Partial Basement – is it the best option for you and your building project?

It can take many weeks or even months of consideration before deciding upon a basement. And, even when the decision has been made, there’s then the option of a full basement or a partial basement. So which is the best option for you and your building project?

In this blog, to help you make the most informed choices, we take a look at the associated advantages as well as the perceived disadvantages of a partial basement.

What are the main advantages of a partial basement?

If a building is to be built on a relatively large footprint (e.g. a bungalow), the choice of a full basement may be too big and the construction costs and the subsequent benefits may be disproportionate. In this case, a partial basement, which still allows adequate space for that laundry room, home office or storage area, with associated reductions in labour and material expenditure, is a more cost-effective solution.

A partial basement can be an ideal solution for houses on small plots as properties can be optimised with no loss of available space is lost.

A partial basement offering additional living or storage space, is also an effective way to keep your home uncluttered.

Partial basements can be implemented quickly and cost-effectively thanks to the use of prefabricated precast concrete elements such as the innovative Glatthaar Keller Baby Basement or Practical Basement.

And what are the disadvantages of a partial basement?

The disadvantage of a partial basement in conventional element construction (consisting of an in-situ concrete floor slab, element walls and filigree slabs) is the necessary installation work. In short, even though a partial basement is smaller than a full basement, and will be a cheaper option, the workload and associated costs remain considerable and are disproportionate to the basement size.  Put simply, a full basement offers more for your money.

To help counteract the size versus cost issue, Glatthaar Keller is the first and only basement construction company to offer the ‘Practical Basement’ in modular construction. By eliminating the on-site concrete work, a Glatthaar Keller ‘Practical Basement’ can be installed in just a matter of days.

So, what must be considered when it comes to partial basement construction?

If you choose a partial basement, there are a few important things to consider. As with the planning of a full basement, the site conditions are important. How sustainable the soils are or whether (ground) water can be found in the planned foundation depth are important criteria to be clarified in advance of planning for a building project. A project-specific building ground report will give you the details required.

The layout of a property, such as the location of the staircase and the position of the rooms in a house, is also important when it comes to installing a partial basement. To be sure you get it right, we suggest the installation of a partial basement is carried out by a specialist company.

Is it worth building a partial basement?

In order to make an informed decision on the type of basement that is best for you, it’s advisable to commission a soil survey.

Detailed advice from experienced basement construction experts is also advisable in the majority of cases. This is the only way to precisely determine the individual conditions at the site of your construction project and make informed decisions regarding a full or partial basement. By taking into account the need for usable space and the total costs of various basement options, a well-considered decision can be made.