If the majority of homes in the area in which they are looking to purchase have basements, they should pass on any house that doesn't. It'll always be an "incurable defect" and will make it much more difficult to re-sell than homes that have a basement.

As far as parts of the country where basements are rare, people outfit their garages with shelving to the ceiling for storage. Or, rent a storage unit. Or, if they're lucky enough to have a walk-in crawl space, they store things there.

Yes, the majority do have basements. I agree - it's not just something you can "add" later on! I think they just need to be patient. They have made many offers and they always go into bidding wars and end up over their price range. Very frustrating. I was just wondering where people store things too. Thanks.

Tornadoes would be my concern-I never lived trough one, and never want to, so basement seems a handy space to have

We're in Ca-here is fires and earthquakes, no tornadoes.. no basements either. Most people do indeed store everything in the garage. Some are very organized and neat and tidy-so it works very well. In our garage, I'd just throw 75% of the stuff out and organize the rest.

What are alternatives to basements in tornado situations, if any, is there something like a "safe room" in those houses that are on the slab?

The market is indeed crazy now, in certain price range it's very hard to find anything, folks here give up on a lot just to get something already

We have tornadoes but none of the homes they looked at have safe rooms. Basements are out there. They will just have to wait for the right one.

I agree that they need to wait but to answer the question of where do people store stuff? Some houses have access to the attic or can have access added. Then a platform is added for storage or the attic is finished if it is large enough. Others simply park one vehicle outside if it is a multicar garage or if a one car change the garage to a room that can be storage or living area. Problem that I have seen using an attic for storage is that stuff people commonly store such as paper items can degrade quickly.

One of the oddities of this house is the entrance to the attic is in the garage and you need a 24 foot latter to reach it. It has a platform for about 1/3 of the space but my mind winced at taking things up for storage. I am lucky I do have that ladder but not something I like to use.

maifleur03 we have one of those too (but we also have a full basement with huge storage room). We never put things up there because it is a pain! They just lost out on another house today. They will just keep trying! I think a storage unit would be nice but would hate the monthly fee.

Agree it depends on what the norm is in the area. Above that, for me it would depend on how big the house is overall. What's the size difference between a 3000 sq foot house on a slab vs at 1500 sq ft one with a full basement? None. It's the same amount of room. The only reason I ruled out homes without a basement is that DH put his foot down about it.

There is a huge housing bubble now, as well as in the stock market. When the crash comes it may be best for your children not to be in debt.

I've been reading a lot about if now is a good time to buy. They say that 2022 is going to get even worse as far as the prices (don't know if that is 100% true). I often wonder if they should rent for a year, but wow what a waste of money. They live with us - we have a big house and it doesn't bother us. They obviously work and are not here much. Great kids - very responsible (early 20's - just graduated college last year). Also, they are getting married in September. They have 50k to put on a house and can't spend over 235. Any advice?

Also, they worked their way through college and only have their car loans. No student loans and no credit cards. Pre-approved on their mortgage.

To your original question, No, I wouldn’t buy a house with no basement. I live in Missouri and I’m not really in Tornado Alley, but not that far from it.

Agree with the poster above that if most houses in your area have a basement, you should have a basement too.

We moved from a 4 bedroom with a basement and 4 kids to a 3 bedroom, crawl space and attic, no kids, but 2. 2 1/2 car garages. Have some stuff in attic, lots in garages (boats, mowers, etc.). Lots of downsizing had to be done! I really miss a basement, but you figure it out.

It's so easy to get lured into compromising on your first house. I hope they can hold off if a basement is critical to them and a major factor in the market. When the market did crash last time (and who knows if it will soon or not), the folks who bought the houses that were least marketable suffered the most when they tried to sell. Sadly, sometimes mom/mom-in-law just has to step aside and let the kids make their own decisions (mistakes).

I've lived all over the US and had basements or not, depending on the area. When we lived in Iowa, we had a beautiful basement that I spent many hours in during tornado warnings. One thing I wish I had known before we bought that house was that the basement should have a bathroom. :-)

I have lived mostly in houses that don't have basements and re: storing stuff, I've learned that I just don't keep as much stuff if I don't have any place to put it. My husband hates stuff stored in the attic because once it goes up, it seldom comes down. Why have it? Same with stuff in the basement, garage and spare bedroom closets. So long story not so short, when I don't have a basement or other storage area, I just don't keep as much stuff.

For a while I had a storage unit and finally took everything out and realized I didn't really need the stuff. Most of it went to thrift stores.

I totally get basements for safety in tornado areas. We get the occasional tornado in NC where I live now and my family in Alabama gets them a lot and there are few basements in either place. We shelter in an interior bathroom. Clearly, not everyone in the family is happy about it.

It is very hard to advice anyone with the market the way it is and Covid as well, which I think is influencing whether people are deciding to move now. I don't even know what to decide for myself right now. But I did look recently and the prices are crazy how much they've gone up and there is very little available right now too. I was living with my parents before I married because we all got along well and it allowed me to save money. I know it sounds like a lot of money to have $50,000 to put toward a house, but if it were me, I'd rather live with you for longer and be able to put their two salaries in the bank for a year, and then be able to buy a better property at a higher price later. But - at the same time - I'd keep my eye on the interest rates. Getting a low rate is a very important part of the decision. It's a real dilemma.

