Building a house with or without a basement

Before construction of the dream home can begin, builders must make many decisions. In addition to the style of the new house and the choice of a flat or rather classic gable roof, there is one central question: building a house with or without a basement ? In Germany almost one builder in four now decides not to build a basement, above all for cost reasons. But experts and builders disagree on whether this is the right long-term decision. One thing is certain: once you have decided not to build a cellar, this step cannot be undone. Therefore, weigh carefully and choose carefully.

Building a house with or without a basement: evaluate your needs

For many people, the cellar is still part of the house, like the engine is part of the car. But ultimately, when it comes to building a house with or without a basement, it is wise to rule out the cost factor first and examine the requirements of your home. How Much Storage Do You Really Need? Are you dependent on accessibility? Is the increase in value due to the basement relevant to you? Based on these factors, is it worth building a basement or does an attic make more sense? Conclusive arguments can be found for both the pro and con positions. So consider carefully. The following advantages and disadvantages of building a house with a basement might help you make your decision.

Building a house without a basement: Building a basement is expensive, time-consuming and no longer modern

For many people, the cellar is still part of the house, like the engine is part of the car. The question of whether to build a house with or without a basement is resolved by itself. In recent decades, however, more and more homeowners have decided not to build a property with a basement.

The costs

The main argument against building a house with a basement is the costs involved. If they choose a basement, builders should expect on average almost 300 euros more per square meter. Added to this are the costs for excavating the land, which can vary greatly depending on the surface. Builders should always have it checked before construction begins to ensure that their new dream home is on safe ground. Rocks or excessively sandy soil make the eventual construction of a cellar more expensive, as does a very low water table.

Storage space

For many wine cellar enthusiasts the topic of storage space the central decision criterion. But new technology makes this consideration almost irrelevant. If you equip your home with modern heating technology, you can easily store the small, modern heating system in a storage room. You can also move storage space that would otherwise be in the basement to the attic. This is often much better suited to the climate to protect your belongings from damp and cold. If you are still looking for a place for your garden tools that are only used in the summer, a separate garden shed could be the ideal solution. Of course this must be taken into account when planning the garden.

Accessibility

A very interesting topic is the topic of accessibility, which is becoming more and more relevant as society ages. So it can also be a conscious decision to give up the cellar. This concept is obviously ideal for bungalows or smaller single-storey properties. Those who build for their future and they don’t want to leave their own four walls even in old age, it may make sense for them to build a house without a cellar

KfW efficiency

But you can also decide for an attic Reasons for energy efficiency fall. Anyone who builds their new home with the help of a building loan from KfW must take certain aspects into account when planning the energy efficiency of the new home. For some builders, it’s even better to cancel the basement project right away. With an attic it is possible to avoid complex insulation work without sacrificing energy benefits. This way builders get better results for less money than a basement.

Building a house with a basement: A house with a basement has a stable value, is future-oriented and offers plenty of space

A cellar in your home promises lots of space and also offers builders various options for later use. Regardless of whether it is used as a fitness room, office, sauna space or hobby room, the additional costs for a cellar can be well invested.

The stability of value

Anyone who decides against a basement may regret it when the property is sold. Why A solid building with a basement is even more desirable among potential homebuyers as an option without a cellar – real estate agents and architects confirm this in unison. Anyone who decides to have a cellar today builds their house on future-proof pillars, because a cellar offers builders many more possibilities of use. This will definitely impact your wallet if the house is resold.

Land use

Although giving up a basement seems attractive at first glance to many homebuilders, A basement is worth money, especially in expensive metropolitan areas. Where the price per square meter of the property is particularly high or where large properties are rare, it may be worth planning a cellar. This means that owners not only get more living space, but they can also create more living space on a smaller footprint with a well-designed and fully developed basement. THE save money when buying a property and allows for more freedom when designing a smaller property.

The costs

A cellar is expensive – but is it really true? Anyone who not only erases items with a red pen, but also… costs and benefits are balanced between each otherwho quickly comes to the conclusion that it is worth investing in a cellar. Because if you decide to build a house with or without a basement, you will get almost double the usable space.

The subway

Builders often read about high costs when in the subsoil report the subsoil of the newly purchased property appears to be difficult terrain. However, the trend towards the seemingly cheaper baseplate is not always the best choicebelieves the Association of Private Builders. Because many municipalities now allocate properties where the top layer of soil must be replaced with an attic. «In this case it may be worth considering both options. If you need to replace a floor, it might be worth digging deeper and building a cellar,» advises Eva Reinhold-Postina.

Conclusion: building a house with or without a basement – ​​decides the advantage point

Whether the house will be built with or without a basement depends mainly on personal taste and is obviously always a question of budget. However, you should always consider whether you actually use the basement, for example in the form of a regularly occupied living cellar, frequently used fitness room or additional storage and household space. If you want to keep these options open, you should not only consider building a cellar for cost reasons, but also calculate in the long term whether the additional expenses will be worth it in the coming decades.

Rötzer expert advice: Decide together with architects and construction partners whether it is worth investing in a cellar. While it’s not possible to plan for every eventuality in life, a little extra space in your own four walls is never a disadvantage.

For further reading:

Do you already have a house with a basement and would like to use it more efficiently? You will find tips on this in our blog post “Expanding a basement: this way you can make unused basement rooms functional”.

A basement is a must for you, but the quality of the soil is not optimal. Then a reinforced concrete cellar could be the solution. Find out everything you need to know about this type of cellar in our article “WU Concrete Cellar: Construction Method for Difficult Ground Conditions”.