Can a basement be eliminated at a reasonable cost?

Rental property, I'm just tired of dealing with the basement. There's always a leak, I can't keep the mold out, it's too short to have anyone live down there, and it's a brick foundation which is crumbling.
I'm staring at a lot of costs and honestly I want it gone.
I think I know the answer but figured I'd ask anyway, can I just hire someone to backfill the whole thing and move the water heater, lines, and service panel upstairs.
The only question would be, if this is even feasible, how is anyone going to lay a concrete slab on top of the dirt below the 1st floor wood floor?
Any ideas, if any, are appreciated.

 

You don't need a concrete slab. The wood floor can go on beams supported by block or piers. That was a common form of construction in some areas years ago.

A full service house moving company can raise the house and do the new block (or pier) beam foundation.

 

Around here a house mover would charge $15000 to raise a house up and set it back down. That doesn't include any other work... electrical, plumbing, concrete, dirt work.

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Well when my father had it done it was $500.00.... but that was 1958.

 

As others have already said. It is very feasible to fill in a basement. Most inexpensive would be to have it filled with dirt. Dirt is cheap but it will settle over time so the crawl space could become uneven. A step up would be to fill it with crushed stone which will settle very little. With either option I would fill the area with 6-!2" of what you want. Then I would put down a layer or two of 6 mill sheet plastic as a vapor barrier. Then I would put 6-12" of material on top of the plastic to protect it from punctures.

 

if you're going to do that, why install a conc slab ? we've got lots of houses here in atl on piers w/crawl spaces,,, in hilton head, there's NO bsmnts - just piers,,, IF you already have decent headroom in the existing crawl, its much easier,,, however, diy ? no ! just think - who would you sue if YOU f'd up the work ?
1 other thing - NEVER use 6mil when you can buy 10mil vapor barrier - ebay !
1 more thing - define ' reasonable '