Renovation of basements has become an increasingly popular trend among both homeowners and property investors alike, offering benefits both homeowners can use to offset living costs with secondary suites while investors can use as income-producing rental units.
Before picking up the hammer, sledgehammer and saw, however, take time to plan out your project carefully – this includes creating a sketch or scale drawing as well as getting any required permits.
Getting Started
At first glance, it may be tempting to rush ahead with your basement remodel immediately and start smashing walls down, but take a step back first and consider your goals with regard to this space. Are they meeting current or anticipated future family needs for entertainment, sports, work or other activities?
If it doesn’t, consider making structural modifications that might improve it, such as expanding the opening of stairs, shifting their spacing or adding railing to an existing structure.
Check if any structural modifications require a building permit before beginning work on any renovations or additions that involve creating rentable living space, installing plumbing, electrical wiring or HVAC ducting – permitting also helps ensure that your renovations comply with local building codes.
Designing Your Space
No matter if you are outfitting your basement as a movie theater, family room or home gym; take time to determine its purpose before selecting furniture, flooring and paint colors to best fit that space. This will enable you to craft an environment tailored specifically for its function.
Lighting up a basement space can help make it inviting. Installing recessed lighting may be one effective solution, according to Wilder.
With so much moisture lurking in basements, it’s wise to think carefully about ways to waterproof them. Moisture can lead to mildew growth or inch-deep puddles in your space and damage both its structure and personal belongings, causing irreparable harm. According to Wilder, installing dry wells or French drains will help mitigate this issue while waterproofing basement steps is also advised as these may become worn down and slippery over time.
Getting a Building Permit
Basements add versatility, flexibility, and value to both residential and commercial properties. From creating an open concept entertainment space for family fun nights to providing a quiet office for full-time work, remodeling a basement can be an invaluable investment. One popular second suite option for homeowners is to convert their basement into a secondary suite. This can be a great way to offset living costs or generate additional income.
When renovating your basement, safety should always come first. That means wearing protective gear such as safety goggles, long pants, gloves and even respirator masks depending on certain aspects of the project.
Understanding local building codes and regulations is also critical, as you may require a permit to renovate. This is particularly pertinent if your renovation involves adding HVAC, plumbing or electrical elements – in these instances it would likely be wiser to hire professional services so as to minimize potential issues later.
Finishing Your Basement
Un achieving a successful basement renovation requires the proper permits. Depending on your city’s regulations, this may include plumbing, electrical and framing permits before any work can begin. Failing to secure them could incur heavy fines or result in undone work if issues arise later on.
Now is an ideal time to tackle any clutter stored under your bed, creating space and showing how much room there really is for creativity and playfulness in the bedroom. A thorough decluttering will transform a space while opening your eyes to just how much room exists!
At this stage, a respirator mask may come in handy if you want to protect yourself from inhaling too much drywall dust. Once the drywall is up, your renovated basement will begin taking shape – the remaining details depend on your vision for its use – for instance if you plan to have a home gym installed, equipment might need to be put in place accordingly.
Penguin Basements Renovations can help you with all aspects of your basement renovation project, from planning and design to permits and construction.
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