Live Washington Terrace listings, filtered
Homes with a basement in Washington Terrace.
Washington Terrace listings with a basement, fed straight from the MLS and sorted newest first, with a local read on finished versus unfinished space, ceiling height, egress, and moisture before you write an offer.
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Want it narrower? Tell me your exact spec.
Newest first
The newest basement listings.
Fed straight from the local MLS and filtered to Washington Terrace homes with a basement: new listings appear here as they list, and sold homes drop off. The read on what condition the lower level is in is just below.
No basement listings to show right now. A basement is close to standard equipment across Washington Terrace's 1940s housing-project core and the newer two-story and tri-level infill alike, since the deep Wasatch Front frost line puts a full basement under most of the backbone housing to begin with, so the useful question is usually what condition the lower level is in rather than whether the home has one. Open the map search to run this filter live, or browse every Washington Terrace listing. Prefer a shortlist? Tell me what you are after.
Buying here
Sort finished from a canvas before you tour.
Basements vary far more than the listing lets on: finished or a canvas, full below grade or a half-flight down in a split-entry, tall or low. Tell me what setup you need and I will have the Washington Terrace-area partner agent I work with pull the details on the lower level of any home you flag.
Selling here
Own a Washington Terrace home with a finished basement?
Buyers on this page are searching specifically for extra finished square footage downstairs. List it with the Washington Terrace-area partner agent I connect you with and it goes in front of that exact search.
Listing information comes from the local MLS and is deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
The local read
What a basement means in Washington Terrace.
Start with the good news, which is that this search is not a hunt. In Washington Terrace a basement is close to standard equipment. The city was built in 1942 and 1943 as a federal wartime housing project, later converted to single-family ownership, and on this stretch of the Wasatch Front the frost line runs deep, so footings had to go below it regardless of the era. Once a builder is digging that deep, putting a basement under the house is the natural move. The postwar brick cottages and ramblers that form the backbone of the stock carry the deepest and oldest stock of full basements, and the newer two-story and tri-level infill threaded among the older streets keeps the same pattern going. So the useful question in Washington Terrace is rarely whether a home has a basement. It is what condition the lower level is in.
The city's setting sorts the rest of the answer. Washington Terrace sits on a bench above the Weber River bottoms, so there is real elevation change right at the edge where the bench drops toward the bottoms, but the interior of the compact grid is essentially flat, and that lower ground toward the river itself is flat and low rather than sloped. So the near-universal shape here is a full basement, below grade on all sides and leaning on egress windows for light and a safe way out, much like flat-ground neighbors such as Riverdale. Tri-level and split-entry floor plans among the newer infill put the lower level only a half-flight down, which is a different feel from a true full basement even though it is still fully below grade. On the handful of lots that sit right at the literal bench edge there may be enough grade for a daylight condition, but that is a lot-by-lot exception worth checking in person, not a pattern to expect, and it is a different question entirely from the flood and drainage risk on the low ground below.
When you find one, read it closely, because basements vary far more than the listing lets on. Is the lower level finished living space, or is it framed and unfinished, a canvas you complete on your own terms and your own budget? Does every sleeping room down there have a code-sized egress window and well, because without one the room does not really count as a bedroom no matter how it is marketed. How tall is the ceiling, since a basement in one of the city's original 1940s cottages can be low enough that the space reads as storage rather than a floor of the house. On the blocks nearest the Weber River bottoms along the north edge, add one more question: how does the parcel sit relative to the FEMA flood line, since low ground near the river bottoms is where a below-grade space carries the most moisture risk.
If a separate second kitchen and a private entrance are what you are actually after rather than plain square footage, the ADU and casita page is the narrower search, a different intent than this one. Earlier in the process than show me listings? Start with the Washington Terrace guide, and when a home below reads right, that is the moment to reach out.
