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When a family decides to finish a basement space, there are
so many factors to consider it can seem overwhelming. What
does your family want to achieve within the new basement?
Are you looking for a play area, a family room, a work-out
room, home theatre, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, wet bar,
etc.? Do you have the square footage required to accomplish
what you want? How do you get started, and how long will it
take? How much will it cost, and is it worth the money? What
if there's a huge beam in the center of you basement? Do you
have to have a building permit? Do you have to remove the
items you currently have stored in your basement?
If these questions make your head swim, try this approach:
look for the right team of design/build consultants to
navigate you through these waters.
People often know they want their basement finished, but
don't know how to put it all together, whether they have the
necessary space, or even how to get started. Specialty
design/build consultants are able to assess your needs and,
after accurate measurements are taken, will design various
blueprints to fit your requests. From these drawings you can
choose the ideas that best suit your requirements and come
up with a final blueprint. With this final blueprint in
hand, your designer/builders will be able to determine what
the cost of the basement finish will be, and provide a
start-to-finish timeline on when the project will draw to a
close.
When determining whether finishing your basement is going to
be a worthwhile investment, you should consider several
variables. Are there comparable homes in your area with
finished basements? How long do you intend to live there?
Will the homes there increase in value, and if so, how fast?
With a little bit of research you'll be able to answer these
questions and decide if finishing your basement is right for
you.
Sometimes a basement has restrictions that need to be
considered during the design process. Such limitations can
include steel columns or I-beams, HVAC trunks, underground
plumbing, water meters, sump pumps, window wells, furnaces,
water heaters, the height of your ceiling, and the existing
floor conditions. Your design/build consultants should be
focused on making these restrictions disappear into the
architectural design of your basement while accomplishing
your goal for the space.
Safety is an important factor to consider when construction
of any kind takes place. Ensure all necessary building
permits, applications for variances, and building code
inspections are complete. All building and fire safety codes
should be strictly followed, without exception.
For construction to begin, all items in the basement need to
be moved to another location such as the garage or a
temporary storage facility. This allows construction to be
completed without damage to your valuables or disturbance to
the construction team.
After thoughtfully considering these questions, you'll be
closer to determining your family's basement needs and how
to fulfill them. Gathering all the information upfront will
help you achieve those goals.
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