PERFECT HOMES MAGAZINE - Issue 13 Issue 13 | Page 186

W ith limited space, and property prices at a premium London has seen the demand for basement developments boom, with underground leisure lairs and the need for space all a necessity on today’s home buyer’s checklist. Basement development has been in existence since the 1980’s however over the past 5 years the demand has peeked, this demand has given rise to a new term – the iceburg house – which describes a modest looking home on the surface concealing a vast underground habitat which could be concealing playrooms, cinema rooms, bowling alleys, wine cellars, swimming pools or even underground parking facilities. Today’s basements are typically about one third of the entire home’s available space, if you already have a basement, then converting it to a useable room is a fairly simple and cost-effective procedure. If, however, you are creating a basement from scratch, the work will take a lot of time, be very disruptive and cost an enormous amount of money.