Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Cohousing units without basements?

[Harry Pasternak (Harry_Pasternak]

Bob
I bring up the issue of basements (on a regular basis) at the Institute to
challenge people's reasons for having one. First of all, for the home
building industry in general, there is so little market research done
relating to what folks want in their homes---that often stuff is just put
into a home because the contractor or developer (or his aunt) thinks its a
good idea---this is one reason that the average house builder just lasts a
year and a half in business. 

Two exceptions to this rule are Claude Miquelle and George Hugh Tsuroka---who
both have done extensive market research. Tsuroka's studies were done for
Louisiana-Pacific and showed that approximately 50%  of the folks did NOT
want a basement . 

However, here's some notions that have come out of 24 years of my asking
people "why a basement?":

* Real estate agents tell folks that they can't sell the home if it doesn't
have a basement (based on what research ?).
* But then real estate agents then tell folks that if they spend money
finishing the basement---they will only get back 10% of the money spent when
they want to sell it later---so don't spend any money down there.
* So the notion is "have a basement so that agents can think the house is
easier to sell but don't finish the basement to make it usefull because you
will only get 10% of the money pumped into the basement, back" (yikes!). 

* If your are building an energy efficient house you will be utilizing an
energy efficient furnace---for example the 'Hydropulse" is a chimneyless 92%
efficient furnace (recommended by Consumers Reports magazine) is the size of
a 20 gallon hot water tank type heater, it can fit in the hall closet (with a
louvered door of course)--but I advise folks to build the main bathroom and
kitchen , next to each other, with a small closet with unfinished walls (so
that all the plumbing is exposed for maintenance) and put the furnace and/or
hot water tank there. Actually the Hydropulse unit can be used to heat the
home's air and the hot water for showers etc.

* For a really energy efficient home (it's called the Advanced Home up here
in Canada) the homes are so "good" (see my previous postings) that they don't
need a furnace at all---the energy bill for the entire year is  $150 Canadian
(that $12 US funds---just kidding) there is no way a heat pump will ever pay
for itself in an Advanced House.

* If the basement is going to be used for storage---then that's a sign of
poor designing by someone (in my opinion)---who didn't design in the required
storage for where is should be---for example, if your are a golfer you don't
want equipment stored in a damp basement (people in 70% of homes with
basements, complain about damp basements) you would want your golf equipment
ready to roll beside your car.

Harry Pasternak
Unpaid Volunteer For "Do It Yourselfers" Who Need Proven Information On
Designing and Building Affordable, Frugally Operationally,  Supportive
Neighborhoods With An Abundance of Social Networking Opportunities, who works
at:
Thousand Islands Institute
The Independent Centre For Housing Research & Education
(Harry_Pasternak [at] tvo.org)

- sent via an evaluation copy of BulkRate (unregistered).