Homeowners find themselves wanting more space for many reasons. Some find themselves with an expanding family or new children and need extra bedrooms and possibly a second bathroom. Other homeowners have never been happy with the space they have and are ready for more out of their home. Family members who get ahead in their careers and earn more money may find that they now have more financial options and would like to make a long-term investment. And when homeowners decide to live in their home for the rest of their lives, they want to make the most out of it.
When you want more living space, you have four options: move to a new home, build a new home, add on to your existing home, or remodel your existing home. Let’s break down these options:
Moving to a New Home
Packing up and moving to a new home can be exciting, but it’s often also an expensive, stressful, disorienting, and time-consuming process. Before selling the home, you will need to go through the long and possibly expensive process of preparing the house to sell. Everything in your home is going to undergo rigorous inspection and criticism, so it’s important that all leaks in the foundation and plumbing are fixed. All cracked floor and counter tiles should be replaced with matching ones, and jamming doors and kitchen drawers should be repaired. Walls may need to be repainted, and all tubs and toilets recaulked, and the whole house should be scrubbed and cleaned. Spend extra time on your landscaping and interior decorating to give the home the greatest appeal possible so the continuous stream of people looking over your home will be impressed. You’ll also be going through the home buying process and will be discussing mortgage rates, visiting homes and making phone calls. How much interest will you be paying on your new mortgage?
Six percent of the home sale price will go to the listing sales commission if you decide to use a realtor, and the moving costs for a middle class family can be as much as $8,000 if you hire movers (at about $25/hour) and are relocating far away. The process of packing the entire house, moving, and unpacking will take an average time of 60 to 120 hours of work. In most cases, new furniture and appliances will be needed for the new home as you adjust to the new living space. Your children may have to go to a new school and may miss their old neighborhood friends.
It’s unlikely that the home you move to will be ideal, and there’s a good chance that it will not meet the needs and preferences more closely than the house you originally lived in. Any house will require a variety of compromises in neighborhood, yard and floor plan.
Building a New Home
Moving into a newly-built home includes almost all of the disadvantages of moving into an already existing home. While you won’t be visiting homes that you wish to buy, you will need to investigate a plot of land to make sure that it’s the best to build your home on. Soil condition, drainage, zoning and building codes in the area will all have to be compared to the building project that you have planned. Location, noise, highway access, the availability of public utilities, and the price of the land will all come into play.
Once you have a plot, you are going to need to pick people to design the home and do the job. 50% of contractors go out of business in their first five years, so this is an important step! You will need a builder, an excavator, a surveyor, and a home designer or architect. Even if you choose a general contractor to take care of the entire job, you will need to continually check on their progress to make sure that they’re doing their job. Construction can take months and be a very stressful process. Very often, the estimated completion date is not held to- if you’ve sold your house under the assumption that you’d be able to move into your new home on time, you may find yourself with nowhere for you family and possesions. If the house’s construction is completed before you’ve found a buyer, then you will find yourself with two separate mortgages, forcing you to take out a bridge loan to make ends meet until you can sell the extra home. In the end, it may or may not be worth the aggravation and trouble.
Building an Addition to Your Home
Many of the issues of building a new home go hand-in-hand with the disadvantages of constructing an addition to your existing home. There can still be many concerns with zoning and building codes in the area, and you will still need to research and hire builders, excavators, surveyors and home designers to help you design the addition. Adding on to the foundation, extending the plumbing and wires, and preparing the home for the addition will use up most of your money. Siding, roofing, and walls will also need to be put in place.
The new addition to your home will take an enormous piece out of your yard space, possibly making your home look crowded into its lot. The process of building the addition is long and will be disruptive to your daily life while the construction is taking place. You may also choose to have someone at the home at all times that the work is taking place to keep an eye on things. The new addition will need to be heated in the winter and cooled in the summer, and your heating and electricity costs will increase. The added section of your home will dramatically increase your property taxes, and unless you can build the addition with the same look and style as the original house, you run the risk of your addition looking “attached” and awkward. Your homeowner’s insurance will go up drastically, and the new area of your home will need the gutters, roof, floors, and other sections of the addition maintained for the life of the home.
