I often get a strong response from my buyers when I tell them the home they are interested in is a slab home, meaning it does not have a basement.  Most often my buyers say they are not interested.  The other group says they don’t necessarily care.  One thing is for sure, not many people actually say they are looking for a home without a basement.  Building a home with a basement is normal here in St. Louis.  If you live in southern states with warmer clients and near water, they are much more common. 

There are certain subdivisions in West County St. Louis that do contain slab homes and, therefore, are common in that area.  Some advantages of slab homes include.  

1. Less Damage from Flooding
2. Less Issue with Pests like Termites- they can’t get under the house and onto the beams because they aren’t there.
3. Cheaper to Build- It costs less to build a slab home for obvious reasons and it also take a shorter time to build because it takes less time for it to dry.
4. Energy Savings- Slabs built without a crawl space will have a more efficient time heating and cooling.

Disadvantages:

1. Less Desirable:  Here is St. Louis, most people want to buy a home with a basement for the extra space and living area.  Resale of a slab home can be more difficult.
2. Hard Access to Systems- It can be difficult to access gas, water, and plumbing lines and makes repairing them hard.
3. Extra Space Needed for Utilities- You have to find room inside the home for the HVAC which can eat away livable space within the home.
4. Cracks- Some think you would have less cracks with slabs but you can still have them and repairs can be tricky and expensive.

Overall, take careful consideration when deciding whether or not to buy a home with no basement.  If the slab home is in an area with other slabs and considered more common, that is a good thing.  Keep in mind as well that pricing a slab will be less than a home with a basement (given everything else is similar) because of the less livable area.  

If you have questions about your existing slab home or looking to buy one, please let me know!