Have you been on the search for a new home and wonder where you can find a house with a basement?
Going back in history, basements were used for keeping food colds and were also used as wine cellars.
As technology advanced, houses with basements became a great space for living areas and when a basement is finished, it can add value to your home.
If you want more information on which states have the most basements, then you’re in luck. In this article, we are going over the best states to find a house with basements.
Table of Contents
What Are The Benefits of Houses With Basements?
Basements provide many benefits due to the fact that you have an extra-large space attached to your home that is easily accessible compared to a detached garage or outdoor shed.
These benefits can include:
Extra Space For Storage
A basement can provide lots of room for all the extra things in your life. You can store holiday decorations, unused equipment, additional supplies, and of course, you can use it as a wine cellar.
Rooms and Bathrooms
Adding rooms and bathrooms is a great way to add livable space for a growing family or guest area. Doing this to an unfinished basement adds square footage to your estate, thus increasing the value of your home.
If you have an encapsulated crawl space, this will add even more value to your home and will help keep your basement maintenance-free and will prevent mold and fungal growth that most basements are known for having.
The average return on investment is about 70% for basement remodels.
Recreational Space
When you’re running low on living space in your main level or your upstairs level, you can always look towards your basement to add your home gym, kids play area, or work office.
Doing this gives you some separation between you’re recreation area and your living space without having both spaces crammed into one.
Energy Efficiency
A home with a basement will not need any external walls since groundmass is on the other side. This helps with thermal efficiency because it makes it to where the house doesn’t overheat quickly or cool down too fast. Basements help retain heat and controls the fluctuation in temperatures.
Western States
You won’t find many houses in the western states of the United States and its for a good reason. You have to pay up to live on the sunny side of the pacific, and with property value on the rise, especially in California, property builders are finding any ways to cut building costs, which include most types of basements.
You might be able to find some in states like Oregon, or Washington, but since the weather is so mild there, builders find there really is no need for basements in houses also due to building costs.
Southern States
Most of the southern states like Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama, and South Carolina are covered in areas of swamps, wetlands, and generally damp soil. This makes it quite difficult for builders to dig the space needed to build a basement.
Especially in Florida, where most of the land is below sea level, you would need to obtain a special permit to legally build a basement for your property.
Southwest Area of the United States
You might not have much luck looking for a house with a basement in states like Nevada, Texas, or Arizona or New Mexico.
The drier weather and clay composition that’s in the soil makes would make basements dangerous and impractical. These states experience many different season changes such as extreme heat, high amounts of rain.
Water can get absorbed through the clay and then dry out, which causes it to retract and expand. This could potentially break basement walls or warp them severely.
Midwest And Northern States
You will find that 90% of homes in states above the Mason Dixon line have basements.
To add a foundation to a house, it needs to be below the frost line to ensure pipes do not crack or freeze. In colder climates, the frost line needs to be 8-10 feet below the surface which is why you see many basements in this area.
It is just more practical for builders to build a basement if they already have to dig that deep to begin with. This way, you can add living space, room for utility, and it’s cheaper to cool in the summer and heat up in the winter.
Which States Should You Focus On?
If you are looking for the best states that have houses with basements, you want to look in the midwestern states, such as:
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Indiana
- Ohio
- Nebraska
- Iowa
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Wisconsin
- Illinois
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Wyoming
- Montana
- Idaho
You’ll also commonly find houses with basements in these northeastern states:
- West Virginia
- Maine
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- Delaware
- Vermont
The Final Scoop on Basements in the United States
Basements are great additions for adding living space, recreational use, and adding overall value in your home.
Just because you find more basements in the midwest, and other northern states in the United States, doesn’t mean there is no market for houses with basements in the other states.
It just means they are harder to find and more expensive to add to your blueprints if you are building your own house.
Most homeowners don’t understand that most foundation problems are caused by water in or around the foundation. Even if the building is structurally sound after the flood, the water can cause some severe foundation damage and promote the growth of mold and pest infestations.
Did you find this article helpful? If so, check out some more of our articles for additional helpful information!
