Terri Ramsey Beavers When you start outgrowing your home and space is tight, you have two options; you can either move into a bigger place or find ways to add space to your existing home. A lot of people prefer the second option because they like the house and the location, but they just need a bit more room. Building an extension is one option, but if you have a basement, you should consider converting it. In a lot of homes, the basement ends up being used as a storage area for old junk that you don’t really need. So, why not clear all of that junk out and turn the basement into a useful space? If you have a basement that you would like to convert, here are a few important tips you need to follow.
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Write A Clear Budget
With any large scale renovation project, it’s important that you have a clear budget in place before you get started. If you don’t, your spending will get out of control and you could run out of money halfway through the project. If you want to avoid that, you need to calculate all of the costs before you get started. There are some great online calculators that you can use to add up the cost of finishing the basement and getting it into a liveable state (see this site for a simple tool to help you). Then you need to get a rough estimate of the decorating costs and the cost of the furniture. You should also remember that you are likely to uncover a few surprises when renovating a basement and things are likely to go wrong at some point, so add some extra money to your budget to deal with any hurdles along the way.
Waterproof The Basement
The basement is prone to damp and leaks if it is not waterproofed properly. If you are going to use it as a bedroom or office space, it’s vital that you do this before you try to do anything else. There are a few ways to do this, like using a waterproof sheet membrane attached to the walls, or covering the walls with a few layers of waterproof render. It’s best to call in a professional to do this unless you are really confident because water can force itself through the tiniest of cracks in the walls and any small mistakes will come back to bite you later.
Make Sure That You Have Good Ventilation
Good ventilation is vital in a basement. It helps you to avoid problems with damp, and it also maintains good air quality in there as well. Leaving an open staircase is one of the easiest ways to ventilate the basement, but if it is a bedroom, you may want more privacy. Windows are good as well, but that might not be an option depending on the layout of the house and the placement of the basement. If that is the case, you will need to fit a ventilation system in the basement.
It’s so important that you get these basic elements right before you move forward with your basement conversion. If you don’t, the project will be a disaster.