Reading a basement here
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Finished or a canvas: some lower levels are fully finished living space, some are left framed or unfinished for you to complete. An unfinished one buys the square footage at a lower cost. The listing does not always say, so read the finished square footage and the photos together.
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Full below grade, mostly: the interior of the compact grid is flat, so full basements are the norm and true walkouts are rare. A split-entry floor plan puts the lower level only a half-flight down, which is a different feel from a true full basement even though it is still below grade.
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Proper egress: any below-grade sleeping room needs a code-sized egress window and well, or a door to the outside. Confirm it is there in person before you count the room as a bedroom.
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Ceiling height and era: stand in it. A full-height basement lives like the rest of the house, while a low one from the city's original 1940s cottages reads as storage. On homes this age, note the panel, the wiring, and the furnace while you are down there.
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Water, always: walk the perimeter inside and out for staining or settling, and see where the grade, the downspouts, and any window wells send water. Near the Weber River bottoms along the north edge, add the FEMA flood map to that same check.
The local map
Where the basements actually are.
Basements are common across Washington Terrace, so this map is less about hunting and more about which kind each part of the city tends to have. The rule of thumb here is simple: it is a full basement nearly everywhere, and the real variables are age, ceiling height, and how close the parcel sits to the Weber River bottoms.
The 1940s housing-project core
The blocks laid out from the original 1942 and 1943 federal project, later converted to single-family ownership, hold the post-WWII brick cottages and ramblers that form the backbone of the stock, sitting over the city's deepest and oldest full basements. Expect original systems to inspect alongside the character, and read the ceiling height room to room, since not every basement here is finished to the same standard.
Tri-level and split-entry floor plans
The newer infill among the older streets carries tri-level and split-entry layouts, and the design puts the lower level just a half-flight down rather than a full story below grade. That usually means better windows and a shorter run to grade than a true full basement, which is why so many of them read as a real floor of the house rather than a cellar.
Newer two-story infill
The pockets of newer two-story construction filling in among the older streets tend to have younger systems and full basements, finished and unfinished alike. A newer build is more likely to have younger mechanicals, but the finished-square-footage line still deserves a careful read against the photos.
Homes with the deepest basements
Whether on an original 1940s cottage or a newer two-story, the homes with the tallest, deepest basements make for a full-height, comfortable lower level far more workable than a short, low one. Stand in the space and check the ceiling height before you count it as real living area.
The arterials, traffic vs. access
Homes nearer the connectors toward South Ogden, Riverdale, and the Washington Boulevard corridor are commuter-convenient and carry plenty of the same older housing stock, full basements included. The separate honesty note here is the street, not the basement: drive the block at rush hour, because nearness to an arterial trades a quieter street for quicker access.
The bench edge, with a flood check
The blocks nearest the Weber River bottoms on the north include older homes with full basements like the rest of the central grid. The added note here is that the low ground near the river bottoms can fall in the FEMA floodplain, which matters for a below-grade space, so pull the flood map and the flood-insurance picture per parcel, rather than expecting a walkout from the grade.
Before you tour: what to actually check
Finished or a canvas: confirm whether the lower level is finished living space or framed and unfinished. The square-footage line does not always separate the two, and the difference is a real budget.
Egress on every bedroom: each below-grade sleeping room needs a code-sized egress window and well, or a door to the outside. Look at the actual window wells, not just the listing photos.
Moisture and drainage: walk the perimeter inside and out for staining, efflorescence, or settling, and see where the grade, the downspouts, and the window wells send water. This is the single most useful thing you can read on a basement.
Ceiling height and comfort: measure the clearance and check whether the lower level has its own zone or vents. A basement that stays cool in summer still has to be comfortable through a northern Utah winter.
Near the river, pull the flood map: on any parcel close to the Weber River bottoms along the north edge, check the FEMA flood panel and the flood-insurance picture before you count on a below-grade space.
Age of the bones: on any original 1940s cottage or older rambler, date the roof, furnace, electrical panel, and sewer lateral while you are down in the basement anyway.
