So You've Decided to Finish Your Basement!

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 by: Patrick Condon

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 is 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 will 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.

In order for construction to begin all items in the
basement must 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 thoughtful consideration of 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.

About the Author

Patrick Condon is the President and founder of Finished Basement Company Inc. Headquartered in Denver, CO, Finished Basement Company is a design/build firm specializing in basement finish. While designing/building over 2000 basements, Mr. Condon has handled every conceivable aspect of basement finish. He can be reached at his web site: http://www.finishedbasement.com

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