Eight Tips on Basement Renovation for New Homeowners
Congratulations on your new house! As a new homeowner, you may find yourself with an unfinished basement, and you are determined to transform the underutilized space because you need an extra room or perhaps you want to impress relatives and friends with a secret hideout of your own.
Whatever the reason is, there are ways to renovate your basement, and it doesn’t necessarily have to cost a lot of money.
Your basement room can be transformed into many things: a home office, a personal cave, laundry room, game room, extra guest room, and many more! If you think you don’t have the means to spend thousands of dollars to remodel the basement, don’t worry, because there are a lot of small things you can add or do to bring life into the space. You can also save a lot of money when you carefully plan and execute your basement room ideas to stay within the budget.
If you’re looking to renovate your basement but unsure where to start, here are some tips you can follow.
Secure Appropriate Permits
There’s a lot more to just planning and buying materials to renovate your basement or any part of your house for the matter. Depending on which state you live in, you may need to secure the appropriate building permit in order to get work started.
Getting a permit also means there will be an expert who will inspect the area and can double-check your plans for the room. Furthermore, if you get caught by authorities, you will be penalized and may even be forced to start from scratch and rebuild your basement project from the ground up. So, it’s vital if you are getting basement renovations in Edmonton done, that the company secures all permits needed!
Dry Out Basement/Add Waterproofing
Most basements are damp, and this can either be caused by humidity, rain, or seepage from other water sources. Any presence of moisture can lead to rot, mold, and even leakage, so it is smart to dry your basement out before you start any work. Get the assistance of a competent inspector, and have your basement assessed for any repairs that need to be done.
Depending on the condition of the room, there may be gutters needed to be realigned, foundation cracks that need to be sealed, an addition of a sump pump, and or the installation of a floor drainage. You can also opt to waterproof the room with coatings and sealers as well.
It is important that no moisture will seep into the floor and walls because it can compromise the structural integrity of the room and of the house and ruin carpeting, framing, and drywall.
Light It Up
No one wants a dark and gloomy basement, and now that you plan to renovate the room, light it up to change the ambience to cozy and inviting. Install a couple of wall and floor lights to provide sufficient illumination that is also stylish and helps give the room a good impression to your relatives, friends, and other guests.
Consider Adding Another Bathroom
It’s always a welcome idea to have a spare bathroom in cases of extreme need and all others are currently occupied or in some cases, broken. Depending on how large your basement is, you can opt to get a full bathroom or just a toilet and a sink.
It is important that you get in contact with the local building authority and double-check if you are within zoning ordinances or have not trespassed any deed restrictions.
Plan to add the bathroom in the place closest to existing plumbing and electrical wiring because it will take additional pipes to install them. If you find it a hassle or too expensive, consider getting macerating toilet units that up flush waste into manageable bits, and use the existing plumbing line to drop the macerated waste. They’re easier and faster to install, and there is a chance you won’t even need additional piping.
Warm It Up
Unless you live in an area where it is usually warm, you may need to warm up your basement. There’s a lot of reasons you should heat up the space, but most of all, it’s because no one would want to hang out or even dare visit the basement if it feels like a tundra even if it is beautifully decorated. Invest in a good under-floor heater, or get heaters specifically for the baseboard to dispel any chill.
Utilize Stairway Space
There is a lot of potential in using the basement stairs as extra storage. If your stairs are wide, you can use a bit of space by it to create shelving’s to mount books, mementos, decorative items, and many more. You can also choose to use the space under the stairs to keep off-season decors and other items out of sight but still organized.
Add a Fresh Coat of Paint
Adding a fresh coat of paint to any room instantly transforms the mood of the room. It is a quick and inexpensive solution to liven up your basement and add a bit of personality to it. It is important to choose colors wisely, and you need to keep in mind what kind of mood you want to create and to pick colors that will help you achieve that.
Give the Basement Floor Life
It pays to pay attention to your floors as you do with walls. Cover up the concrete basement floor with some tiles or laminate flooring, and make sure that they are not susceptible to mold or rot in case of moisture seepage. Additionally, you can put carpeting to pad the floor.
Get Creative
Basements are one of the most underutilized spaces in the home, but there are so many things you can do with it. You can choose to have it as a dedicated room for entertaining guests, a space for yourself, an extra guest room, or a multipurpose one as a workshop, a place where you can do DIY projects, and so much more. Get creative with it, and do what suits your needs and lifestyle most, but just remember to double-check the laws and ordinance in your state before starting any basement renovation projects.
Do you have tips you wanna share? Let the readers know in the comments section below.