Want the basement shortlist without the homework?
Tell me your budget, the part of Washington Terrace you like, and whether you want a full basement on the older grid or the newer two-story infill, finished or a canvas to make your own. Basements are common here, so the real work is sorting the good ones from the low, damp, or low-ceiling ones. I will connect you with a trusted Washington Terrace-area partner agent for the on-the-ground work and stay on the file for the homework and the financing, with straight answers about egress, drainage, and what really counts as finished space.
Selling a Washington Terrace home with a finished basement? The buyers reading this page are searching for exactly that. List it with the Washington Terrace-area partner agent I connect you with, and your home gets featured across MovingUtah, on the pages they are already reading.
Quick answers
Basement-home shopping, answered.
It comes down to the age of the city and the ground it sits on. Washington Terrace was built in 1942 and 1943 as a federal wartime housing project, later converted to single-family ownership, and on this stretch of the Wasatch Front the footings had to go below the frost line anyway. Once a builder is digging that deep, putting a basement under the house is the natural move, so full basements are close to standard in the postwar brick cottages and ramblers that form the backbone of the stock, and the pockets of newer two-story and tri-level infill keep the pattern going. That makes the useful question here which kind of basement a home has, and what condition it is in, rather than whether it has one at all.
Mostly full below grade. Washington Terrace sits on a bench above the Weber River bottoms, so there is real elevation change right at the edge where the bench drops toward the bottoms, but that lower ground itself is flat and low rather than sloped, which is where the flood and drainage questions live rather than a walkout opportunity. Across the interior of the compact grid the ground is essentially flat, so the near-universal shape is a full basement, below grade on all sides and leaning on egress windows for light and a safe way out. Tri-level and split-entry floor plans among the newer infill put the lower level only a half-flight down, which is a different feel from a true full basement even though it is still fully below grade. On the handful of lots that sit right at the literal bench edge there may be enough grade for a daylight condition, but treat that as a lot-by-lot exception to verify in person, not a pattern to expect.
Just about everywhere, which is the point. The 1940s housing-project core, the post-WWII brick cottages and ramblers, carries the deepest and oldest stock of full basements. The tri-level and split-entry floor plans among the newer infill put the lower level a half-flight down, and the pockets of newer two-story construction keep younger systems under a full basement too. The blocks nearest the Weber River bottoms on the north carry basements as well, with a flood check attached, and homes nearer the arterials toward South Ogden, Riverdale, and the Washington Boulevard corridor carry plenty of the same stock with a traffic caveat instead. The live listings above are the honest count on any given week.
It runs both ways here. Some lower levels are fully finished living space, and some are left as a canvas, framed or unfinished, for a buyer to complete later. An unfinished basement can be a real opportunity, since you buy the square footage at a lower cost and finish it on your own terms. Listings do not always separate finished from unfinished square footage clearly, so read the numbers and the photos together, and I am happy to read a specific one with you before you tour.
Confirm a code-sized egress window and well in every below-grade sleeping room, note whether the space is finished or a canvas, and measure the ceiling height, because a basement in one of the city's original 1940s cottages can be low enough to read as storage. Then walk the perimeter inside and out for staining, efflorescence, or settling, and see where the grade, the downspouts, and the window wells send water. On any parcel near the Weber River bottoms on the north edge, pull the FEMA flood map before you count on a below-grade space. On the older postwar stock, the basement is also where you date the furnace, open the electrical panel, look at the supply lines, and decide whether to scope the sewer lateral.
Finished lower-level space generally gives you more square footage for the money than the same space built above grade, and it stays cooler through summer while adding storage and shelter. But because basements are common across most of this stock rather than a rarity, having one is not the differentiator here. What separates the listings is whether the lower level is finished, dry, full height, and properly egressed. Whole-home prices span a wide range across the city, and the live listings above are the honest answer on any given week.