Cellar Vs Basement...What the heck is it under?!

[Sapphire4214]

I am doing a Cape COD built in 1952. There is a 192 square foot cellar located at the rear of the subject accessible only by walk up stairs accessible only from the outside. It is a text book definition of a cellar so I do not need help in the name. I just want to know if you would count that as a true basement square footage (and if its basement, how do I catagorize it? Walk Outt??) or just a line item grid adjustment for simply what is...storage. Either way, my adjustment amount will not change. I have already attempted to search the forums to no avail.

 

[Dublin ohio]

It might be small. But is looks like a small walkup basement. Looks like it about 9-10 courses high so no height problem. I can see it has the furnace in it. You could call it a "cellar" if you want. But I would just put it on the basement line. What we consider a cellar around here usually has low ceilings and is typically used for utilities only (furnace, water heater). Mostly see them in older homes.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Looks like a cellar to me but we call 'em fraidy holes in tornado country. A basement, well, I want to limit that to something with concrete floor, with or without finish, but accessible from inside. Anything not 6' plus high is just a crawl space to me.

 

[Tim Hicks (Texas)]

I remember my grandparents had a cellar. Dirt and gravel floor, door and steps from the outside, no finish, just some concrete walls and shelves. That's a good question, basement or cellar? I am glad we have very few basements here in TX. I will not say I have seen a traditional cellar, but I have seen storm cellars.

 

[BRCJR]

I have referenced space like that as a “tall crawl space” and discussed the space in relationship to the overall below grade/crawl space area. I saw one that was about 7 feet tall for about 50-75 sqft. l had to duck as I entered the space via a stairwell with door entry. The washer and dryer were installed there. “Value in use” basically in my opinion.

 

[Tom4value]

I found that 99.9% of people use cellar and basement interchangeably. Since I am from MA, no one wants me to call it a “cella” so I just call it a basement!

 

[JeffSH]

Nobody in the midwest calls it a cellar. It's just a basement without interior access. Very common with multi-unit properties and some older homes. There can be a 'wine cellar' within the basement, but the basement itself is never referred to as a cellar. Regional dialects vary, of course. I like ChatGPT's description.

 

[Overimprovement]

Since (as usual) UAD is silent on the issue, one is forced to use local conventions, or a 3rd party definition. I have stopped calling cellars, basements in my grids. A basement by definition has at least one half of its volume above ground level, including some fenestration, allowing for emergency egress. It can, by definition, because of this egress, be considered living space (below grade of course per ANSI, and not GLA).

I would also argue what you call it is not very important, just explain it, and have some basis from which to extract an adjustment for the space (if any) from the market. In my area, below grade spaces range from duck your head 5' dirt floor areas to full height, fully finished, well lit areas.

Realtors almost universally will call ANYTHING below ground a basement, even if ones knees must be used to enter the area. Know what your comps actually have, so adjustments are reasonably backed up.