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Basements No Longer as Popular in New Construction.

By Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!

Real Estate Agent with Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 UT DRE# 6541633-SA00

December 09, 2019 10:07 AM

Basements No Longer as Popular in New Construction.

Single family home with 2,000 square feet of living space on one level.

According to the National Association of Home Builders Survey of Construction, basements are not desired as in the past. Up to 60% of single family homes were built-slab-on grade in 2018. Only 24.3% of homes were built with full or partial basements.

Recently, potential home buyers fell in love with a walk-out basement home, offering amazing red rock views sitting high upon a hill. For the two of them, the main floor was more than adequate, so the the entire bottom floor would have been wasted space.

Opting out, they realized the basement was not an asset, instead discovering a beautiful, smaller slab-on-grade home in an established neighborhood. An offer was submitted, a few terms negotiated and they will now enjoy a one-level home for many years.

St. George has always been known as a retirement community, so builders are wise to creating an environment that accommodates 55+ active adult buyers. One level homes are common-place and Baby Boomers continue to flock here for the life-style!

The advantages of single level living:

Cost-effective building standard
Very little to zero maintenance in the long run
No falls down the stairs when navigating to the lower floor
Confidence gained in knowing that owners are able to age-in-place
Grown kids cannot live in the basement, sucking the life out of their parents

Market Snapshot on Single Level Homes

Currently, there are 722 slab-on-grade, single level properties for sale in Washington County, Utah only as of 12/9/2019. Prices range from $15K for a park model to $22MIL for a sprawling estate on 620 acres. 720 properties have sold in the last 30 days, 1,742 properties have sold in the last 6 months and 212 pending in the 30 days.

Have more questions about single-level living? Call me to help with all your residential real estate needs because Wanda Can! 435.632.9374

For the entire article, click here: Basements Continue to Fall Out of Favor

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Li Read

Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring) - Salt Spring Island, BC

Caring expertise...knowledge for you!

Interesting. In my area, basements are rare.

Dec 09, 2019 10:17 AM

Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - W...

St. George, UT

Barbara Todaro

RE/MAX Executive Realty - Happily Retired - Franklin, MA

Previously Affiliated with The Todaro Team

Hi Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can! that's a regional feature.... and in our area, it's a MUST.... if a builder is courageous enough to build a home on a slab, he'll be eating that home!!! every home has a basement....

Dec 09, 2019 10:29 AM

Wanda Kubat-Nerdin - Wanda Can!

Red Rock Real Estate (435) 632-9374 - St. George, UT

St. George Utah Area Residential Sales Agent

Good to see you Li Read! In some places basements do not exist but here, builders will take advantage of the slope of the land and build walk-out basement homes. Water tables and caliche soil may make it near impossible to build basements as well.

Dec 09, 2019 11:00 AM

Absolutely Barbara Todaro! In some areas, the only way to go is down and up. Here, the space to grow outward exists without tearing down an existing home and full basements aren't necessarily the most popular choice. Two story homes are more cost effective between the two.

Dec 09, 2019 11:05 AM

Barbara Todaro

Franklin, MA

no matter what style the home might be, it has a basement...

Dec 09, 2019 11:10 AM

I visited my brother in Pittsburgh and he had a tri-level row house, very common there. It was beautiful!

Dec 09, 2019 11:19 AM

Debb Janes

Nature As Neighbors - Camas, WA

Put My Love of Nature At Work for You

Yes, it is interesting how they are losing their appeal. Although, in our area, we are seeing the walk-out basements converted to second living spaces. That's what we have here for our multi-gen home. Although, instead of a slab, we have crawl space construction.

Dec 09, 2019 12:38 PM

RE Virtual Solutions

RE Virtual Solutions - Saint Charles, MO

Virtually helping real estate professionals.

I am a midwest girl and I could not imagine not having a basement. Interesting that your area is seeing this trend. Thanks for sharing.

Dec 09, 2019 01:34 PM

Up in northern Utah, most homes are built with an unfinished basement to allow for growth. Multi-generational housing is a fantastic idea for closer living Debb Janes EcoBroker and Bernie Stea JD. Very few homes with crawl spaces here.

Dec 09, 2019 03:12 PM

I fall up stairs, so no-go for me RE Virtual Solutions. Single level building standards have been here since the 70s, as St. George was once considered a retirement community. The population now is very diverse with gaining a fairly new University status along with a cutting-edge Tech Department, a very friendly business environment that has attracted a lot of people, not to mention mild winters and several State and National Parks close by.

Dec 09, 2019 03:22 PM

Patricia Feager, MBA, CRS, GRI,MRP

DFW FINE PROPERTIES - Flower Mound, TX

Selling Homes Changing Lives

Hi Wanda - In Texas we don't have basements and houses are built on slabs. When I first moved to TX I thought it was odd but I have gotten used to it. The only time I wish there was a basement is during tornado season. I have visited a lot of tornado sites here and saw so many houses fall down like sticks and sheet-rock. The destruction is immense.

Dec 29, 2019 05:40 AM

Basements No Longer as Popular in New Construction.

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