Continuing on the Housing theme
Down here in the south with a small "s", (verses the eastern "South" which is further *north* and has a capital "S"), there is a problem with foundations.
Being originally a low land sea, we have developed slow running rivers. What this geology leason means, is, the slow rivers deposit a lot of sediment.
Our sediment of choice here is clay.
Great for farming.
Rich in everything a plant might want.
But when you decide to grow houses instead of cotton, clay will come back to haunt the home owner.
When it dries out, it shrinks, and when it gets wet, it expands.
"Officially" a"floating slab", a concrete foundation that is a single pour, with steel reinforcing to give strength, is the "solution". As the soil moves, in theory, the house will move as a unit.
That's in theory.
In reality, the foundation is never strong enough, see cheap contractors in preveous blog, to with stand the yearly heaving.
Up north, where it snows, the foundations are built deeper to get below the level at which the soil will freeze. Many times this is so deep that it is practical to go ahead and create a basement.
Here in the south, it never gets cold enough long enough to freeze the soil so the slabs are "on grade", at the surface.
Get down to about 3 feet and the moisture content is constant, thus no movement, but "it's too expensive" to dig deeper. Again, see cheap contractor, (cheap home buyer)
As I was driving in today I passed a sign offering "free pool" with a purchase of a new home.
Pools add no resale value to your home. Yes, I just said, Pools add no resale value to your home. The home owner will build the pool thinking, "this will help increase the money I'll get when I sell!".
Nope.
But it is a great sales tool for the developer, because, the homeowner thinks, see above.
As I saw the sign today, it occured to me, "Pools are big holes in the ground, made of concrete, and being a number of feet deep."
"Hello!, I'd rather have a basement, which is a big hole in the ground, made of concrete, and being a number of feet deep. It will protect my foundation!" It will also provide additional square footage that will *not* be considered in your property tax assesment!
Built space below grade is not considered "finished space" in residentail real estate apraisal.
A basement WILL add value to my home... Not financially, the same reason you're not taxed is the same reason you won't benifit monitarily.
But park your car there, as they do in France, and instead of the back side of a garage, you can have....
Windows....
Go figure.
Being originally a low land sea, we have developed slow running rivers. What this geology leason means, is, the slow rivers deposit a lot of sediment.
Our sediment of choice here is clay.
Great for farming.
Rich in everything a plant might want.
But when you decide to grow houses instead of cotton, clay will come back to haunt the home owner.
When it dries out, it shrinks, and when it gets wet, it expands.
"Officially" a"floating slab", a concrete foundation that is a single pour, with steel reinforcing to give strength, is the "solution". As the soil moves, in theory, the house will move as a unit.
That's in theory.
In reality, the foundation is never strong enough, see cheap contractors in preveous blog, to with stand the yearly heaving.
Up north, where it snows, the foundations are built deeper to get below the level at which the soil will freeze. Many times this is so deep that it is practical to go ahead and create a basement.
Here in the south, it never gets cold enough long enough to freeze the soil so the slabs are "on grade", at the surface.
Get down to about 3 feet and the moisture content is constant, thus no movement, but "it's too expensive" to dig deeper. Again, see cheap contractor, (cheap home buyer)
As I was driving in today I passed a sign offering "free pool" with a purchase of a new home.
Pools add no resale value to your home. Yes, I just said, Pools add no resale value to your home. The home owner will build the pool thinking, "this will help increase the money I'll get when I sell!".
Nope.
But it is a great sales tool for the developer, because, the homeowner thinks, see above.
As I saw the sign today, it occured to me, "Pools are big holes in the ground, made of concrete, and being a number of feet deep."
"Hello!, I'd rather have a basement, which is a big hole in the ground, made of concrete, and being a number of feet deep. It will protect my foundation!" It will also provide additional square footage that will *not* be considered in your property tax assesment!
Built space below grade is not considered "finished space" in residentail real estate apraisal.
A basement WILL add value to my home... Not financially, the same reason you're not taxed is the same reason you won't benifit monitarily.
But park your car there, as they do in France, and instead of the back side of a garage, you can have....
Windows....
Go figure.
posted by karlthebunny at 5:16 PM
1 Comments:
up here in the north, a basement is considered taxable space. if you have an unfinished one-no or little tax. finish it and watch your property tax skyrocket!
then again, it IS nice to have a place to hide during tornado season and not end up back in kansas...
zelda
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