When a homeowner feels that their house is not quite large enough to suit their needs, they have a couple of options. They could, of course, sell their home and buy a larger house. Another alternative, if you have an unfinished basement, is to remodel that part of the house and turn it into a comfortable living space for playing games, hosting parties, or just relaxing with your family.
Moisture
Basements are notorious for moisture problems, so any moisture issues must be resolved before a remodel begins. All cracks in the floor or exterior walls should be sealed with caulk made especially for waterproofing basements. Using a dehumidifier can also be helpful. If you have significant moisture issues, you will need to have a professional address the problem.
Walls
Interior walls are an important consideration when remodeling a basement. Although they might not be load-bearing walls, interior walls improve the look of the basement and also hide electrical wiring. Interior walls are useful for controlling the basement's temperature as well.
Heating and Cooling
Make sure that you factor heating and cooling into your remodeling plans because a finished basement typically requires some type of added heating and cooling equipment to supplement what you already have in your home.
Egress
An important point you don't want to overlook is that building codes require finished basements to have an egress window. The purpose of an egress window is to give occupants of the basement another way to escape in case of a fire. Basement egress windows must be a minimum of 20 inches wide and 24 inches high. They must also be no more than 44 inches above the floor.
Cost
The cost of remodeling a basement can vary widely, but the average cost is $18,400 according to the Angi website. The exact cost depends on many factors, such as the size of your basement, the cost of labor in your area, and the cost of materials. Other costs include electrical, plumbing, and building permits.
Return
Before getting started on a large construction project like remodeling a basement, you naturally want to know what type of return you're going to get on your investment. The national average is about 70 to 75 percent of your total costs, although the exact amount depends on where you live. For example, in the Pacific region, the average return on investment is 86 percent, while in New England it's 80 percent.
To learn more about this home improvement topic, contact a company like APEX Design Build.
Share
