Current Events > How feasible is this home modification idea: I want a shed with a basement

(+) Yeah! (+)

Don't care for a large house or anything. I just want a large yard. But in the yard I want to make a shed that will be the entrance to a large basement which will be used as a play-room for myself and kids. We'll have things like a pool table, foosball table, a fireplace, couches, video games, arcades, board games, projector, etc. I could take over a section of it and make a man-cave with a bar, TVs, lazy-boys..

I've never seen this anywhere. Growing up my neighbor custom built a house to include a basement. He had kids our age so thats where we always hung out. And you could be loud af and no one would hear.

Is that feasible and how much would it likely cost me?

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I dunno if making that room a basement is cost effective... If it's stand alone from the rest of the house

Would be cool though

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Just get a house with a basement

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You mean like Into the SpiderVerse?

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Problem with standalone is that it takes up yard space and we're also outdoors people. Like I want space for kids and myself to run around, kick a soccer ball around, play football, etc. The purpose would be to maximize space.

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Garioshi posted...

Just get a house with a basement

I'm in california, its rare to find that without custom building it. Even then, most people don't.

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Lol

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOelRv7fMxY

you could try this?

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You'd have to excavate your entire yard to build something like that, so...pretty expensive.

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I just dont see the downside other than cost. And the cost shouldn't be THAT much since it'll essentially be underground in the backyard, not under any existing structures.

Ideally I'd have the other end connect to the base of the house, like at the patio so theres a nearby entrance. Ideally you wouldn't have to go outside to get to the basement but thats not super important.

If I'm living at this house for the next 15-20 years and this will be my kids' childhood home, I think its worth it. Imagine how many great memories we'll have, family movies on the projector in the basement, playing games, kids escaping and having their own fun. Even as adults they can chill there away from their parents and us parents can host friends to hang out there.

Again, any downside other than cost?

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Lol

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MaddenDude-- posted...

Again, any downside other than cost?

you live in a seismically active area, so one downside i can think of is having your underground bunker colapse...

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It sounds like you want to keep your family in a basement...

It also sounds like all of the things you would do in that basement, can just be done in the yard that is directly above the basement.


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Hey tc ballpark what you think this would cost, show me you have a semblance of knowing what you're talking about

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Get the kids to do the labor. That'll save a few bucks. Hand em all shovels and tell them to start digging.
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The Trent posted...

Hey tc ballpark what you think this would cost, show me you have a semblance of knowing what you're talking about

Well thats why I posted here, I'm expecting in the range of 50k to 150k

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Perfectinsanity posted...

It sounds like you want to keep your family in a basement...

It also sounds like all of the things you would do in that basement, can just be done in the yard that is directly above the basement.

Again, its a space issue. Its basically a giant play-room made underground which leaves more space above ground to do other things. Like lets say a lawn to play soccer on, or a basketball hoop, or a garden, etc.

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Again, I've never seen or heard of anyone do this. Even as I google around, I'm not seeing anyone do this.

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Lmao

This sounds like something from a serial killer documentary.


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MaddenDude-- posted...

Again, I've never seen or heard of anyone do this. Even as I google around, I'm not seeing anyone do this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UKNajCgpEs&;
list=PLGjbAdaOBLBlS1MPKXYmqwZLZhWC1FAMx

tc, i already posted the damn video...

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MaddenDude-- posted...

Well thats why I posted here, I'm expecting in the range of 50k to 150k

Oh my sweet summer danharen

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MaddenDude-- posted...

Again, I've never seen or heard of anyone do this. Even as I google around, I'm not seeing anyone do this.

Watch 10 Cloverfield Lane.
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hmmmm, i guess "bunker" would be the better thing to search rather than "basement"


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Google "50k party bunker"

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You'll have to check with the city that there arent any pipes or powerlines under your yard, sewage lines, etc.. which could potentially make it impossible.

