Contemporary Builders Melbourne

What’s the Best Basement Home?

Building a home with a basement is far more common these days than it was 10-15 years ago. Luxury homes with basements have expanded outward from the exclusive domain of the ultra-rich, typically found only in the most expensive streets in the most expensive suburbs. Today, houses with basements can be found anywhere from Glen Waverley to Heidelberg to Essendon and beyond, including pockets on the Mornington Peninsula and even up into the hills.

There are many reasons why there are more custom homes with basements around that are more widely dispersed. Basement homes are desirable, practical, functional and more affordable.

Their key advantages include:

• A smaller footprint: They provide a larger home that takes up less land, which allows you to have a larger home with more features such as car parking, gyms, theatres and rumpus rooms while still having a sizable garden or pool or simply maximising your land.
• Aesthetics: House designs with a basement are typically more attractive, as they don’t have a large garage door taking up ¼ of the front elevation and they can work very well as a classical style home, as you can make the house symmetrical. They also work well as a modern design, providing a large and wide canvas to be creative with.
• Car parks: A house underground garage is one of the most common uses for a basement, as it takes the garage door away from the street view and allows you to have multiple cars – as many as 8 if you like – including family cars, collectable cars, hobby cars, bikes, trailers, jet skis and boats, all parked safely undercover with secure internal access.
• Additional rooms and storage: Bespoke homes with basements provide more space inside. The space where a normal 2 car garage would have been can become a larger lounge room, and any other rooms can be relocated or incorporated into the design of the basement level. Laundries and storage from a typical home can be located on the basement level, freeing up more space on the ground level. You can even add rooms like theatres, gyms, music / dance / yoga studios and guest bedrooms, not to mention wine cellars and man caves!

Houses with basements are also meeting the changing needs of families. With kids staying at home longer while they finish their education or start establishing themselves in their careers, extra rooms and living spaces are invaluable, as is the extra car parking.

Iain Carmichael from Jellis Craig Armadale says “More and more people are looking for homes with basements now. It’s often the first and most important criteria for buyers. A lot has to do with kids staying at home longer, so families need spaces for multiple cars and larger homes with more bathrooms and everyone’s own private spaces. There is also definitely a prestige element to it. Homes with basements usually look quite spectacular and are very well appointed. They have great value and are highly sought after.”

Choosing a Site for a Basement Home

Choosing a site for a basement home is often more about the street name and the postcode than the topography of the land. Custom homes with basements can be built on almost any site, but beyond the typical checks for easements and planning regulations, there are some site characteristics that are more suited to a home with a basement than others, such as factors like the slope or fall of the land and the direction of that fall. The width of the site and the proximity of neighbouring homes are other factors. ‘Assets’ such as street trees, drains and street signs within the nature strip out the front can additionally affect what you can achieve and the costs.

If you’re looking at building a house with an underground garage or basement and you have an existing site, Ravida can help you from start to finish. We’ll be happy to inspect your site and have a preliminary meeting to explore the opportunities.

If you want to build a home with a basement and are looking for a suitable site to buy, contact us before you make an offer. We can inspect the site and ensure that it’s suitable for what you want to achieve.