If you’re lucky, your home has an unused and open space that you can renovate to fulfill your needs. It’s your basement, and it could be a lot more useful than you realize. With precise planning, your basement may become one of your property’s most attractive and sought-after areas.
Things to Consider Before Renovating Your Basement
A basement renovation project can’t only add additional living space, but it is also a lot more affordable than adding another level or addition to your house. It is also possible to enhance the energy performance of your home with proper insulation and air-sealing. Below are some things to consider before renovating your basement:
1. Air quality.
If you have moisture problems in your basement – and unless you’ve just moved in, you probably do, you’ll need to fix them before you start the renovation. First, inspect your foundation walls and floor for any cracks that could be causing the problem. If you don’t already have one, a dehumidifier will come in handy during the warmer months.
2. Heating.
Make sure your current heating unit can endure the additional load. If it can’t, you’ll need to fix it before you start working on the basement.
3. Structural concerns.
Basement renovations can be complicated by supporting posts, low ceilings, and flooring below the local sewage line. However, a professional renovator can handle it all. I had my basement built by this company, check them out.
4. Design and structure plans.
When you’re ready to start designing and planning your basement renovation, take a look around to see how much area you have and how many rooms you’ll be able to develop. Consider your family’s needs and what would work best. If you’re like most people, you’ll have no trouble creating ways to fill the space: a guest bedroom or entire guest suite with a small kitchen and eating area, a home office, an entertainment center, a game room, a family room, a crafts area, a home gym, and etc. When prioritizing your list, keep in mind that areas such as playrooms must be designed to easily be transformed into something else as the kids grow.
Make a detailed plan of how you wish your finished basement to look, even down to furniture placement, so you know how everything will fit together. After that, spend time with the drawing to consider all of the alternatives. It’s a lot easier to alter things on paper than when the walls are up. Know more about basement in law suite here.
5. Make a budget plan.
You’ve probably been thinking about money before you first considered renovating your basement, now is the time to determine how much your plans will cost. To get an estimate of how much your designs will cost, talk to contractors or go to the hardware shop – or both. Then, either adjust your initial idea or do it when you can afford it, completing one room each year as more money becomes available.
As a general guideline, it’s recommended to rough in all of the connections for later installations and deal with things like adding air vents and replacing or enlarging windows before drywalling, installing the flooring, or adding lights. Then, save the actual decorating and furnishing until the last minute.
Conclusion
Your project could be as easy as a fresh coat of paint on dingy walls or as big as a total room remodeling. In any case, they are the basic things you’ll need to think about and assess before you get started. If you want to improve the comfort of your home by including more space or upgrading the space you already have. In that case, a basement renovation is a viable option for achieving this goal while also increasing the worth of your property.
