House Floor Plans With a Basement

Whether you want a home that has a walkout basement, a one story with a basement, or any other type of home that has a basement, this is the right page. These are great features to have that can provide you with that additional storage space you’ve always been wanting.

If you have a passion for fixing up old motorcycles, this can also be the space that provides enough flexibility to make it happen, or it can be your rustic, unfinished retreat at the end of a long day, where you make craft creations come alive.

Basements in a home are great, however, here’s an additional list of features for you to consider.

Features to consider
	Open floor	Small, with garage
Small, 3 bedroom	Walkout basement	Tiny, with loft
Small ranch	Log cabin	small

Basements have so many advantages, besides providing additional storage. If you are changing your furniture, they can act as an intermediary place to put stuff in that is going out, meaning it might just save you from the hassle of having to drive to the dumpster on a Saturday morning if you don’t want to rather than have them stand around in an already stuffed living room.

Most teenagers would also dream of having their home down there which is usually a relatively secluded part of the house, where they would more so be able to feel like independent people, instead of having a bedroom that shares a wall with the master suite, and the basement may in that instance act as an alternative to a second master suite.

One-Story House Can Still Have a Basement

So, you already decided that you’re not interested in a two-story home, but a single-level one. But not just any single level one. What you’re interested in is specifically one-story house plans with a basement as the foundation, which is exactly what we are going to share with you on this page.

These are convenient homes to consider because you don’t have the inconvenience of having to climb a staircase when you are wanting to get to your bedroom, and they also provide the benefits of having one. There’s also the specific style that includes a walkout basement, if you have a property on a sloped lot, that will give you easier access and more sunlight – while you can find those homes on this page too, they have a specific page of their own, if that is the particular style  you are hoping for.

If  you’re in need of additional storage space, or if that man cave is a thing that’s been on your mind for a very long time, getting a basement when you’re building a home, is a really good idea. It may also just turn out to be the place where you end up placing that home gym you’ve been wanting.

No matter your desire to get a basement, look around the site, and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.

Daylight Basements

Some people only see problems if they’re building on a sloping lot, other people see the opportunity to turn that beautiful mountain lot into a charming retreat with the use of daylight basement.

Instead of having the usual  home with a basement, where it isn’t really used for much besides storage, take advantage of the fact that you have an additional space that can easily be made functional during the day simply by adding windows to let in sunlight. If you’re building on a sufficiently steep slope, you may even be able to make it a walkout basement, where you don’t just get in sunlight, but you have free access to leave through also.

Not all homes are meant to be built on built on flat surfaces, and you can easily make a well-lit basement a bonus room that can either be used for your Mother-in-law, guests or a home gym. If you choose to finish it, it can be used for the man cave you may have always wanted, or rather a yoga studio, but it can also just be the place where you store bikes or other yard equipment.

Let us know if you aren’t able to find the daylight basement designs you were looking for!

A Bonus Room

There are certain rooms that may be added to a house that don’t make them qualify as traditional rooms, which leads us to you finding our page containing options with bonus rooms.

Yes, bonus rooms are the ones that may not meet the local building code requirements to be classified as a normal room, which usually has to do with lacking certain things such as a window, a closet or other parts, although this will be determined by your county’s regulations.

Although these rooms may not necessarily be able to be classified as a traditional room, they are still highly functional and are usually used for a myriad of things, including a home office, guest room, a place for your Mother-in-law, a yoga studio, a gaming room, a man cave or a home gym, just to mention a few.

Do know that bonus rooms may not be able to raise the resale value of the house as much as a traditional room would be able to, so while you may not think about installing the necessary outlets right now, it could be a thing you’re ending up having to do at a later point.

If in fact it’s a house with a bonus room in the usual Cape Cod style with sloped roofs, these may also affect the functionality of the space. While it may not be ideal for the resale value, since these rooms don’t quality as traditional ones, they also won’t count for your property taxes.

