Tell me what to look for when buying a home with an attic or basement...
October 11, 2014 4:54 PM Subscribe
We are starting to look at purchasing a home. I'm loving the idea of having a basement or converted attic or attic that could be converted. What should I be looking for to evaluate whether the basement or attic space is good?
Do you have a basement or attic and what did you learn about it after you moved in that you wish you had known sooner? If you were to buy again, would a basement space be on your priority list? How do you use yours and what do you wish you could do with it?
Do you have a basement or attic and what did you learn about it after you moved in that you wish you had known sooner? If you were to buy again, would a basement space be on your priority list? How do you use yours and what do you wish you could do with it?
My random thoughts on the matter....First check that all grades slope away from the foundation and that other properties don't empty rain water onto yours. A house that's crowded in by other buildings or lacks direct access to the basement is a poor candidate.
Are you thinking of an older or newer home? Ask what sort of exterior and interior weeping tile exists and if there's no clear information, expect that you'll need to install some. Don't buy an old place with a low ceiling unless you can afford to have it underpinned before you move in. Underpinning creates a lot of debt, stress and filth and still no real guarantee that it'll stay dry forever.
I'm biased against totally finished basements in older buildings. Consider that an partially finished space can still be really useful. Putting in a small bathroom, laundry, sauna and workshop gives you a ton of usage without requiring you to insulate much of the exterior walls. Exterior wall finishing is going to go south sooner or later because pink insulation will get mouldy and foam insulation can provide cover for termites.
posted by bonobothegreat at 5:49 PM on October 11, 2014
Are you thinking of an older or newer home? Ask what sort of exterior and interior weeping tile exists and if there's no clear information, expect that you'll need to install some. Don't buy an old place with a low ceiling unless you can afford to have it underpinned before you move in. Underpinning creates a lot of debt, stress and filth and still no real guarantee that it'll stay dry forever.
I'm biased against totally finished basements in older buildings. Consider that an partially finished space can still be really useful. Putting in a small bathroom, laundry, sauna and workshop gives you a ton of usage without requiring you to insulate much of the exterior walls. Exterior wall finishing is going to go south sooner or later because pink insulation will get mouldy and foam insulation can provide cover for termites.
posted by bonobothegreat at 5:49 PM on October 11, 2014
Unless the basement has a walk-out exit (ie. the building is on sloping ground), and has windows on that side or the possibility of installing them, I would not think about converting any basement space to living space. It would probably be against building codes to have a basement bedroom without the walk-out exit, in any event. But as bonobo mentions there are certainly other potential uses for basement space ranging from rec rooms to workshops.
If the attic is above a second floor, you would have some similar exit issues, whether or not covered by code. Unless an attic space has a second exit, or is on the second floor, I would limit its use to storage or recreational space, not sleeping space. Consider a billiards room like Mark Twain's (Hartford CT) or Rudyard Kipling's (Nauhlakha, Dummerston VT), both on the third floors of their homes.
posted by beagle at 6:08 PM on October 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
If the attic is above a second floor, you would have some similar exit issues, whether or not covered by code. Unless an attic space has a second exit, or is on the second floor, I would limit its use to storage or recreational space, not sleeping space. Consider a billiards room like Mark Twain's (Hartford CT) or Rudyard Kipling's (Nauhlakha, Dummerston VT), both on the third floors of their homes.
posted by beagle at 6:08 PM on October 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Attic space serves a purpose in terms of providing air flow that helps keep the shingles in good order. Converting an attic space that was designed to keep the roof healthy can adversely affect the roof.
My favorite book for newb home owners is The Virgin Homeowner - it's a great book to have when you're looking over houses to understand the systems that make a house work.
posted by plinth at 6:21 PM on October 11, 2014 [5 favorites]
My favorite book for newb home owners is The Virgin Homeowner - it's a great book to have when you're looking over houses to understand the systems that make a house work.
posted by plinth at 6:21 PM on October 11, 2014 [5 favorites]
Check with someone knowledgeable if your attic joists will actually be sufficient to support a floor. Often they are not and would need to be shored up or replaced (might involve tearing down the ceiling on the second floor). That's what we were told about our attic anyway!
posted by The Hyacinth Girl at 6:35 PM on October 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by The Hyacinth Girl at 6:35 PM on October 11, 2014 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Caryatid, converted to living space.
posted by amanda at 6:35 PM on October 11, 2014
posted by amanda at 6:35 PM on October 11, 2014
When we were looking at houses the biggest thing I was concerned with in basements was smell. I was super concerned whenever it was musty or damp smelling because moisture can be such a major issue in basements and can indicate water damage. We've had basements that were humid but never musty.
posted by brilliantine at 8:09 PM on October 11, 2014
posted by brilliantine at 8:09 PM on October 11, 2014
On the attic, get an engineer to evaluate the joists. Often they are built strong enough to support the roof, but not to support the additional load of a living space. We doubled ours up. But the way wood works, you get a much greater boost by having taller joists. (E.g., 2x10s instead of 2x8s or whatever.) Depending on how much additional strength or stiffness you need, you might even have to lower the ceiling on the floor below, if you even have the ceiling height to do it. All of this very quickly makes a project too expensive to be worth it.
