Basement size

No less than a square city block.

Dont you think you should be concerned with whats above ground (i.e. a big kitchen, enough bedrooms and bathrooms, etc...) and just let the basement fall into place with it?

I cant say that it makes any sense to buy a house based solely on how big the basement is...

If your buying the house this weekend it seems a little late to be worried about the size of the basement. This question reminds me of "How many trains are too many?"

Seems like you might mean "Is my basement going to be big enough"

Basement sizes on Long Island are usually good size (Sometimes as large as the whole house minus the garage).  Don't worry about it and do what the other poster said.  Make sure the above ground living quarters are what you want and need.

 

The fact that there is a basement is always on my house list, and finished even higher, but concentrate on other parts of the house first. 

 

You can design a layout to work in just about any space and that's part of the fun.

Many fellow forumites here have smaller layouts like 4x8, 5x9 and so on. Mine is 8x12 with two "wings" and at times it's more than enough. Start small my friend. Be sure your new home is in good shape to buy, then move on to the layout. As others said... You'll soon find that you never have enough space. Good Luck Sean

I'm not familiar with Long Island real estate, however the bigger basements are usually in ranch house designs, e.g. our new home has 3 bedrooms etc. with a 2100 sq. ft. basement this is the smallest home in our development but the biggest basement.  My wife is allocated 35 sq. ft.that less the furnace & water heater leaves about 2000 sq. ft. for the railroad.

Thanks for all the input. My wife and I are going to in every house with the understand we need to replace all bathroom and kitchen before we move in. The kids are on the way that what really speed up the process this weekend. My goal was really to find what is the best size for a basement. To build dream layout. My self never had a layout but collect my trains. Plus my Neo mastiff out grow the apartment

Envision your dream layout in HO, calculate the square footage.   Multiply that result by 8.  That will be the area needed for your layout, which does not include access(stairs, walkways, a vantage point, etc.) or amenities like a furnace or water heater.

Jon, you’re a smart guy you have your priorities straight.

Better make sure it is a 'dry' one!

That is sound advice. I would rather have a small dry basement than a huge wet basement. No matter what the size is, make sure that you finish off the room nicely before you start building benchwork. When we built our recent raised ranch, I made sure that a finished train room was included. The room is 24 x 14 and I am able to fit an L shaped 8 x 16 layout.

I actually had a water problem during the flood of 2010. When I rebuilt the room I installed this flooring called "Thermal Dry" in case of future problems and I love it. Here is a link

 

http://www.basementsystems.com/lp/ppc/thermaldry/index.php?ppc=googleppc&marin=szMWCmTQR&gaw=nw:s;id:14422912119;kw:thermaldry%20flooring;type:e;ap:1t2;device:&gclid=COiVsLmP_7QCFYLd4AodvQEAYw  

Your first answer was correct.  As for the rest....HERETIC!  

 

George

I bought two houses in my life and both times the basement was a priority.  Both for trains and that is what the house is built on. You can change a lot of things but the basement and its condition is expensive to change.

Whatever you figure - DOUBLE IT.

Think quality, not just quantity. A good clean dry comfortable room is better than a large damp cold dirty basement. And the other parts of the house might be important to consider as support facilities!

With all the responses, I'm wondering why nobody asked this question.  Why is this subject in "For Sale or Trade?

PRR1950,

          Excellent Question!

 

Gunny

This is your best chance to do it right. If you are going to build a decent size model railroad, size of the basement is important. Usually a ranch style home will afford you a better opportunity to get a good size basement as the footprint of the building is normally larger than a colonial, etc.

 

I would tell your realtor up front that you want a big "dry" basement and have the individual preview the properties before they drag you around from one place to another. Tell the realtor up front that you DO NOT WANT TO WASTE YOUR TIME and whatever they schedule for you to visit, it must meet your criteria or you will find another realtor. Many times they do not listen and take you do their personal listings as a priority. Don't be pressured and buy only what makes good sense to you and your wife.

If you have a choice, get one with a basement that has stairs that enter into its center rather than along one wall.  This allows for continuous along the wall layout construction.