Modern or not, here we come, including options that have open floors

While some people may associate homes with basements as a more traditional way of building, that definitely isn’t always the case as there are many beautiful, modern homes that have basements. If you have specific features in mind that you want to have incorporated, such as a modern, open floor layout, all you have to do is appropriately set up the various parameters, and the platform  will automatically only show you the plans that fit those requirements.

Small or large, or perhaps even on a hillside

We understand that our users span a vast number of preferences, and that often means that someone may want a smaller home, while others are looking for something more substantial leaning towards the larger side – we are able to accommodate the various groups no matter what your preferences may be, and we even have floor plans that work if you’re planning on building on a hillside.

Sloped lot with a walkout basement

One of the most requested features when it comes to people looking for these specific homes is that they are looking for an option that includes a walkout basement and the convenience it provides because they have a sloped lot that they’re working on. Usually when you have a sloped lot, you also have a great view, and how great would it be to have the additional square footage that comes with a basement while still having it be readily accessible from the outside?

Simple ranch, rambler, a bar layout, a finished bedroom or whatever your heart desires

Ranch homes and rambler ones are typically single-story and very spread out, why they’re not ideal for narrow lots of land, but if you’re placed somewhere where that is not a concern of yours, it is a very popular style.

Other users may find that what they’re looking for is really to create a bar and that man cave you have always been dreaming of, or perhaps simply a cozy place to hang out.

If on the other hand, what you are looking for is the possibility to finish a bedroom in the basement at some later point, you may be looking to get a house design that adequately address those needs, rather than having to only start thinking about it years from now.

Small lake house with walkout basement

Besides sloping lots, a lot of our users are also requesting walkout basements because they’re either trying to build a small or large lake house. When people go to their lake houses, there are often a range of features that they tend to find useful, including how many people they usually have visiting them when they go there. If you usually gather a bigger group when going there, you may want something bigger than a 2, 3 or 4 bedroom place and you may even be desiring to look in our section of mansion homes instead. If that’s not the case, something smaller may suffice, and you can easily adjust the platform’s parameters to find the floor plans that have the size you’re looking for.

Basement garage and a mountain home?

Having a garage in the basement is a popular option that even persists through our 3-story homes, as well as many other categories. A drive-under option is appealing to many as you can drive up and enter the home and not have to inconveniently get out of your car just to step out in the rain, which is very practical, especially when you have either luggage or groceries that you are carrying inside. We additionally have homes of this style that are more rustic and specifically made with the intention that you will want to build them in the middle of the mountains, with the gorgeous views that they provide.

2-story options, tiny homes and more

One of the main benefits of our platform is the many different filters you are able to apply to the various floor plans that we offer, so if you are looking for something that is specifically 2-story, then we can accommodate you with that request.

You can also find tiny homes that still have exactly the square footage that you are looking for. All you have to do is figure out what your minimum and maximum requirements are, and we’ll take it from there.

A-frame

There are many families that want homes that really stand out and that is one of the reasons people often start looking into the A-frame options because they also lend themselves beautifully to the addition of a basement. If you are one to want to stand out in the neighborhood where you’re building, we also have H-shaped homes, however, those are less likely to have a basement when compared to their A-framed counterparts.

1500 sq ft, 1.5 story or split-level

The average size of the home we usually tend to find in this category is about 1,500 sq ft which is the size of your typical home. People craving the functionality of a basement are also more so looking for 1.5 storey options, and split-level ones than is the case for a lot of the other designs made available on this site. We also have cute Craftsman cottages, and you can even turn it into an in-law suite, which can help keep them at what may sometimes feel like the necessary arms length by having them stay in the finished basement.

Are you looking to include an extra bedroom in your house?

There are a lot of  situations where you may suddenly be finding yourself needing an extra bedroom. Perhaps you invited the in-laws over. It could also be that you like hosting parties with your friends, and rather than having them have to drive home at the end of the night, offering them a place to stay is a great option.

There is a great thing about building a home that has a basement in it, and that is that you won’t necessarily have to decide right now what you intend on using it for. It may very well be that you simply leave the room unfinished and temporarily use it for storage. When the time comes in the future when you figure out the best use for the space, that is when you can then take the necessary money and invest in turning it into the right space for your needs.

