Thinking about remodeling your basement in Cincinnati, Ohio?
There are a lot of good reasons to consider a basement renovation.
For a lot of homeowners, the basement is little more than a large and poorly organized
storage space. Useful in a basic sort of way, but not a place we enjoy spending our time. Some
of us forget we even have one until something reminds us– mostly having to go down and dig
around until we find whatever we stashed down there and forgot about. But there’s no reason to
settle for that. Remodeling your basement is one of the most exciting things you can do for your
house to make it exactly the home you need and want.
Unlike bathrooms and kitchens, or even bedrooms, the basement is a space with nearly
unlimited possibility. Even more than a spare bedroom, a basement can become whatever you
want it to be. You’re less limited by size and you can decide where, or even if, you want to put in
a closet. Frequently you’re working with a significantly larger space, and that allows for much
more possibility.
Additions versus getting Your Basement Remodeled or Finished
Adding an addition to your home can be complicated and costly. Even building a small
outbuilding to serve as an office, workspace, or storage shed will require building permits and
jumping through hoops, even assuming there’s room in your yard to build. However, if you have
an unused basement space, you can turn it into whatever you need without having to worry as
much about setbacks and square footage.
Basements are also prone to cracks, leaks, and general upkeep issues, not to mention
shoddy insulation. Finishing your basement gives you the perfect opportunity to fix things up so
that you no longer have to worry about these problems in the future. Even if you still intend to
keep it as a storage space, you can easily remodel it to serve that purpose better, with shelving
and organization, and less worry that the walls will leak and damage your precious belongings.
A nicely finished basement is also a major selling point on the market, if you’re thinking
about selling your home. Most basement renovations will allow you to add up to 70% of the cost
of the remodel to the base market value of the home. We’ve all admired photos of a nicely
finished basement on a home listing and thought about how we’d enjoy the space. There’s no
reason not to create such a space in your own home here and now. In just a few weeks, you
can be watching television with your family in your new personal theater room, or playing pool
with friends beside your brand new bar area.
The problem with the flexibility of a basement space is the endless possibilities. That’s
why it’s a good idea to meet with a contractor to discuss the best options and decide from there
what will fit with the needs of you and your family. Perhaps you want another full bathroom, or a
new bedroom for either a guest, or a child who wants some more space. Maybe you want to
move in an ailing parent or grandparent and allowing them to live on one floor without needing
to access stairs frequently is an important consideration. You could build your own home gym,
or just a cool family space to hang out and spend quality time together. Or maybe you just want
somewhere for the kids to play while you make dinner for holiday parties, so they can grow up
with some of the same memories you look back on fondly from your own childhood.
With a large open basement space, you’re not constrained to just one new option. A
professional can help you see the places to break up the space into smaller rooms, so you can
fulfill several of your home dreams in one space. Do you dream of a fitness room and a
bathroom with a fancy shower or even a personal sauna? Maybe a space for painting, or just a
playroom for your children and their friends to enjoy during sleepovers. However, dividing a
large space safely, especially if you’re adding plumbing or electrical work, can be a lot for even
the most committed fan of DIY home improvements.
There are a few things you might not know to consider when remodeling your basement.
For example, the flooring may shift due to moisture from the ground under it so you need to be
careful what type of flooring you put down. Ceilings can also be tricky in your basement,
because of the amount of wiring and pipes that usually run along the top of these spaces.
Figuring out how to finish the ceiling so it looks nice without negatively impacting the essential
necessities of your home can be a real challenge. You’ll also probably want to add lighting
sources to make the space bright and cheerful, and that can be tricky as well, arranging the new
electrical work as well as ideal positioning. And if you want to install a new bathroom, you want
to be sure that it links in with the rest of the plumbing in your home, and you’ve got the right
permits.
Or what about heating the space? Basements are usually fairly cool because they are
underground, so depending on your needs you will need to make accommodations to ensure
that the entire space is comfortable and welcoming. A professional can help you make sure you
never have to bundle up in your basement, unless you want to!
Remodeling your basement is a big project that has a lot of exciting possibilities, but also
a lot of complications that even an avid DIY enthusiast might not know to take into consideration
until they’re already halfway into the project and hit a sticking point. And the amount of tasks
necessary to finish a basement means that it can drag on for a really long time around busy
schedules. A bathroom can be remodeled in a few long weekend shifts, but a basement is much
more involved. Bringing dedicated professionals in to work on it full time will avoid those sticking
points, and make sure that you have access to your new basement much faster, and with a lot
less stress!
If you know you want to remodel your basement but you’re overwhelmed by the size of
the project and want to make sure all the details are taken care of the right way, reach out to
Third Generation Restoration. We’d love to come and help you visualize your basement in a
new way, and then make it into a reality before you know it.
Third Generation Restoration is a home remodeling company located in Cincinnati, Ohio
and provides service and support for the surrounding neighborhoods as well. We are a family
owned and operated business and we know that being permitted into your home is a gift of trust,
so we make sure you feel safe and supported though the whole remodeling process. If you’re
ready to make a change in your home and lifestyle, call us and let us show you what we can do
for you. We want you to love your home today, and every day, up to the third generation and
beyond.