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To Have a Basement or Not

Growing up in the Prairie provinces, you come to expect a basement in your home. It is usually unfinished, space where you keep your laundry room and storage. It's the dark space that you only go in to get Christmas decorations or to do laundry.

But basements can be so much more than storage. More and more, people are want to buy and build houses with a finished basement.

 

Why? Well, two main reasons:

  1. Added value
  2. Added living space


Lindal Homes often help home buyers to build one or two-storey houses, and basements are a great option if you want two-storeys, but your lot doesn't permit you to have a two-storey. With a basement, you can build downward instead of up! Basements and garages are counted depending on who is providing the quote. In a Lindal home, the basement is only counted as part of the final square footage calculation if it is a finished space with interior partition walls, doors, trim, etc. 


Why Build a Basement


Added Value


A finished basement adds value to your home due to the extra living space it provides. Basements, finished or not, do not add value in terms of square footage. This is because of the rules in some provinces on how you can count and add square-footage, below-ground spaces do not often count towards this.


There are various estimates of the value of basements, ranging between 50% and 70% of the above-ground value. Depending on your province, the basement may count towards square-footage. However, you should check with your local realtor or appraiser to make sure.


This doesn't mean though that having an unfinished basement is unnecessary! 


Added Living Space


If, when building your dream home, you know that this will be the home that you will grow and raise your family in, a basement may be a great option. Finished basements will allow for extra space for your children to live and hang out it. It can also become a place for you to host parties or put a gym when your children move out. Many use the basement as a place for their children or family to have fun in. 


Creating a less formal family space in the basement can add value to the quality of your life!


Basements are more than what value it will add to your house, but also about what value it will add to your family's lives!




Building a basement depends entirely on what you and your family need from your dream house. A basement may not be ideal if it is a home to retire in, but if this will be the home your children grow up in, a basement may be a good idea! 


Another option could be a bonus area. "Bonus" areas, such as lofts, screen porches, and covered breezeways, may or may not be counted, yet can significantly affect your final price. In a Lindal home, loft space is measured as part of the square footage, but usually covered outdoor areas are not.


To learn about how you can build a Custom Lindal Home with Lindal, call us at 1-855-554-6325 (1-855-5 LINDAL) or register your interest here: Register with Lindal

Choosing a Roof for Your Custom Home

Often when you start building a home, your first thoughts are on the design, layout, the materials that will be used, and who you will work with. In all of the excitement of creating your Lindal custom home, the one thing that can be overlooked is the roof!

The roof is what keeps your designs, layout, and more safe from the elements. Apart from the foundation and structure, the roof is the most crucial part of your custom home.


Lindal Western Homes, allows you to be apart of the entire design process, from start to finish. This means that you can choose the layout and flooring, but you will work with Barb and Doug to select the perfect roof for your custom home. One of the great things about Lindal's house floor plans is that they can be used to create just about any home style you want. Regardless of the floor plan you choose, based on the exterior siding materials and the pitch of your roof, you can build a home that looks traditional, modern, or somewhere in between.


Types of Roofs


There are many different types of roofs that you and your family can choose from for your custom Lindal home. Here are a few popular types of roofs:


Shed Roof (Mono-pitched Roof)


This style of roof originated in the 1960's by the designs from architects Charles Willard Moore and Robert Venturi. It is characterized by an overall asymmetry with sharp lines, a one- to two-story height, and a seamless roof and wall intersection.


Folded Roof


This type of roof looks precisely what as it sounds. It is a roofing system that is chosen for its high weight-bearing capacity and durability. First used in Germany in the 1920's, then in the U.S in the 1930's they were initially designed to be used in for commercial buildings. 


Gable Roof


This roof style is one of the more popular styles of roofs used in homes. It is the classic, most commonly occurring roof shape in parts of the world with cold or temperate climates, like Canada and especially the Western Canadian provinces. It has two roof sections sloping in opposite directions and placed such that the highest, horizontal edges meet to form the roof ridge.


Folded Roof              Shed Roof                     Gable Roof

Remember that when choosing your preferred roof style, you have to take into account the climate of where you are building your home. A client who lives in Victoria and Saskatoon will have different roof styles due to the climate and day to day weather of where they are located. A flat roof may not be the optimal choice for your custom Lindal Home if you live in a place where you get a lot of snow every year.