Cost of converting large cellar v digging basement Post Reply

[Osolon]

We are thinking of buying a house that already has a large cellar running almost the full length of the house, but with only about 6 inches headroom and no light well.

Does anyone know how much difference this would make to the cost of turning it into a useable basement? Is the digging part what makes basements so expensive or is it the tanking/finishing?

[Mum2Monkey]

The cost of digging is the most expensive part

10+ years ago, we converted our cellar into a utility room and it cost maybe £10k to tank it, plaster, tile etc without any digging. It would have been about 10x as much to dig out. Prices have no doubt changed. But it was the digging and removal of soil which is expensive.

[SW18_Dad]

I assume you mean 6 foot of headroom?

The main cost is the underpinning and steelwork.

One of the smarter companies has substituted electric diggers for expensive workers to keep a lid on run away labour costs.

All construction costs have rocketed but are levelling off now.

[Osolon]

Thanks! I meant 6 inches headroom - i.e. only 6 inches between my head and the ceiling. Probably about 6 foot 4 inches from floor to ceiling - so it would need to be deeper.

It sounds like even lowering the floor a bit would likely require underpinning.

It wouldn’t be a project we’d embark on for a few years but it’s helpful to have this info.