Why Choose a Home with a Walkout Basem*nt | Empire Communities (2024)

FAQs

Why Choose a Home with a Walkout Basem*nt | Empire Communities? ›

Increase the Value of Your Home

Light - Walkout basem*nts have extra windows and doors thus letting in more natural light, and making the space more inviting. Space – While a traditional basem*nt adds more space, a great living space might be more up your alley.

If you're building a new home, adding a walk-out basem*nt should increase its value by 5% to 10%. If you're considering buying a used house with a full or partial basem*nt, adding a walk-out can increase your property value significantly.

There are several benefits to having a walkout basem*nt, including improved ventilation and easier access to your backyard. However, walkout basem*nts also come with a few potential drawbacks, including higher construction costs and the possibility of water infiltration.

Walkout basem*nts are partially underground but have at least one opening to a home's exterior. Many homeowners use them as additional living spaces or separate apartments because they have natural light.

Walkout basem*nts provide easy access to the outdoors, which is great for enjoying nature or spending time with pets. They allow more light and fresh air to flow through the entire basem*nt, making it more comfortable and cheerful.

It keeps the house from moving due to frost. The basem*nt is dug below frost line, which is how deep the soil freezes in a typical winter. This can be as deep as seven feet in northern US, or a bit over two meters. This is a stable foundation on which to build.

A walkout basem*nt is a high-ROI home improvement project that usually adds about 10% to 20% to a home's value, compared to similar homes without a walkout basem*nt. The added value comes from the additional living space, privacy and views that the walkout entrance helps create.

A finished basem*nt can increase your home's market value and appraisal value so you can sell your house for more. So, while square footage may not always count, a finished basem*nt increases home value regardless.

Are walkout basem*nts safe in a tornado? ›

If you don't have a basem*nt, the safest place to be is in a small, interior room, a closet bathroom or an interior hallway on the lowest floor of your house. It's also important to realize that not all basem*nts are safe, especially walkout basem*nts with sliding glass doors.

Drainage. Drains are need in the floor of the basem*nt walkout, because snow and rain will accumulate there. This drain is connected to your plumbing waste system – not the perimeter drainage.

Walkout basem*nts can face common problems such as leaks and moisture issues, drainage problems, frost damage, and increased property taxes.

A walkout basem*nt is considered to be partially below grade because at least one wall is entirely exposed. In some cases and in specific municipalities, inspectors and appraisers will still count walkout basem*nts as below grade, which means the space can't serve as living space or be rented out.

A walkout basem*nt, lower ground floor, daylight basem*nt, English basem*nt or terrace level is a storey that is partially underground and has a door from that level directly to the outside.

Preferably from the front to the back and ideally from side to side as well. You will need at least a 7' to 8' drop in elevation in approximately 35' to 65' which is the average depth & width of a home to have drainage that takes water away from the foundation and not towards it.

The walkout type includes a door that opens directly to the outside, which is the main difference between the two types. Walkouts include all the other features that daylights do, but with the addition of the door. This means that all walkouts are daylights, but not all daylight basem*nts are walkouts.

Finishing a basem*nt is a fantastic way to expand your living space and increase the value of your home. Whether you plan to create a cozy family room, a home theater, a guest suite, or even a home office, a finished basem*nt can be a valuable addition to your property.

Basem*nts are an ideal location for water heaters, water pressure tanks, water softeners and furnaces as well. Having basem*nt access to all of these items makes repairs/remodeling cheaper and easier.