Also, look at how the roof trusses are. If you have diagonal members in that truss web, will they be going diagonally through your room? Is that okay with you? Is that going to be okay with fire code?
Also, how will you get up and down? Will you have to build a staircase and how will that cut into the interior space below?
Also, I think there are minimum floor space requirements, and, if the ceiling is sloping, they only count the portion of the room with a ceiling height of X' and taller.
And if you want to put a bedroom there, you'll need to think about egress.
posted by slidell at 12:02 AM on October 12, 2014
Also, look at how the roof trusses are. If you have diagonal members in that truss web, will they be going diagonally through your room? Is that okay with you? Is that going to be okay with fire code?
Also, how will you get up and down? Will you have to build a staircase and how will that cut into the interior space below?
Also, I think there are minimum floor space requirements, and, if the ceiling is sloping, they only count the portion of the room with a ceiling height of X' and taller.
And if you want to put a bedroom there, you'll need to think about egress.
posted by slidell at 12:02 AM on October 12, 2014
We had a walk-out basement in our house and it doubled the size of our living space.
During your inspection have a plumber put a camera down the pipes out to the sewer to insure that the pipes are sound. You do NOT want to have to dig up the basement, or your exterior landscaping to repair broken, corroded or that weird plastic piping they used in the seventies (ask me how I know.)
Also find out about drainage, we had to put in a French Drain in to prevent water intrusion on the front side of the house (it was built on a slope.)
If a basement has been converted, go to the town hall to confirm that the proper permits were pulled. If it's older, then be SURE to insist on a CO and city inspection before purchase.
Regular inspections cost about $300, pay more and get a GREAT inspection. An extra $300 up front could have saved me about $30,000. I'm not joking. This is the most expensive item you are likely to ever purchase, don't cheap out on inspections or get lazy about research.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:26 AM on October 12, 2014 [3 favorites]
During your inspection have a plumber put a camera down the pipes out to the sewer to insure that the pipes are sound. You do NOT want to have to dig up the basement, or your exterior landscaping to repair broken, corroded or that weird plastic piping they used in the seventies (ask me how I know.)
Also find out about drainage, we had to put in a French Drain in to prevent water intrusion on the front side of the house (it was built on a slope.)
If a basement has been converted, go to the town hall to confirm that the proper permits were pulled. If it's older, then be SURE to insist on a CO and city inspection before purchase.
Regular inspections cost about $300, pay more and get a GREAT inspection. An extra $300 up front could have saved me about $30,000. I'm not joking. This is the most expensive item you are likely to ever purchase, don't cheap out on inspections or get lazy about research.
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 6:26 AM on October 12, 2014 [3 favorites]
Sounds kind of basic, but make sure the ceilings are high enough in the basement after all is said and done. You lose head height when you add in finished floors and ceiling (with space for wiring, plumbing and insulation.) The higher the ceilings (8+ feet) the less "basement-y" it will feel.
posted by Neeuq Nus at 10:07 AM on October 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by Neeuq Nus at 10:07 AM on October 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
... and basements also often have pipes overhead. Make sure they're way above the usable space.
posted by Neeuq Nus at 10:08 AM on October 12, 2014
posted by Neeuq Nus at 10:08 AM on October 12, 2014
I considered finishing the attic in my old house, but a structural engineer advised against additional load. The house was on marine clay, which compresses over time, and the house always had some cracks in the plaster, and doors and windows went out of true. Engineer said the house wasn't going to fall down, far from it, but more weight & movement in the attic would contribute to existing problems.
Also, check planning board, zoning, etc. Some neighborhoods disallow additional use, like apartments.
posted by theora55 at 12:41 PM on October 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
Also, check planning board, zoning, etc. Some neighborhoods disallow additional use, like apartments.
posted by theora55 at 12:41 PM on October 12, 2014 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by caryatid at 5:46 PM on October 11, 2014