Basement

There are several types of basements available. Most of them are pretty self-explanatory, but if you’ve never had a basement before, you’ll want to be clear on what you’re getting.

Partial Basement

A partial basement doesn’t extend to the full footprint of the house. In other words, the square footage of the partial basement will be smaller than the square footage of the home’s main floor. This usually happens when there’s been a home addition added onto the house at a later date, instead of at the time the home was constructed.

Full Basement

Of all the types of basements, a full basement is the most common. The ceiling is typically high enough for an average-height person to stand up straight, but might be lower than a typical above-ground ceiling like you would find in the rest of the house. These basements are built for comfort and use, and they can be turned into a finished, usable space very easily.

Note

A basement is finished when the entire level is complete and similar to the upstairs living areas.

Walkout Basement

This type of basement is designed, so you can walk out through a door that’s on the lower level. These are almost always built on a hill and are partially underground like a daylight basement. In other words, the front of the basement may be under the ground and the back of the basement may be exposed with a door to the backyard, due to the placement of the house on a hillside.

Crawlspace

A crawlspace has some of the same basic attributes as a basement, but it’s not the same. It’s typically much shorter, and it’s not a space where you can stand up or move around comfortably. The term “crawlspace” is very appropriate since crawling is what it takes to get around inside of it.