In my area most houses have basements, except those near the river. When we were house hunting we read the info sheet for one in that neighborhood that we liked from the outside. In the features list it said "no basement to flood or clutter up". Now that's a positive spin!

I live in an area where there are few basements. It works out fine for most every Floridian.

If they have so much stuff at such a young age, they really need to figure out what is important to them to keep. And purge the rest, before they are overwhelmed.

Our daughter definitely has too much crap! She needs to purge! But I don’t think they should settle for no basement. We will see. I honestly stay in the background and only offer advice when they ask. But they are living here and talk to me all the time. I know they want to be on their own especially after the wedding! But my husband and I will just sit back. Give ideas at the right time. Waiting until next year and saving for a better house sounds like a solid idea. Such hard decisions!

Oh, right - in our area it is unusual to see a home without a basement. I would not buy a house without a basement, but, in some areas, it is the other way around, right? It's unusual to find a house with a basement.

I like the idea of them renting for a year and not for the reasons that most would. Right now they are still semi-dependent on you. Renting for a year or if they could find what in this area is called a month to month would allow them both a time without any type of parental supervision. Even just living in the same house with parents of any type is not the same as living independently.

There is also the small thing of having recently graduated what happens if one or both receive promotions or job opportunities where they would have to make the decision to stay or move. Purchasing a house puts an anchor to peoples lives especially if the company does not provide any moving expenses and they must provide for both locations.

If you have ever lived through a tornado, and growing up in Illinois, I’ve lived through a number of them, it’s not even a question. Better for them to bide their time.

Just wanted to add that most people think that CA has no basements. That was true in the past, but is no longer the case. Land has become very expensive and updated engineering, has made it possible to get more square footage out of a lot, by adding a basement. They usually include a bedroom, bathroom and game/media room. That space is also priced at the same $/sq.ft as above ground space! In my town in LA, probably 60% of new builds (tear-downs) had a basement. We added one under a guest house we built. They all have to include large light-wells for emergency egress.

We'll see how that basement engineering works out when the big one hits!

When I lived in Texas, it was unusual for homes to have a basement. Tornadoes were common. The soil composition made it almost impossible for builders to construct homes with basements. Our slab foundation had to be under a cable tension system or the concrete slab would crack. Basements are entirely local. They'll find a good one. Just don't be in a hurry. Eventually their number will come up.

Having lived in the Cincinnati area, I would expect a home to have a basement and would hold out for one that did. yes, the space is nice but as someone else pointed out, the expectation there is that the home will have one.

Well they just lost out on another house tonight. This house has 33 showings in 2 days with 15 offers. The realtor said they were 3rd in line. Ugh. This one had a basement. They are just going to continue and keep trying. Tonight he said he is going to stop looking at homes with no basement. I understand why people think they should rent but for us - it works for them to stay here. Every month they do is more money in the bank. We have two other daughters renting now (one is her twin sister). We support our girls and their choices! If we can help any of them we do what we can!

Sorry they missed out on that one. It's discouraging for them, but if they can stay with you and save $ that is good!

It is nice that you support your children any way you can and this past year has been entirely different. You missed the main point of my posting so I will be clearer. Too many young people break up even when they are very compatible when they are faced with living together without parent's being around. Better to find out before they purchase a home together. Ask them if any of their friends have had difficulty once they are living away from their parents along with what kind of problems. This can lead to a good conversation between the two of them so listen to what they are saying.

Our current house is the first one we have owned with a basement (we did have two previous split level homes - not nearly the same). Going forward it would be very hard to own a house that did not have a walk-out basement with 8 foot plus ceilings.

Where I live basements aren't common. We store things in the garage, we added shelves to the closets, and we limit what we have; at our old house we also had a small shed for storage. Ultimately I don't think we have as much as other families in other parts of the country due to lack of storage space; when it comes to "seasonal decor"... Nope. Maybe when we have spare bedrooms.

Our house is almost twice as big as our old house, it's the biggest house I've ever lived in at 2000 sqft... and without a basement I guess it's downright cramped!?

If basements are common where they live I hope they can find a place with a basement, that sounds like it would be best. The market is so wonky right now but I'm a believer that the place for them will come along.

Thank you melle_sacto. They are just going to keep trying until the end of the summer and then they will re-evaluate! SURELY they will find something (with a basement) by then! Fingers crossed.

Our older son married finally. They had lived together, and then continued to rent what had been his bachelor, one bedroom apartment for a few years. This let them save money, and they needed it because it was a seller's market year after year. Lots of full cash offers by flippers and developers, and final bidding wars that raised the prices considerably, over $100,000 in one case. They eventually were looking only at 2 bedroom houses and we told him that would be a serious mistake. Finally, on the 20th house they won the bid, and it had 3 bedrooms. It had been a long year of bids and frustrations. Now the housing shortages are even worse. Tell them to hang in there and keep at it.

Hi all. Just thought I would update you that our daughter and her fiance found a house! :) They have been competing with investors who are renting them out 2 weeks later. It's been a process, but we are so happy for them! AND - it has a finished basement! There are some cosmetic things they will save up for (green countertops for example). But - they can live with that for awhile!

Yay -- wonderful news!

Thanks for the update! It's a beauty! Congrats to them.

It’s the nicest one they have looked at. I’m so happy. The majority of the homes they have looked at were just BAD. The last one had an inground pool that was filled with dirt. The other one has the kitchen cabinet doors pulled off. It’s amazing how people live. No pride in their homes! This was a miracle house!