Plus, like monkmith said, you live in a seismic area where one strong quake could collapse it. If your kids are in there... well let's just say it's not the greatest idea.

Edit: Alternatively you could bury a couple shipping containers in your yard and connect them to make a big room and furnish that. It might be more structurally sound.

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No pizza places for rent in your area?

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bump
Lokison posted...

Plus, like monkmith said, you live in a seismic area where one strong quake could collapse it.

I feel like it shouldn't be hard to make a basement/bunker like this earthquake resistant.

Its the same risk being in there as it would be in a normal house, right?

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Sounds like a murder room

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MaddenDude-- posted...

I feel like

Thats cute

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MaddenDude-- posted...

bump

I feel like it shouldn't be hard to make a basement/bunker like this earthquake resistant.

Its the same risk being in there as it would be in a normal house, right?

i doubt anyone here is a structural engineer, but i can tell you that securing your house to your foundation to keep it from slipping off and collapsing during an earthquake isn't the same as somehow securing the earth around your bunker to keep it from collapsing the side walls and causing a cave in...

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Terrible idea.

Get a smaller house with a basement and a bigger yard instead.

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monkmith posted...

i doubt anyone here is a structural engineer, but i can tell you that securing your house to your foundation to keep it from slipping off and collapsing during an earthquake isn't the same as somehow securing the earth around your bunker to keep it from collapsing the side walls and causing a cave in...

are you a structural engineer?

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MaddenDude-- posted...

are you a structural engineer?

nope, just have common sense. talk to one to find out how much you'd actually have to do to secure it.

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monkmith posted...

nope, just have common sense. talk to one to find out how much you'd actually have to do to secure it.

https://www.reddit.com/r/askscience/comments/2o128r/how_safe_would_someone_be_if_they_were_inside_of/

what was that about common sense

The biggest danger with earthquakes and built structures is due to the fact that the ground accelerates very rapidly, while inertial forces due to the structure's mass resist that acceleration. Most of the damage from earthquakes is the result of what's known as story drift. Which is the relative motion of one floor to another. If the ground moves 45cm in one instant, the top floor will take some time to "catch up" with the ground floor, and by that time, the ground floor is usually moving in another direction, which ends up putting a very large amount of stress on the columns.
Now small underground structures will move in unison with the ground (commonly), so they tend to fair pretty well. However, long underground structures such as tunnels or pipes can be at risk if they say, cross the fault, and there is significant displacement between the two plates.

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I mean it would be horribly expensive, but it sounds cool.

Makes more sense to just get a place with more room and a basement.

Also my grandmas house and my aunts in North Dakota were both like that, full finished basements with a bar and a bedroom or two.

Kids/younger people stayed/lived down there whenever we got together... lots of good memories and we didnt drive the parents nuts.

We used to crawl out of windows up near the ceiling in the basement to sneak out when we were teens, lol.

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It would be easier and ultimately probably less expensive to just add a strait up basement to your house. Realistically, it would be completely impossible to get permits for adding a shed basement to a property that's already developed. It would be extremely illegal to make something like that without extensive permits.

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Btw you can't make basements without egress windows anymore.

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You would very likely never get the permits for this, and as someone already mentioned there is almost 0% chance there isn't a network of sewage lines running through your yard. Good luck convincing the city they should waste time rerouting their sewage so you can build an underground party room.

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TIL

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_raising?wprov=sfla1

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I think your best bet would be to find a house with a bomb shelter.

There are potential moisture issues, even if you are in an area you think there isn't moisture. Especially if you live on a slope.

it might be impossible with local zoning ordnances. other than that, i think its just cost. for like 1000 sqft, with like a 8 x 8 shed over top, I would expect it to cost at least $200k.

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Perfectinsanity posted...

It sounds like you want to keep your family in a basement...

lmfao

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Lmao what is this
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I like it. You think it would be expensive to get people to build an underground town for me? I want to be mayor of an underground town.

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