What to Consider Before Doing a Basement Refinish
A basement can increase the value of your home and give you additional living space. But before doing so, there are several crucial factors that you need to consider first.
Your unfinished basement can be more than just a dank storage room—it can be turned into a playroom for the kids, a bedroom for your teenager, or an entertainment room for the whole family. But before you call up contractors for framing, plastering, or whatever you need to get a quote for a basement refinish, here are some important factors to consider first:
- Budget
Just like any other major home renovation, a basement refinish does not come cheap. It can range anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 (or maybe even more). That depends on certain factors, such as the material you’re going to use and the room’s state before remodeling. Thus, if you want to finish your basement, determine your working budget first. The value you set will be the basis for your new basement’s design, materials, and other expenses in between.
- Function
A finished basement can serve a lot of functions. It can be a playroom, a home gym, an extra bedroom, a man cave, a workshop, or almost anything you want. However, you can only pick one or two functions for your new basement to serve, so think about what you want before talking to your contractor. The desired purpose of your new basement will also affect many factors, such as insulation, refreshing materials, and electrical wiring, to name a few.
- Water issues
Water problems in the basement are common for many houses. Check your basement for any leaks, dripping walls, and overly corroded pipes while planning your basement refinish. If water issues are present, you will have to address them before remodeling can take place. Moreover, it is essential to ensure that the humidity in the room won’t affect its purpose later on.
- Lighting and wiring
Hire an electric technician to assess your basement’s wiring needs before construction. Basements usually have a limited amount of electrical outlets, and leaving them as is won’t do if you plan to use the finished basement as a living area. At the same time, the amount and type of lighting should be considered since there is little to no natural light coming in the basement.
However, if your basement can accommodate windows, you also need to consider the type of windows you’re going to use and how much they will cost, including the installation fees.
- HVAC capabilities
Most HVAC systems only cool and heat air in the upper levels of the home, so ask an HVAC technician if your HVAC system can accommodate the basement as well. Otherwise, you have to consider the costs of adding an HVAC system for the basement.
- Radon
Radon is a kind of radioactive gas that seeps in the basement from the surrounding soils. It doesn’t have any color or odor. Before you remodel your basement, get it tested for radon first and foremost. If you fail to do so, you can risk exposing your family to dangerous amounts of it, which can lead to lung cancer over time.
When done right, finishing your basement is one of the best investments you can make for your home. So during the planning stage, these are the first factors that you have to consider to ensure that a basement remodeling is a suitable call.
