What can a cellar be used for in the 21st Century?

London_Town

I'm looking to move at some point and my price range includes two bed houses from all periods. I'm open minded, as the location and the plot are the most important thing to me.

I've found a few period terraces with cellars which intrigue me. I admit to having a childish, Scooby Doo fear of these things, but I know I need to put that to one side. The adult part of me likes the idea of a home with what is essentially another room.

However, realistically, what could I use a cellar for? I suppose in the 1980's some owners may have percieved them as nuclear shelters. You could also have people who store vintage wines perhaps.

I don't have a clue what I could do with one. Would they tend to be musty, damp and pretty hopeless for storage? Please understand that I won't do any veiwings until my present home is under offer. Therefore, my research has been limited to the estate agents web sites. Also, I don't want the vendors opinion, I want yours!

Any constructive comments or experience would be much appreciated.


Thanks

Doozergirl

Especially in London, it common for cellars to be converted to rooms. You need outside space to be able to dig down to create an escape route though - would normally involve a weird basement patio area, with a ladder.

My own experience of this was when our good friends sold to rent and moved to a beautiful, newly converted flat where the bedrooms were downstairs. The first time I visted I smelled damp. The second time you could see it. Then the floors started leaking and their beautiful clothes started moulding. The mattresses moulded.

So they decided to buy again. And we viewed another newly converted flat with a basement master bedroom. There was mould growing and the sewers had actually backed up into the downstairs sink and shower!

My advice: consider a loft conversion over a cellar conversion!

Tanking a cellar is evidently a difficult thing to do. If it is to be done then it needs to be completely waterproofed and I would expect some considerable expense in guaranteeing that. Even regular cellars can flood with the changing water tables - that is perfectly normal so you can imagine how difficult it is to tank one out.

CloudCuckooLand

They can be 'tanked', to be made 'dry'. Which might not be cheap. Home Cinema room, should be pretty soundproof, depending on the flooring above it.

http://www.cellars.co.uk/
http://www.cellars.co.uk/cellar-conversion.php
http://www.cellars.co.uk/cellar-case-study.php

Running_Horse

Play room? Gym? Storage? I have seen dry ones used as bedrooms in large families, as kids will put up with a lot for privacy.

Tony_R

I'm in the process of buying a house with a cellar/basement.

Our original requirments were for a 3 bedroom semi detached house, with the smallest room being on the detatched side so that we could use it as a drum/music room as not too annoy the neighbours.

The house we finally put an offer in met this requirement to a T, along with a garage which wasn't a necessity.

The advert on rightmove had no mention of a basement, but open being shown around it was revealed. This then gave us the idea of in the long term converting the basement so the drums could be kept down there out of the way. For our second viewing we took along my sisters husband who is a builder to see if it is possible to covert, which it is.

The surveyor is also arranged to go and view the property on Wednesday, where he will give us further advice on the basement. For us, having this will open up a lot more space in the house.

blue_haddock

Bondage den?

Cissi

I started my home business (internet based) using our cellar as storage. Worked brilliantly; we were only a few blocks away from the Thames and had no problems. Once it got too big I took on external storage, but I couldn't have done it without our cellar initially (and then the dining room and the hall... at which point DH put his foot down)!

clutton_2

billiards room ?

office/ study ?

gym ?

music room ?

teenagers den ?

dad's den ?

sewing room ?

train set room ?


the world is your oyster.... let your imagination run riot .....

art studio

pottery

London_Town

Thanks for the comments so far. Doozergirl, you've expressed my deepest fears about the damp issue. Since becoming a home owner, it shocked me how damp a garage can become, let alone a cellar!

Cissi - what did you store in yours then? I take it your business had stock that would have withstood damp if there had been a problem?

The tanking idea is attractive, but way out of my price range, It's looking like you only have a feel for the state of an individual cellar, when you actually view.

Still concerned about potential damp though. Bum. I thought my biggest problem was going to be possible ghosts!

clutton_2

tanking is perfectly possible... depends on your budget and what you want to use the room for.. but i would not want to do any of the ideas and suggestions in a damp environment......

tabskitten

i would love one for wine storage!!