I didn't grow up in basement homes so I don't like them but I've seen them done nicely so that they don't look dark or storagey.

We live in a 5br home with no basement (on slab).

At times I miss the extra storage space, but it just forces us to get rid of junk. When I walk into our old house and its walk out basement to clean up from minor water issues or to rectify musty smells then I don't miss the basement so much.

I saw a few houses on slabs when I was looking in Arlington. I also saw a couple with just a crawl space basement.

It's nice to have the storage space and potential living space; at some point you may outgrow your above-ground space by a bit. I don't use my (finished) basement for much besides storage, but it's a good place to keep exercise equipment and my tools and Christmas stuff.

What I would never do again is a crawlspace. We have a rambler with full basement, plus an addition on a crawlspace. The basement gives us some trouble in terms of humidity, but at least you can get in there and install a dehumidifier. The crawlspace is the worst of two worlds. Musty, bugs, no ventilation, inaccessible to fix anything. You don't get any of the benefits of storage or easy access to utilities for the floors above. The room above the crawlspace is much colder than others, even though the floor is insulated. And when the HVAC blows, I get whiffs of the icky crawlspace air.

I would ideally stay on a slab, but around here that's really rare and will limit your choice. A basement can be a problem, but at least you can reach it, and you can remedy many things with dehumidifiers and better insulation.

I definitely think no basement affects resale negatively.

Me personally, I don't want to have a primary living space in the basement (which I see some people do) or spend a lot of time down there, but I want one. A shed or an attic isn't nearly as convenient for storage space.

Many buyers with families are also looking for a basement for a playroom or a teen hangout room. I've seen homes where this space on a third floor, but when your kids are young, this puts them two floors away from you, which isn't ideal (they will use it less and you can't hear them). And when they're teens, this puts them above the area where the rest of you are sleeping (noisy). Not a fan of those third floor setups.

We just built a new house and we decided we don't want a basement. Plenty of space in the house for storage, and a huge whole-house attic we plan to finish in future for teen hangout, game room, escape space etc. I didn't want to mess with the waterproofing issues plus the attic is just nicer than a basement.

My last house had no basement, but it did have a huge walk up attic. Given the clay soil/water issues in my neighborhood, I prefer the attic.

No Basement, deal breaker. In a ranch, it doubles the size of the house. In a colonial, it adds 1/3 more.

I think that in the DC area where land is at a premium you (or at least I) almost certainly need a basement. There simply is not room in a typical yard for decent outbuildings and garages are often only big enough for one car. Plus, it is good to have some climate controlled storage areas and a concrete floor to house tools, work benches, utility sink, washer/dryer.

Our lower level family room served as playroom, t.v. room and was a good places for sleepovers.

Anonymous wrote:I would never, ever buy a house without a basement. I grew up without them in the south. But in an area where 99% of the houses have a basement, it would be a deal killer.

And my basement doesn't leak and isn't underground fully. It has 3 windows and walk out french doors.

The value of homes on my block are designated by basement or no basement. The newer builds (in an historic district) are considered worthless. No one points to anything but, "no basement." It's a stand in for lack of value. And they even come with parking! A major issue around here. Still: no basement.

I would do not basement if the house is 3 stories

Basement is a must have in this area because sprawling ramblers are not are around due to the high cost of land.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only reason not to get a basement is if you live in an area where the water table is too high to have one. Northern Virginia does not have this problem.

Team husband.

Not a high water table but springs cause problems. Many houses do not have basements in these areas because those who built years ago understood springs cannot be stopped. Newer builders ignored the springs and tore down old houses without basements and built new houses with basements and multiple sump pumps which never stop running because they are trying to drain springs. In the winter we have problems on our street because the constant flow of water being discharged from new houses creates a wide band if ice along the gutters. The County is trying to come up with a solution and the owners of those houses are royally annoyed.

Springs are effectively the same thing as the water table. A 'spring' is generally just a spot where the water table intersects the ground surface. You can also have springs where a confined aquifer meets the surface, but since most folks aren't generally familiar with the distinction between a confined and unconfined aquifer it may not be necessary to get into the weeds like that.

Anonymous wrote:Houses without basements are usually cheaper builds.

Or historical, solid builds that have a stone foundation.

No basement.