puts their cars in their garages because they have no place to store stuff which is a shame because the sun scorches your cars interiors after a few years, fading the interior, cracking the vinyl mouldings, dash, etc. Plus your cars are a million degrees when you get in them in the summer and you have to scrape your windshields EVERY day during the mild winters down here.
I would rather have a no-steps rambling rancher on a slab and a nice level lot, than a cellar.
You must not have bad knees or lower back issues. Luck you! For me, living on a concrete slab would be comparable to torture and it would only get worse as I get older. Heck, my body feels horrible if I spend too much time on Sam's Club's concrete floor. I gotta at least have the give of a crawl space foundation; what a shame that the builders are cheaping out nowadays and mostly building on slabs.
You must not have bad knees or lower back issues. Luck you! For me, living on a concrete slab would be comparable to torture and it would only get worse as I get older. Heck, my body feels horrible if I spend too much time on Sam's Club's concrete floor. I gotta at least have the give of a crawl space foundation; what a shame that the builders are cheaping out nowadays and mostly building on slabs.
With all this rain we have had, crawl spaces have taken a beating! The last 5 inspections I've had done, the crawl space moisture level is 22 or over. Most have had some type of mold issues. Inspectors like to see 18 or lower.
A big part of the problem is that homeowners don't go into their crawl spaces very often to see what is going on in there! Before I even list the home with the crawl space, I'm having homeowners go into their crawl space to make sure there is no standing water, vapor barrier is in good shape, no wet insulation hanging down and no mold!
I'm starting to like slabs better!
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