I have a serious question (1 Viewer)

[Day]

Why are there so many basements in USA homes unfinished as opposed to finished?
Growing up I always thought finished basements were a sign of wealth because I've never had one do you think it's bc they run out of money? Laziness?

@Ahsoka i feel like you'll have good insight on this

 

[Ahsoka]

Why me?

 

[Day]

Why me?

You know a lot I thought you would know this too

 

[Ahsoka]

You know a lot I thought you would know this too

In this matter I have no idea, I’ve lived in the same place single I was 4 and never really went to other people’s places so my sample size is small. All I can say is out “basement” is finished but it’s also not actually a basement because sits partly above ground. And people actually use it, when we exit we exit through said “basement” so if it would be more necessary for it to be finished than if it was a room that was never used and out of the way. So in summary, beats me

 

[Day]

In this matter I have no idea, I’ve lived in the same place single I was 4 and never really went to other people’s places so my sample size is small. All I can say is out “basement” is finished but it’s also not actually a basement because sits partly above ground. And people actually use it, when we exit we exit through said “basement” so if it would be more necessary for it to be finished than if it was a room that was never used and out of the way. So in summary, beats me

I think the builders must not gaf and they leave the basement for the home owners to customize and spend their own money to make the space exactly how they want this is my hypothesis

 

[dnb]

It varies. In a lot of homes the basement is used just for storage. Around here (Northeastern US) many basements don't have heating or air conditioning so it's harder to use them as living areas.

 

[Day]

It varies. In a lot of homes the basement is used just for storage. Around here (Northeastern US) many basements don't have heating or air conditioning so it's harder to use them as living areas.

I never knew that that sounds awful I'm so sorry

 

[Nina]

Attics too. IG because those aren't rooms most people but homeowners see.
Laundry machines are usually thrown in the basement and junk gets stored in the attic (and basement...and sometimes garage)

 

[Day]

Attics too. IG because those aren't rooms most people but homeowners see.
Laundry machines are usually thrown in the basement and junk gets stored in the attic (and basement...and sometimes garage)

I've never had an attic that was usable either tbh laundry machines in the basement make me so angry though. Absolutely zero reason other than hating your life if you willingly put those downstairs heavy on the junk goes in the garage, my garage barely has enough space for my car

 

[Nina]

I've never had an attic that was usable either tbh laundry machines in the basement make me so angry though. Absolutely zero reason other than hating your life if you willingly put those downstairs heavy on the junk goes in the garage, my garage barely has enough space for my car

My first home was technically a two family house. The "basement" had a kitchen and a door that locked inside the house. But it would have been hell if any family resided down there because the furnace and boiler were both down there. Whenever we had to turn the heat on, the basement would get very hot. Without it on, obv in the winter it was an icebox and in the summer, it was its own lava pit.

 

[Day]

My first home was technically a two family house. The "basement" had a kitchen and a door that locked inside the house. But it would have been hell if any family resided down there because the furnace and boiler were both down there. Whenever we had to turn the heat on, the basement would get very hot. Without it on, obv in the winter it was an icebox and in the summer, it was its own lava pit.

I have a hard time understanding the layout described, was it a split level?

 

[athenaaa]

It’s similar in Canada. Both houses I have lived in had finished basements, usually they are finished because they are designed to have an extra bedroom

 

[Day]

It’s similar in Canada. Both houses I have lived in had finished basements, usually they are finished because they are designed to have an extra bedroom

I envy you !! I've never had a house with a bedroom in the basement, but the window being so high seems cool !!

 

[athenaaa]

I envy you !! I've never had a house with a bedroom in the basement, but the window being so high seems cool !!

We were never rich AT ALL so I don’t think it was a wealth thing at least not in the area I live. Most people put their teenage or young adult kids in the basement as a way to give them privacy. Except for us. My mom took the basement room.

 

[Day]

We were never rich AT ALL so I don’t think it was a wealth thing at least not in the area I live. Most people put their teenage or young adult kids in the basement as a way to give them privacy. Except for us. My mom took the basement room.

Oh yeah I meant the sign of wealth thing for people with finished basements (like if you have ceiling tile??? finished ceiling??? you don't just see the 2x4's and rafters??? CARPET????) I wish I could've been the basement bedroom kid but never had that kind of house I imagine it would be so quiet

 

[centen]

Where I live, a lot of the land used to be flood plains, so when the rains are really heavy and the water table rises, you're at risk of having your basement get a few inches of water.

Or absolutely flooded, if you're super unlucky. There's a house in my neighborhood that was torn down and the land converted into a natural space by the city because it had flooded so many times that the city deemed it unsafe for human residency.

Anyway, even my house, which is up on a hill, got a tiny bit of water during the last really heavy rains a few years back, so it's just not worth finishing the basement if that happens. My basement is half-finished, and the unfinished half that has the floor drain just has some storage (off the ground) and my washer/dryer.

 

[Day]

Where I live, a lot of the land used to be flood plains, so when the rains are really heavy and the water table rises, you're at risk of having your basement get a few inches of water.

Or absolutely flooded, if you're super unlucky. There's a house in my neighborhood that was torn down and the land converted into a natural space by the city because it had flooded so many times that the city deemed it unsafe for human residency.

Anyway, even my house, which is up on a hill, got a tiny bit of water during the last really heavy rains a few years back, so it's just not worth finishing the basement if that happens. My basement is half-finished, and the unfinished half that has the floor drain just has some storage (off the ground) and my washer/dryer.

I've experienced a flood a few times in my lifetime, those were some no bueno situations O_O I wish it was easier and more accessible to prevent all that from happening. Good thing your city tore that house down though, I used to live in a house directly next to a flood plain and that thing would get FULLLLL when rain was heavy, I cannot imagine a house being there and having to deal with that all the time. Does the city end up buying the land from the neighbor or I wonder how that process works?

 

[athenaaa]

Oh yeah I meant the sign of wealth thing for people with finished basements (like if you have ceiling tile??? finished ceiling??? you don't just see the 2x4's and rafters??? CARPET????) I wish I could've been the basement bedroom kid but never had that kind of house I imagine it would be so quiet

It’s not, you can hear people walking above you

 

[Day]

It’s not, you can hear people walking above you

Time to grab the broom and bash the ceiling a couple times in retaliation

 

[Nina]

I have a hard time understanding the layout described, was it a split level?

It was a 3 level home on a slope so the entrance was pretty much the "basement."

You walk in the main entrance and on the right was a door that led to a long hall with an extra room and kitchen (that also had another side door to the outside).
The furnace and boiler was behind a wall to wall door in the extra room. This is the level most of my neighbors at the time rented out to other people. and it haunted me homeowners would do that because there were a few cases of fires starting in the basement area including on our block.