Townhouse With Garage V Townhouse With Basement

[residentialguy]

I do consider the garage as basement area, the correct term is built in garage, sorry for the confusion

Shouldn't do that. It's a partial basement connected to a built in garage. You're double dipping. Your calling it a basement area, then calling it a garage; the two are separate. It's not a basement, it's a garage. Just like a garage attached to the main level is not main level area.

 

[Walter Kirk]

Shouldn't do that. It's a partial basement connected to a built in garage. You're double dipping. Your calling it a basement area, then calling it a garage; the two are separate. It's not a basement, it's a garage. Just like a garage attached to the main level is not main level area.

I disagree, its not double dipping since the garage feature is part of the basement level. I imagine that this style of construction is not common in your market area (although my sister's house in Chanhassen had a built in garage) but its very common on the east coast. In the Cost Approach a the allowance for the built in garage feature only considers the cost of the garage door and any fireproof walls and ceiling.

 

[Deleted member 128537]

We have a few. I don’t consider the garage the basement (unless some of it is below grade), but consider it a built in garage and adjust accordingly. Some of the problem with basement garages is do you adjust them as a basement or as a garage. If you adjust as a basement, then shouldn’t make full adjustment as garage. Just include the value of the doors as state above. Basically I kind of do this depending upon the kind of compareable sales I have. If I need one with a basement, then I’ll use it for the basement. If I need one with the garage then I use it for the garage.

 

[residentialguy]

I disagree, its not double dipping since the garage feature is part of the basement level.

if you include it in basement area, you're including it in that adjustment line. If you also include it in the garage count line...now you're double dipping because you already counted it in the basement area. You're calling it a full basement, but it's not because that area can't be finished and lived in.
Why in the world wouldn't you just call it a 2 car garage and a partial basement? Many homes here are like that. Garages are never a basement. Putting a garage below grade doesn't make them a basement. You park your car in the garage. If it's below grade, it's still that same garage that you park your car in.

 

[Riick]

Hey Res.. What he calls it and how he *counts* up GLA are two different things.
Where I grew up, they'd build a row of 30 such townhouses, berm up the front lawn area,
but the garage, at the rear, was at true street level. They were called 2 sty rows, but in truth.....

 

[residentialguy]

They were called 2 sty rows, but in truth.....

I don't get what you're trying to say. They are 2 story rows.
You enter on the main level and have beds and baths upstairs...that's your GLA. They have lower windows in front, so that indicates that they have a partial basement that is connected to a tucked built-in garage. Pretty typical 2 story function. Am I missing something???

No different than this sf 2 story house with a 2 car tuck garage connected to the partial basement

 

[Walter Kirk]

I think that the misunderstanding is that the basement level is a part of the foundation and the garage doors and walls are just additional features.

 

[timd354]

I think that the misunderstanding is that the basement level is a part of the foundation and the garage doors and walls are just additional features.

That's correct. A garage built into the home on the basement level is part of the basement. The only question is how you account for that area. I personally netted that area out of the basement area in the sales comparison grid so that that area was not double counted as basement area and as garage area. However, the important thing is explaining what you did regarding this area and being consistent in your treatment of the subject property and the comps.

 

[residentialguy]

A garage built into the home on the basement level is part of the basement.

about as much as a garage built into the main level is part of the main level.

 

[Carnivore]

That's correct. A garage built into the home on the basement level is part of the basement. The only question is how you account for that area. I personally netted that area out of the basement area in the sales comparison grid so that that area was not double counted as basement area and as garage area. However, the important thing is explaining what you did regarding this area and being consistent in your treatment of the subject property and the comps.

That's the way I have to treat a lot of them in the Charlotte MSA. Problem I have with it is there seems to be a mix of this due to terrain. One end of the building is all above grade the other end is slightly below grade due to a gentle slope. What I have found or not found might be a better way to say this, ist market reaction is ZERO from one end to the other. The exterior/interior finish will be identical on all levels.

Do we call this a conundrum?