We are considering buying a 30 year old 1 story lakeside home with basement and renovating it. It is 30 X 40 ft with zero architectural features, tiny windows and only siding. It has 8 ft ceilings and the roof has hardly any pitch.
The basement only has 4 sides of walls and the heating unit. It has a dirt floor and is fairly musty smelling now. 3 sides could have windows.
Currently the basement is cement block and actually is at ground level. The main living area currently is on the second floor as you face the house. You get to the door by walking on a deck.
We could do a cool craftsman style house if we could dig out the basement and convert this to a two story house.
Is it possible to inexpensively take a musty cement block basement, give it a brick or stone exterior plus hardiplank and actually have it look like it was made to be a first floor?
If we don't go down to the basement, our garage will be 1 story down which is a real hassle. Also, I can't figure how to do a cool craftsman style house where the only place to put the porch and columns is suspended on a deck one floor from ground level as you face the house.
Any suggestions? The only reason we want this house is that it has a gorgeous view of a lake.