Remodeling the Basement
The only effective way to gain living space by remodeling your home is to turn your unfinished space into a remodeled, comfortable area. Fortunately, if the largest single space in your entire house- your basement- is unfinished, then your house has incredible potential for expansion. A basement is a naturally quiet, secluded and private space. It already has easy access to the pipes and wires of the house, and it’s often readily accessible to heating and cooling ducts, making it the perfect place to install an extra bathroom. Why would you let that space be dark, ugly, damp, and unusable as living space? Make the most of your home!
With the proper materials, remodeling your basement will make your entire home more energy-efficient. If you plan on living in your home for many years, a properly insulated home can lead to hundreds and even thousands of dollars worth of savings on the utility bills in your home. If you ever decide to sell your home, an energy-efficient one will sell much more easily than one that isn’t.
At 50% of the cost of adding an addition to your home, a basement remodeling converts your cellar into nearly any space you’d like. If a family member is planning on moving in or you’re expecting a new addition, a remodeled basement can be a bright, safe, comfortable, and cheerful place for a play room, mother-in-law’s room, additional bedroom, or even an extra kitchen! For your family, you might choose to remodel the basement into a family room, TV room, or home studio. A professional homeowner might appreciate a home office, wine cellar, library, or personal gym in their newly finished basement. If you’d prefer to renovate your basement into a more recreational area, a remodeled basement can be perfect as a game room, personal wet bar, hobby room, or private spa. Whatever your basement remodeling ideas, I can happen if you use the right basement finishing materials.
Finishing a basement is much faster to do than to moving to a new home or build a new living space. Because the work is being done in your basement, the job is contained and out of your way. A typical Total Basement Finishing basement remodeling will take five to 10 days, and the basement will be ready to use immediately when the installation is completed. According to Remodeling Online, the national average increase of the value of your home will be by 75% of the cost of the installation (Click here to read the full report!). In a seller’s market, this increase in value is likely to be much higher, especially if you wait 10-15 years before selling your home. In the meantime, you can enjoy the newly finished space and increased quality of life for many years.
Why Basement Remodeling is Better than Moving:
1. You and your children love your neighborhood
2. With few exceptions, you’re happy and comfortable with your current home
3. Your home has sentimental value
4. You feel that your money would better be spent on your home than on closing costs and moving expenses
5. The property value of the homes in your neighborhood is rising.
6. Your home is not at peak value for the neighborhood and could increase in appreciation greatly through a well-planned basement remodeling.
Basements are the most overlooked and neglected areas in your home. Total Basement Finishing’s basement remodeling products could turn it into a bright, lasting living space in less than two weeks! Call or contact us today for a FREE no-obligation basement remodeling estimate!
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Friday, June 8, 2007
Your Basement = $$$
Most homes are left by the builder unfinished with a mere light bulb swinging in the damp dark basement. Some use this space just for storage, some use it as part recreation room, some a laundry room, for many this space goes unused. With the right finishing material, the basement area can become the best spot in the house.
Think of all the added living space finishing your basement would provide! A beautifully finished basement can provide great entertaining space for your guests or children to play especially because of the sound proofing qualities the basement environment allows.
An article titled, "Want added home value? Look in the basement" published in the Denver Business Journal states that "basement finishing is two to three times more cost effective in adding living space to a home than any other option." If your project is done right, i.e. basement waterproofing and utilizing high quality materials that will save energy, your expanded space will easily add attraction and high value to your home when you decide to sell it.
The Denver Business Journal also states, "When a basement is well done, it commands attention. The basement is the adult toy room -- housing home theaters, wet bars, exercise rooms and wine cellars. It's the one spot in the house where the architectural design is all about having fun. With a great finish, not only does a basement finish nearly double the size of the house, but it often becomes the most popular space in the house."
Your basement could be the deciding factor on the sale of your house!
Think of all the added living space finishing your basement would provide! A beautifully finished basement can provide great entertaining space for your guests or children to play especially because of the sound proofing qualities the basement environment allows.
An article titled, "Want added home value? Look in the basement" published in the Denver Business Journal states that "basement finishing is two to three times more cost effective in adding living space to a home than any other option." If your project is done right, i.e. basement waterproofing and utilizing high quality materials that will save energy, your expanded space will easily add attraction and high value to your home when you decide to sell it.
