Where are all the Virginians ?

[Brewbirds]

I know we have a few Borg Units that are from Virginia but I see that they haven't checked in here so far.

If your out there please show yourselves so that I can pepper you with questions.

I'll toss a few out here just to give you an idea of what BB2 and I are wondering:

WHAT IN THE HECK DO YOU GUYS HAVE AGAINST ATTACHED GARAGES???????????????????????????
Okay well it felt good to get that off my chest.

Another example might be:
WHY DOES EVERY SINGLE HOUSE IN THIS STATE HAVE TO HAVE A BASEMENT??????????????????
Even on perfectly level lots it seems the builders are digging a hole in the ground under their houses. What in the heck is up with that? If we wanted more room we would be looking for a bigger house.

Anyway aside from that the house hunting seems to be going swimmingly so far.

[teutonic terror]

Hello Birds and welcome to the Commonwealth!

My theory on the detached garages is that in the older neighborhoods they were the norm.
We lived in a neighborhood that in the 60's, was 40-50 years old and all the garages were at the end of the driveway ,
or in the backyard. Also, to be honest with you, carports are more of the norm here than garages!

Not all the single houses in the state have a basement!
My wife is from Va Beach and the house she lived in didn't have a basement. I imagine in that area the water table is
not conducive to having a basement unless you spend mucho dinero!
Think about the weather, hot and humid over most of the state probably 7 months out of the year.
Think about a cave 10-12 feet under ground in said weather, especially in a heavy red clay area such as this.
Good, stable soil. Makes a mess as mud, but packs good! Easier to cool in summer.
Also, you could probably get more house WITH a basement than one that's all above ground. Especially with the older builds.

Also, where else would you lager your beer from November to April?


Might not be accurate, my 2 cents!

[gwcr]

Wow, did I read that thread title wrong...

Please continue...

[RickBeer]

In Virginia? Do I win?

[BlackDuck]

Wow, did I read that thread title wrong...

Please continue...

I read it the same way you did....

[Rebel_B]

I grew up in Virginia; I'm not moving back there to the righteous coast! To your first point; regional; in the Hampton Roads/Norfolk/Va Beach area I recall attached garages being the norm, same in the Metro DC/Northern Va. In the central & western regions; detached.
The only time I ever saw basements was in the hills/mountainous areas; western, southwestern regions. Most areas were crawl space foundations or slab on grade.
Brew Birds: your signature says your location is Texas...

[Sparrow]

Welcome to VA BB!

I think your garage and basement questions have already been covered. I would actually love to have a basement, but here in Virginia Beach, if I dig more then 2 feet I hit water

The beer scene is finally taking off in VA, similar to the wine explosion of the last decade, where I think Virginia is now 5th in the number wineries. We can only hope the brewery count will start to catch up.

[Brewbirds]

Brew Birds: your signature says your location is Texas...

We are still in Texas. We are house hunting from afar at the moment.

Our desired destination is Roanoke and I asked about the basements and garages since BB2 is in a wheelchair.
He wants to be able to get in and out of the van in the garage.

The deal with basements is that the houses look like they are one story from the front but the "back" doors are forty feet off the ground due to the basements.

Since he would not be able to get down to a basement without an elevator we do not need or want one.

They are so common that I wondered if it was some kind of geographic necessity for construction there (i.e. type of soil, foundation problems).

[Rebel_B]

The deal with basements is that the houses look like they are one story from the front but the "back" doors are forty feet off the ground due to the basements.

I used to live in a house just outside of Blacksburg, VA that was exactly like that with back of the house on the downslope; no garage at all on that house. The only way to access the basement was the stairs, or an egress window in a bedroom. Best of luck on your search for a compatible home!