Should You Remodel Your Basement?

If you’re thinking of adding more usable square footage to your home, starting with the basement is a good idea. Many people decide to add an ADU outside, buy a container home or build an apartment on top of the garage. All of these are viable options, but here’s why basement remodeling beats them all.

Cost

Your basement already has walls, a ceiling and floors. Even if it’s just basic concrete floors and the walls are neither painted nor insulated, you already have all the things you need in place to get started. This makes it a lot easier to improve a basement than to build a new addition to the home from scratch.

Access

The basement is where much of the house’s plumbing sits. This makes it much easier to tap into existing lines to add features that require plumbing. Options include a full apartment, a second bathroom or even a spa. There are two sides to this, however. Be sure to think twice and check thrice before drilling holes into walls while basement remodeling.

Convenience

Home renovations are well known for their inconveniences. Your neighbors are also unlikely to thank you for the hammering and clanking outside. The basement provides some insulation between them and these noises. It’s also tucked out of the way, so you can go about your day as usual during renovations.

Insulation

Many people who live inside basement apartments might share that this portion of the home tends to hold temperatures better than the rest of the home. This is because smaller spaces are easier to heat and cool. To add to this, the earth itself is the world’s best free insulator. This is the premise behind earth houses, which are also known for low heating and cooling costs.

Note that basement remodeling is no DIY project. The basement forms the foundation of your home, so this should always be handled by licensed professionals who are also bonded and insured.