However, if you don’t decide on whether or not you need a basement before building your home, you will likely not end up with one, as it’s not a feature that is quite as simple to add as it would be to add a bonus room, or perhaps adding a second floor to your home. The lower level is where the foundation of the home is, so if you want one, it is a decision that needs to be made before you start the building process.

There are a lot more people that find out too late that they really wish they would have considered this feature for their future dream home, whether it’s a mansion or not.

One of the most popular options

When you consider the many different functions that a basement may add to your home, it’s not really a surprise why it is so attractive to a lot of families. While it may not necessarily be counted towards the official size of the house, a basement still provides a lot of options that you might not otherwise have had access to without building a more expensive house. While some people may choose a more minimalist lifestyle, there is also a decent amount of stuff that may end up accumulating in your home if you have a family. While we would all like to believe that we do what we have to in order to clean the house, the reality is that most families don’t do a yearly cleaning where they review all the things that have accumulated over the last year.

Having access to a basement is a nice way to ensure that you have some slack with regards to cleaning out your house. Rather than having to do a yearly cleaning of the house, this additional storage space may mean that you realistically only have to clean out your house every 5 years instead, and may therefore be able to provide you with the peace of mind that you have been looking for.

When it comes to these homes, they are not all made equal. While you are able to get modern homes that have basements, the most popular style is still the traditional farmhouse. This is a versatile style that has the advantage that it fits the needs of many different families, making it easy to sell when you start considering that at some point. It has a bunch of features that are very sought after, including its wide porch at the front of the house. What is better than coming home after a long day at work and opening a beer outside? It is also a style that doesn’t try and do anything too fancy when it comes to the roof.  Gables are a common feature, and this simpler roof structure. A thing that aspiring home builders often fail to realize is that the more advanced the roofing structure is, the more expensive the house will also be to build. It is not necessarily the installation of the house that is expensive, but rather the overall framing of the house which starts to become very advanced.

Farmhouses are usually rectangular which has a bunch of benefits. While you are better off making sure that you have found the right house design before you start building, there are times in our lives where our needs may change, why the farmhouse is a good foundation to build on. Our recommendation is always that you try to account for potential changes when you are picking out the design, but the rectangular shape of the farmhouse does make it a lot easier to add on additions to the home 10 years from now when you suddenly realized you couldn’t live without a mancave. When you start building homes that have very sophisticated outer walls, you will also find that the possibility for additions becomes a very expensive endeavor at a later time.

Given their shape and size, this is a great style to go with, especially when you aren’t restricted by having to build on a narrow piece of land but have something bigger. If you are living in the countryside, you can imagine why these houses already match the outbuildings, and barns very well. There is a reason why the style got the name that it has!

While it’s great that you have found out your family needs a basement, however, there are also other potential factors to take into considerations. For instance, maybe you want something with a vintage feel.

Special factors to consider
Beach house	Waterfront	Hillside
Duplex	Vintage	Narrow lot

Some of our other recommendations

Throughout this entire article, we have kept telling you that it is always our recommendation that you really sit down and make sure that you are understanding the needs of your family, and that is definitely also the case when it comes to building something with a basement. Figuring out the needs of your family require figuring out various things like how much space you are hoping to have in your house, how many bedrooms you will need, whether someone will be using the space as a bedroom etc. The more of these things that you have already figured out before you start the building process, the more likely it is that you will avoid mistakes that could be expensive to remedy at a later stage. Are there certain specific features you would like for your basement to have and what are you planning on using it for? If you are using it for storage, you have more freedoms than if you plan on using it for a bedroom. If your intention is to use it as a bedroom, you are ideally building your home on a sloped lot so that it is possible to install a window and ensure that some natural light is able to enter the room.

