Unfinished Basement w/out Stairs

[rtj]

Hello. I have an unfinished basement in my home in Los Angeles, CA that is not permitted. The basement was in existence and finished when purchased. The home was built in the 40s. We discovered a mold issue in the basement, so we had it remediated and basically have left it in an unfinished state for the time being. We also had the wooden stairs removed as well for good measure. We plan to renovate the basement at some point, but not any time soon due to limited funds. I'd like to refinance my home loan, but I'm curious if the unfinished state of the basement and lack of stairs will be an issue. The basement wasn't given value in our prior appraisals even in the finished state, so I'm not concenred about that. I just want to make sure the unfinished state and lack of stairs won't mess up the general appraisal. If it helps, we have access to the basement from inside the home by a door which is locked and sealed off and we also have access to it from our back yard which has a sliding glass door and another single door.

 

[glenn walker]

I call those utility basements and they add no real value. Basically its being used as the foundation on your home. Whatever you do don't go talking about mold- its been mitigated and no need to even discuss it .

 

[rtj]

I call those utility basements and they add no real value. Basically its being used as the foundation on your home. Whatever you do don't go talking about mold- its been mitigated and no need to even discuss it .

Thanks! Will not mention it. So you don't think the fact that there are no steps leading down to the basement from inside the house will be an issue? There's foundation dirt where the steps were. I just wonder if they will ask me where the door from inside the house leads. I can tell them it's sealed off and have them take a look at the unfinished basement from the outside entry, if necessary.

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

Sounds more or less like a typical California basement with no additional value in the market.

If you do finish it, you're probably giving the next appraiser a headache, because it's probably not common, and good luck finding comps.

I just wonder if they will ask me where the door from inside the house leads. I can tell them it's sealed off and have them take a look at the unfinished basement from the outside entry, if necessary.

This should work. As long as they can see it and measure.

 

[rtj]

Sounds more or less like a typical California basement with no additional value in the market.

If you do finish it, you're probably giving the next appraiser a headache, because it's probably not common, and good luck finding comps.

This should work. As long as they can see it and measure.

Thank you so much! Appreciate your expertise and help. Oddly enough, there are actually quite a few basements in my direct neighborhood, but not sure if any are permitted or how they came about. Definitely a rarity and bit of a headache although it seemed great at the time of purchase.

 

[Tim The Enchanter]

Oddly enough, there are actually quite a few basements in my direct neighborhood, but not sure if any are permitted or how they came about.

I'll guess you are in a hillside 'hood. Or possibly a 90 - 100 year or older 'hood. But most of those with basements, they're very small.

 

[rtj]

I'll guess you are in a hillside 'hood. Or possibly a 90 - 100 year or older 'hood. But most of those with basements, they're very small.

Spot on with both. It's about 350 square feet. Not huge at all, but a nice extra space.

 

[glenn walker]

Spot on with both. It's about 350 square feet. Not huge at all, but a nice extra space.

I once did a creepy scary old Victorian that was well over a 100 years old in Los Angeles up in the Hills. When I arrived I was met at the door by a creepy guy who looked like lurch in the Adams Family . He asked me what I needed to do. I explained I had to measure the exterior and then come inside and look at the rooms and take photos. When I got done with the exterior I knocked on the solid oak door and he invited me in. I asked him if anyone was in the house beside him and was it OK to go upstairs- He looked at me and says nobody here but me-and the ghosts that live here with me. I laughed but he didn't think it was funny.

I go upstairs and its really creepy, all doors shut-windows covered with black like sheets, and like time had stopped in 1890. I go back down stairs and I said this house has a basement ? He says yes-and he took me to the door that lead to the stairs. I asked him if it was OK to go down there ? He asks me why ? I said just to see whats usable and whats not. He looks at me and says well you can go down there at your own risk but personally I don't even go down there because bad things happen down there. I am like does somebody live down there ? he says yes but they are not human, they are demons and ghosts.

I am like really you expect me to believe that ? He responds with well my late grandmother said it had a curse placed on it by a witch in the late 1800s and many-bad things have happened down there over the years. I asked him how long he had lived there and he said since he was born or around 70 years ago. He said as a kid he would hear-screams and crying and things banging on the walls and when he was a kid not even his two large German Shepherds would go down there. His mother forbid him from ever going down there and she had sealed the door shut with large nails and screws. I then asked him if he ever went down there ? He said heck no the only person in 50 years who has ever gone down there was a guy with the gas company and so he could inspect a gas line. He went down there and came running back up out of breath in less than 3 minutes screaming that something grabbed him by the arm and threw him into the wall-and chased him up the stairs. Then when he went to leave he asked the gas man to help him nail the door shut again- The gas man said no and ran to his truck and never came back. I asked him anymore weird stories, he responded with yeah, almost anyone I have ever let into this house took home a demon home with them. I am like how do you know that-he says because they would call me and say weird things were happening at their homes. I slept that night with my light on and will admit that place and him was weird-the house looked similar to the picture below.

 

[rtj]

I once did a creepy scary old Victorian that was well over a 100 years old in Los Angeles up in the Hills. When I arrived I was met at the door by a creepy guy who looked like lurch in the Adams Family . He asked me what I needed to do. I explained I had to measure the exterior and then come inside and look at the rooms and take photos. When I got done with the exterior I knocked on the solid oak door and he invited me in. I asked him if anyone was in the house beside him and was it OK to go upstairs- He looked at me and says nobody here but me-and the ghosts that live here with me. I laughed but he didn't think it was funny.

I go upstairs and its really creepy, all doors shut-windows covered with black like sheets, and like time had stopped in 1890. I go back down stairs and I said this house has a basement ? He says yes-and he took me to the door that lead to the stairs. I asked him if it was OK to go down there ? He asks me why ? I said just to see whats usable and whats not. He looks at me and says well you can go down there at your own risk but personally I don't even go down there because bad things happen down there. I am like does somebody live down there ? he says yes but they are not human, they are demons and ghosts.

I am like really you expect me to believe that ? He responds with well my late grandmother said it had a curse placed on it by a witch in the late 1800s and many-bad things have happened down there over the years. I asked him how long he had lived there and he said since he was born or around 70 years ago. He said as a kid he would hear-screams and crying and things banging on the walls and when he was a kid not even his two large German Shepherds would go down there. His mother forbid him from ever going down there and she had sealed the door shut with large nails and screws. I then asked him if he ever went down there ? He said heck no the only person in 50 years who has ever gone down there was a guy with the gas company and so he could inspect a gas line. He went down there and came running back up out of breath in less than 3 minutes screaming that something grabbed him by the arm and threw him into the wall-and chased him up the stairs. Then when he went to leave he asked the gas man to help him nail the door shut again- The gas man said no and ran to his truck and never came back. I asked him anymore weird stories, he responded with yeah, almost anyone I have ever let into this house took home a demon home with them. I am like how do you know that-he says because they would call me and say weird things were happening at their homes. I slept that night with my light on and will admit that place and him was weird-the house looked similar to the picture below.

View attachment 51530

Now that's frightening!

 

[sputnam]

I call those utility basements and they add no real value. Basically its being used as the foundation on your home. Whatever you do don't go talking about mold- its been mitigated and no need to even discuss it .

Yes... it's just an unusually tall crawl space.