I Regret Having This Sought-After Feature in My Home (It’s Been Such a Pain!)

I’m not one to complain about having extra space in the house. But despite the fact that I was drawn to my current home because it had a large, finished basement, over the years, I’ve discovered that this is a feature I regret having in the end. Truthfully, I hate my basement. Before you think I’m insufferable, allow me to explain.

I’ve shared in a previous story that my husband and I were initially thrilled to finally have a basement, and we enjoyed using it as a second living room. However, after a couple of weather-related floods (they were minor, but a “small” flood is still a flood!), we realized just how much of a pain it was to have a basement, which is inherently prone to moisture.

Frankly, I’m tired of freaking out every time there’s rain in the forecast. Suffice it to say, a basement won’t be on our must-have list for our next house. That sounds like a firmer boycott than it really is, though. Depending on where we move — we’re batting around the idea of Charlotte, North Carolina —  there might not be an opportunity to have one. 

I won’t attempt anything more than a brief nod to geology here — I was an English major, after all. But houses with basements are only possible if the soil permits. In the Charlotte metro area, for example, basements are few and far between because of the clay soil. On the other hand, should we decide to stay within the New York/New Jersey area, where we are right now, then we might have a basement whether we care to or not; they are super common in our neck of the woods.

I won’t go as far as to say that it would be a deal-breaker for our next home to have a basement, but we certainly won’t be eager to use it beyond storage or laundry. To compensate for a lack of subterranean space, here’s what we’ll be looking for instead.

These home features are “must-haves” in our book, and they are centered around the fact that we won’t depend on a basement for entertainment and extra storage.

I’m a firm believer that there’s no such thing as too much closet space. I’m being vague here purposely because when it comes to the type of closets, I simply want more of them throughout the home. Would I love a pantry off the kitchen? Sure, but I’ll really take anything with a door to avoid cluttering up surfaces and counters.

I would also really love a walk-in closet in the primary bedroom, but that’s more of a nice-to-have than a must-have. Actually, it would all depend on the age of the home. We’ve learned from scoping listings on Zillow that there’s a much better chance of walk-in closets in new-construction homes than existing ones. 

I work from home and currently use the spare bedroom in our home as my office. My husband works outside the house but often takes calls from — you guessed it — a desk in the basement. He deserves an upgrade next time for sure. 

We’ve been pleasantly surprised to see that homes in our budget — at least in Charlotte — have dedicated home offices, especially as some real estate pros say the trend is already starting to disappear. Luckily for us, this must-have might be easier to come by than we thought. But aside from that, we’ll be looking for a bonus room or small spare bedroom so we both can have spaces to work.

Again, the bad part about forgoing a basement is losing all that sweet, sweet storage space. Problem solved if there’s a garage — although we’re aware that not everything can be stored well in a garage.

A cursory glance of home inventory tells us there’s an excellent chance we’ll have a double garage. Oh, the possibilities! I see lots of shelving and a full-size refrigerator, for starters. Should we plan a home gym, too? We’ll need to remember to make room for a vehicle, but we are thrilled for our future selves, who will certainly be armed with a Costco membership.

It’s odd to think that what was once a must-have home feature has now become somewhat of a burden. But homeownership is, if nothing else, a learning experience.