Sturgeon
Basement homes have never been more popular, and no longer is the room underground just a Midwest or East Coast amenity, as basement homes are back bigger than ever and booming across the Valley.
Just ask Lindsay Cullum-Colwell, managing principal for family and locally owned Cullum Homes. The luxury builder offers a basement option on almost every home they build and that’s because she says a basement can be built in any portion of the Valley.
“Homeowners, architects, and builders looking to add basements should work with a geotechnical engineer to best understand the soil conditions on the site. If the dirt is soft, a basement is easier to dig and a homeowner can expect to see minimal added costs beyond the dirt export,” Lindsay said.
But she says many areas of the Valley do have hard dig conditions, where excavation can be more challenging and costly. An evaluation of the area conditions during early design will help the homeowner fully consider the overall costs (in time and dollars) of the added living space.
Getting the exact cost per square foot will vary depending on the soil conditions and the micro-market where the home is being built.
“Homeowners should plan on adding that subterranean square footage at the same rate as the balance of the home and then prepare for a cost on the linear footage of a retaining wall,” she said.
But the benefits can be tremendous, especially in the summer months when temperatures in the basement can run 5 to 10 degrees cooler than the rest of the house, and while it certainly can be more cost-effective to cool the space, most of the basement designs are done to expand the living footprint on a tighter site or add a lifestyle feature to the home – like Cullum’s famous Car Bar, which features a car display garage. The most common usage for the basement is often to add additional entertainment spaces like a home theatre or additional guest suites.
Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty Agent Christine Anthony is currently representing two unique properties in Northeast Mesa that feature a fully finished basement. Both custom homes offer a large entertainment space, with a kitchenette area, plus storage and two to three bedrooms with adjoining bathrooms.
One of the homes offers a playful slide that will take guests on a spiral ride from the first floor to the basement. Both homes feature home theatres, sizeable guest suites, wet bars, and refrigeration as well as ample storage space.
Christine says prospective buyers are often impressed by the grand space and the idea that you can still find basement homes in several of Northeast Mesa’s neighborhoods. “It’s a huge bonus and a tremendous value add to offer the basement amenity,” Christine said. “Buyers love basement homes and rightfully so. They offer families another wonderful level in the home where they can entertain and spread out, especially when there are additional bedrooms in the basement. Additionally, housing a home theatre in the basement space can keep the sound more contained than if it were on the main level. Overall, it’s just a win-win.”
Builders like Cullum Homes have also gotten creative when it comes to adding more light. “We often utilize window wells to drop natural light into the basement to bring that Arizona sunshine into the living spaces as these are not your typical Midwestern style basement,” said Lindsay.
A partial and full basement both refer to underground living surrounded by dirt on all sides. The differential is how much of the home’s ground-level footprint has occupiable space beneath it. A walkout basement is usually found on a site where the topography allows for at least one side of the subterranean area to open to a ground level – usually found in hillside homes.
But the rarity of basements in the Valley comes down to cost, Lindsay said. In the Valley, the footers of new construction are much shallower than those necessary in colder climates, so the added cost of the dig at the site and constructing retaining walls make basements a more costly endeavor, especially if the homeowner desires a ceiling height that echoes the grandness of the rest of the home – often 10 feet or taller. The added ceiling height found in Arizona basements allows for more design options, taller windows to let in more natural light, and a seamless flow from the rest of the home.
“While basement homes are not as common here in the Valley, we can help identify neighborhoods that offer basement options,” Christine said. “As we are soon approaching summer temperatures, you may find the basement becomes your favorite part of the home.”
Christine Anthony and Jennifer Sturgeon are licensed real estate agents with Russ Lyon Sotheby’s International Realty. Combined, the duo has more than 25 years helping clients buy and sell homes in The Valley of the Sun. They are both longtime residents of Northeast Mesa, where they have raised families and become an integral part of the community. For more information, please call (480) 200-0972 or email canthonyre@gmail.com.