Not all house plans can incorporate a walk-out or daylight basement, however. Much depends on the degree of slope and the preferred direction a house should face.
A walk-out basement works best when the house is built on top of a sloping lot which falls away at the back end. The ground level and higher floors can be located on the top of the slope and the walk-out garage should face a scenic backyard.
Initial construction of a walk-out can be costly, since it must be excavated and reinforced differently than a below-ground basement. The walls of a walk-out basement face the same moisture and containment problems as any other below-ground structure, even though it is directly accessible to a ground-level area.
The inclusion of a walk-out basement has both financial advantages and disadvantages for the homeowner. It is often considered part of the square footage of a home, especially if it is deemed liveable. This could mean higher property taxes in states where walk-out basements qualify as living space.
On the positive side, since a walk-out basement is considered more desirable to potential buyers than a standard below-ground basement, it can add at least $20,000 to the overall value of the house, and can be claimed as part of the total available square footage. The possibility of incorporating a walk-out or daylight basement is one advantage of building on a sloped lot or hillside.
Above ground basements have the entry right at ground level. An above ground basement is often called a walk out basement since you can just step outside at the front door with no stairs. Raised bungalow homes have above ground basements that often have large windows in the front and a patio in the back. A raised bungalow usually has an entry that is between the basement and the first floor with stairs leading in both directions. Above ground basements are usually not as cool in hot weather as below ground basements, but they are often brighter.
Below ground basements are cooler than above ground basements in hot weather, but are often darker due to smaller windows. A walk-upbasement refers to any basement with an outside entrance that has a stairwell. Flooding is sometimes a problem with walk-up basements, so an adequate stairwell drain and angled doors are often featured in modern homes with a below ground basement. Some parts of a walk-upbasement may be above ground in a sloping yard.
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