Basements vs cellars

[Terrel L. Shields]

Unfinished basement, useful for storage and little else, maybe a fraidy hole when a tornado comes through. Contributory value is very low in my part of the world.

 

[ucbruin]

Unfinished basement, useful for storage and little else, maybe a fraidy hole when a tornado comes through. Contributory value is very low in my part of the world.

Arkansas home values have gone up 3.8% over the past year and Zillow predicts they will fall -1.7% within the next year. The median list price per square foot in Arkansas is $101. The median price of homes currently listed in Arkansas is $176,000 while the median price of homes that sold is $156,800.

Seems to me, in Arkansas, low contributory value is the norm....
JK....

(Disclaimer, I barely read the paragraph I attached)

 

[Mark K]

It doesn't matter what you call it; its how you value it.

From the photo I'd call it a basement. It looks like it was originally a crawl space that was dug out to create a basement, hence the two-step wall in the photo.

I've seen a lot of both here in central IN. If I can't stand up straight when I walk around in it, I call it a cellar. Also, if there's dirt exposed where they dug it out, cellar. The outside-only entrance is also a good indicator but its not the only deciding factor.

I'd give a cellar value over a crawl space since they're often useful for furnace, water heater, pump/pressure tanks, etc. items that now don't have to take up space on the main level.

Basically, the name is a judgement call but from your photo, I'd give it value above a crawl space no matter the name. Maybe only $2500 or so but enough to recognize that it has utility above a crawl or slab.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

No--you can stand up in it.

Governing local Municipality??

Example: Vandenburgh County

Chapter 15.16 HOUSING CODE

www.codepublishing.com

15.16.080 Use of cellar or basement as habitable room.
No person shall occupy or let to another person for occupancy any dwelling or dwelling unit, for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements.

A. No cellar space shall be used as a habitable room or dwelling unit.

B. No basement space shall be used as a habitable room or dwelling unit unless the following requirements are met.

1. The floor and walls are impervious to leakage of underground and surface runoff water and are insulated against dampness.

2. The total window area in each room is equal to at least the minimum window area sized as required in Section 15.16.040.

3. The required minimum window area is located entirely above the grade of the ground adjoining the window area.

4. The total openable window area in each room is equal to at least the minimum as required in Section 15.16.040B, except where there is supplied some other device affording adequate ventilation and approved by the health officer and the joint department of building commissioners.

5. The central heating plant of the dwelling in which the habitable room is located is separated from the habitable room by a one-hour fire resistive material.

 

[alebrewer]

I've always thought of cellars as being separate from the house, and basements as being a part of the foundation. I'm sure that's not technical, though. Probably goes back to local colloquialism...

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

low contributory value is the norm...

Just how much do you thing a single wide trailer costs

 

[glenn walker]

It doesn't matter what you call it; its how you value it.

From the photo I'd call it a basement. It looks like it was originally a crawl space that was dug out to create a basement, hence the two-step wall in the photo.

I've seen a lot of both here in central IN. If I can't stand up straight when I walk around in it, I call it a cellar. Also, if there's dirt exposed where they dug it out, cellar. The outside-only entrance is also a good indicator but its not the only deciding factor.

I'd give a cellar value over a crawl space since they're often useful for furnace, water heater, pump/pressure tanks, etc. items that now don't have to take up space on the main level.

Basically, the name is a judgement call but from your photo, I'd give it value above a crawl space no matter the name. Maybe only $2500 or so but enough to recognize that it has utility above a crawl or slab.

Utility basement-storage- In my market its worth Zip-Nada except maybe some utility value like say $1,500 to $2,000 so I assume the other appraiser must have given it some fairly high value or maybe the dunderhead even included it in his GLA .

 

[lewie]

Governing local Municipality??

Example: Vandenburgh County

Chapter 15.16 HOUSING CODE

www.codepublishing.com

15.16.080 Use of cellar or basement as habitable room.
No person shall occupy or let to another person for occupancy any dwelling or dwelling unit, for the purpose of living therein, which does not comply with the following requirements.

A. No cellar space shall be used as a habitable room or dwelling unit.

B. No basement space shall be used as a habitable room or dwelling unit unless the following requirements are met.

1. The floor and walls are impervious to leakage of underground and surface runoff water and are insulated against dampness.

2. The total window area in each room is equal to at least the minimum window area sized as required in Section 15.16.040.

3. The required minimum window area is located entirely above the grade of the ground adjoining the window area.

4. The total openable window area in each room is equal to at least the minimum as required in Section 15.16.040B, except where there is supplied some other device affording adequate ventilation and approved by the health officer and the joint department of building commissioners.

5. The central heating plant of the dwelling in which the habitable room is located is separated from the habitable room by a one-hour fire resistive material.

 

[lewie]

Found my local county building codes--very similar--now I can quote directly from it for a definition of a habitable room which is what I was looking for.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

Found my local county building codes--very similar--now I can quote directly from it for a definition of a habitable room which is what I was looking for.

Good Deal. You're welcome.