Is a basement in a single-family house useful or rather too expensive?

We, without a basement, [Technik] (the space requirement should not be underestimated) with washing machine, dryer, huge cat litter box, and shoe rack have just under 9 sqm. Storage room right next door with 5 sqm. It’s full of freezer, food, a bit of tools, paintball equipment, and everything I threw in there so I wouldn’t have to see it anymore. Everything else (boxes with baby clothes, decorations, suitcases, cat stuff, ...) is in the attic. The workshop will go into the garage once my garden stuff has moved into the not-yet-existing garden shed, the scattered carport is assembled, and the bicycles are in a "cage" still to be built. By the way, the garage is exclusively home to my husband’s motorcycle. The car goes into the carport. Conclusion: WE don’t need a basement.

Only the vermin living underground are happy about a basement. And since I have a panic reaction to the sight of eight-legged creatures, I would always prefer a house without a basement. I don't enter it anyway. The space that the attic, garage, and storage room provide is also completely sufficient. You only really have a lot of stuff if you also have the space for a lot of stuff.

Yes, the garden house doesn't exist yet, it's only planned so far, and the 120m² attic came about naturally through the floor area. Which, mind you, was overall cheaper than the basement, so that’s the extra living space. And the insulated attic is included with our general contractor.

The question was whether a basement makes sense if you can get more living space for the same money... including a utility room on the upper floor.

A second upper floor doesn't visually suit every house style. It also wouldn't have been so easy to get approved here.

I would also find the layout a bit difficult. I often move between the ground floor and basement. Having to overcome an additional floor would annoy me in the long run. For me, a larger floor area would have been more of an option than another upper floor.

Only the pests living underground are happy about a basement. And since I have a panic reaction to seeing eight-legged creatures, I would always prefer a house without a basement. I don't enter it anyway..
The space that the attic, garage, and storage room offer is also completely sufficient. You only really have a lot of stuff if you also have the space for a lot of stuff.

But I am very surprised how these eight-legged creatures manage to diffuse through a 20cm reinforced concrete wall.

I am really surprised how these eight-legged creatures manage to diffuse through a 20cm reinforced concrete wall.

Now don't tell me you've never seen spiders in a basement.........?

There are things! .. and there is often no attic, so you can't convert anything. I always find attics really useless, it's hard to get up there, there are sloping roofs, it's warm, and every noise goes through the whole house. If you want to carry something up, everything has to be lugged over two floors. Disaster!

A cellar is much better

I am really surprised how these eight-legged creatures manage to diffuse through a 20cm reinforced concrete wall.

Don’t be surprised if Google Ätz soon shows a lot of hints about arachnid barrier films here *LOL*