Steps to Take When Planning the Basement Improvement of Your Dreams
Posted by: Cary Waddell 7 years, 4 months ago
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The basement — sometimes it can fall to the end of your home improvement list. The kitchen, living room, and bathroom: these are the rooms that tend to get priority because they are front and center to residents and guests alike.
But they call it “finishing” your basement for a reason. Without undertaking this basement remodel, your house won’t have that finished feeling. Your basement is an important part of your home and should be treated as such.
When it’s time to consider basement improvement, here are the steps you’re going to want to take:
- Get Inspired
Bedrooms are for sleeping. Kitchens are for cooking. Basements are for — what exactly? That’s the amazing thing about finishing your basement. There’s no prescribed use for it, allowing you to open your mind and get creative.
Whether it’s the fully-furnished game room of your dreams, the stocked bar and seating area, or something more practical like a large pantry, your basement is like a blank canvas for you to create the space you’ve always wanted.
Once you’ve determined a budget, you can transform ugly beams and concrete into a centerpiece for your home. Stop thinking of your basement as the place to skip when you give your home tours — one day it might be your first stop.
- Take Care of the Details
Once you’ve had some fun imagining the space your basement could become, it's time to address some of the finer details about finishing your basement. These include setting up a budget, getting a building permit if you require one, and planning your space.
Your budget is a good place to start, because it will help define a limit for everything else you do. Once it has been established, you can go about grabbing a building permit which, while not always essential, can be useful for reselling and ensuring the safety of your home.
When that is taken care of, you can start planning your space, see where furniture and fixtures will go, and what kind of materials you will furnish your basement design with.
- Consult the Professionals
Finishing a basement can be one of the most challenging and complex home improvement tasks you will face. The range of skills needed include electrical, drywall, carpentry and plumbing. Not everyone can be an expert in everything, and that’s when it’s time to consult professionals.
Even if you’re a DIY whiz, it’s good to know your limits. Once you’ve established a plan for your basement, find the areas of the renovation you’re least knowledgeable with (or least willing to undertake) and do some research to find a pro to participate in your project.
Doing this will help ensure a quality finish for you basement, and allow you to focus on the direction and apply your own talents most effectively.
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A finished basement can be the perfect finishing touch your home needs. Before you start, there are a few steps you need to take to ensure a solid foundation for your project. Once you’ve laid the groundwork, the basement of your dreams can become a reality.
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Why we created Home Renovation Hub
The goal of creating HomeRenovationHub.com is to give homeowners tools they can use in real world renovations to help manage their project budgets, keep home improvements on course, and to track investments that build equity in your home. Since we use the tool extensively for our own personal remodels we are constantly tweaking and updating features to make it the most useful tool available to the DIY homeowner. If you are going through a remodel we would love for you to give us a try. In addition, we want your feedback as we build a collection of tools to help home renovators.
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