It can also be a perfect place where your in-laws can stay as they come over, rather than you having to build another bedroom upstairs. Are you planning on using the space and renting it out as a separate unit? In that case, you will need to ensure that the basement has a bunch of different features, like ensuring that it has both a bathroom and a kitchen. If you are planning on renting it out, and thereby subsidizing the mortgage you have on the home, you may also want to ensure that the design you are building has a separate entrance so that your tenants can come and leave without them having to go through the main house. Although you would always want to ensure that you are renting it out to someone you trust, it will also have the added benefit of providing you with more privacy. It might be very calming to know that you can walk to the refrigerator on the main floor in the middle of the night, without someone randomly walking in on you.

If you are planning on using parts of the basement for your own personal gym, you may want to make sure that you have figured out the dimensions that will be required in order to make that dream come true for you. How many machines will you need to include on the lower floor of the house, and how much space will be required for you to comfortably use the space as intended?

Even after determining you want one, you will have to consider which style is right for your dream home.

Styles to consider
Mansion	Victorian
Ranch	Usonian
Barndominium	Small cottage

Is a 2 bedroom big enough for you?

If you are planning on building something for you, perhaps the 2 bedroom options we have available on this page are the right choices for you. It allows you to both have a master suite, but also have an additional bedroom that you can either use as an office or a guest bedroom, while still having the convenience offered by the basement. The great thing about these options is that when you do choose a house design that includes one, the lower floor may end up being the place that you can use if you suddenly run out of bedrooms. Whereas we generally recommend families to build houses that have a spare bedroom, the space there can easily serve as your backup space. So whether you are building a rambler house, or you are building a modern one, there are some great options on this page. If you are rather looking for designs that have 4 bedrooms, you can simply choose that as a filter, and our platform will automatically adjust your search.

Our philosophy

Whether you want to build one of the homes with a basement that we have featured on this page, or whether you are looking to build something else, we want you to end up with the home that is perfect for you! Making changes to your home at a later stage is definitely doable, but it isn’t necessarily cheap. Did you find out that you want to install both a bathroom and a kitchen in the basement, after you started the actual building process? These are things that commonly require additional building permits, so you could end up setting the project back another month.

Hopefully it should be clear by now that we want your home building project to go smoothly, and that we are not pressuring you to buy from us. We have clearly tried walking you through some of the important things you should consider when you are including a basement in your home building project, making sure that you realize the features that are important to you. Knowing what you will use it for is the easiest way to ensure you get exactly what you want.

Have you made sure that the features that you want go well with the type of house plan that you are considering?

What is the next step from here?

You may have already started browsing some of the houses we have available on this page. Perhaps you have even sat down with your family to make sure that you know what it is you are looking for. If you require help finding your way on the website, you can either use the search function or the navigation bar.

You can also simply follow these links to go to our single-story homes, or our 2-story homes. While the homes listed on the specific page that you are currently on are the ones that have basements, we do still encourage you to check out our other homes. If you find a design that you like that doesn’t currently have one shown in the drawings there may still be a chance that we are able to adjust them for you.

What sort of changes are possible?

It is difficult for us to universally tell you whether it is possible for us to make the desired changes to the design that you are looking at. In order to know whether it is possible or not, we will need to know exactly what it is that you want to have done. Are you looking to turn a 3 bedroom house into one with 4 bedrooms instead? If so, are you simply wanting to put up an additional wall, or are you hoping to do it by adding an addition to the home? Certain things are easy to do whereas others aren’t. The best way for you to find out if it is feasible to do what you are hoping is to get in contact with one of our architects, and we will sit down and figure out how much work it would be to implement the changes.

If you have found a design that you like, there are some of the changes that are usually a lot easier to implement than others. Are you hoping to increase the size of the place from 1,200 square feet to 1,500? Or are you rather looking to increase the size from 1,700 square feet to 2,500 square feet? The cost of the changes will usually be proportional to the amount of work that needs to be put into the project, and making an addition to the design that doesn’t otherwise affect the rest of the house can still be manageable. However when you start wanting changes that impact other aspects of the house, all the different components will have to be modified.

Whether you found a design that doesn’t currently include a basement, where you want to have one added, or if you have other questions, we are happy to help you out!