Anybody ever lived in a basement apartment?

[sugarbug]

'ello

I just wondered if anybody had had any experience with living in a basement apartment and if so what the pro's and con's were? If there were any pros!!!

Its a grade 2 listed building being converted into luxury apartments so it will be virtually like a new build ... and obviously they have to waterproof the basement etc and putting in new lighting so hopefully that will be ok!

many thanks

sugar x

[noxlumos]

My wife had a gorgeous basement appartment in West Hampstead when we first got together and I couldn't see any cons at all, it was great, plus the pro was she had the garden, so it was better than the other flats.No reason there should be any cons are there?

[Scarlett]

Half my house is basement, and the main problem I have is ventilation. The bathroom gets very damp and black mould grows on the ceiling (condensation) because it is very difficult to get air circulating in a basement. There are a lack of windows, you see. If you have good builders and they put in an extractor fan, you should be okay. Lack of light may bother you too, if you are mostly undergroud. If it is grade II listed then you won't be able to change much, so make sure it ism what you want first.

[sugarbug]

Thanks for the replies u guys!

fortunately the living room and kitchen are still part of the basement but there is no ground built up to the window and u look out over the grounds ... it's jus the bathroom and bedroom that have your typical window then 2 foot then outside ground ... but they have painted the well white and it does let a fair amount of light thru ... They have also put an extractor fan in the bathroom fortunately and the kitchen and there is a door that leads to outside if u walk up some steps so i guess i could open that to help with the air circulation?

sugar x

[scoobysoo]

I live in a basement flat, and the biggest problems are definately spiders, silver fish and woodlice. We also have to have an industrial sized dehumidifier on at all times to combat the damp problem, are plunged into darkness when a bulb goes, get flooded when it rains, when people walk past they always have a nose in, and then there's the noisy neighbours above with laminate flooring! It's freezing in the winter, boiling in the summer and guess what? We've decided to buy a house!!

[sugarbug]

ow no :o( not so good then

[lynlockwood]

A friend moved into a 'new build' basement flat in a gorgeous Victorian house and three months later they were wiping the mould off their bedding and watching the cracks in the plaster. The electricity supply had been not properly connected from the upstairs flat and they didn't have a proper council taxable/ official address! Just make sure you know the builders are 100% reliable.