The Denver Business Journal also states, "When a basement is well done, it commands attention. The basement is the adult toy room -- housing home theaters, wet bars, exercise rooms and wine cellars. It's the one spot in the house where the architectural design is all about having fun. With a great finish, not only does a basement finish nearly double the size of the house, but it often becomes the most popular space in the house."
Your basement could be the deciding factor on the sale of your house!
Friday, May 25, 2007
5 Steps to Consider Before Finishing a Basement
1. Waterproofing Your Basement
-That mold and musty odor that you smell in your basement or in your home is the result of mold and rot decaying. If you can smell it, you have a problem even if you can't see it. Start with a basement dehumidifier.
-Paint Peeling from your basement walls indicates that you have a moisture problem. If you have damp spots on the wall, this means that water is absorbing through the wall. Remember that concrete is porous.
-The white chalky substance on your basement walls is a chemical breakdown of the bonding agent that holds your walls together. Structural deterioration could be the cause of the efflorescence remnants.
-Get any basement cracks checked out and sealed.
-Look for rust on items in your basement like furniture and furnaces. Rust is a sign that your basement air holds a high moisture content or more water seeping issues.
-Look for rotting in the joists and other wood material. The black fungus that you see indicates decaying wood.
Waterproofing a basement is important whether you decide to remodel or not. Studies indicate that most won't even consider buying a home with a wet basement, and sale prices can fall up to 25%. Waterproofing is not a job just for flooded basements. If you have moisture it is critical to take care of it before beginning you finishing process. Otherwise, you'll end up with problems with mold and spend even more money ripping out your investment and redoing it all over again. Waterproofing or not, you'll pay for it.
2. Techniques
It is common for homeowners to undertake a basement finishing project on their own. But this project is very complicated and best left to a trained professional. A specialist in the field has ample experience and the knowledge to avoid mistakes commonly made by the average Joe.
-Walls: If any moisture is present, organic material in your basement has the risk of inhabiting mold. Make sure the material you use is mold resistant (inorganic) to stand the test of time and conditions. Total Basement Solutions basement wall panels are rigid walls which allows for hanging of large pictures, heavy shelves, or plasma TVs. The panels come standard in a neutral vinyl but are also paint and wall paper-ready.
-Furnishing: Material that does not absorb moisture work the best. Make sure that you store items like clothes and linens in plastic sealed containers rather than cardboard boxes. For floors, area rugs are ideal because they can be removed, cleaned and dried. If you must have wall-to-wall carpeting, consider a low pile commercial or indoor/outdoor type. Be sure to include a basement sub-flooring material like Basement Systems' ThermalDry Floor Matting if you do go with a carpet. It will lift the carpet off of the cold concrete floor and prevent moisture damage.
3. Design
Basement decoration is just as important as the design. Incorporating bright colors in the paint scheme or furnishing covers will brighten this notoriously dark room. Throw down a textured area rug to give some pop.
4. Lighting
Using lighting that casts light upon the ceiling can create the illusion of a higher ceiling in the basement.
- Take advantage of natural light: Most basements do not offer large windows allowing ample amounts of natural light. There are options though. SunHouse basement window wells (featured on HGTV's "I Want That" show) help prevent window leaks as well as let an incredible amount of light in. If you'd like to increase light AND safety, opt for something like an Egress window which lets an abundant amount of light in as well as provides an easy escape in case of fire or other emergency.
- Use of lights: Although florescent lighting is economical and efficient, it produces a different mood in a room. Recessed lighting, track lighting, or mounted spot lights can give a warmer feel. Mix ceiling light with floor and table lamps.
-Remember to turn off lights that you are not using or consider timers or light sensors. Try 3 way light bulbs so that you can adjust the brightness of your lighting source. Instead of incandescent bulbs, try 4-watt mini-fluorescent or electro-luminescent night lights. They are more energy efficient.
5. Future Value
Basement finishing is an investment that you'll live with for years. Make sure the system you choose has the flexibility to change with your style and taste. Finishing your basement is a great alternative to putting an addition on to your house. It costs about half the amount of an addition while adding value to your home as well as living space.
-That mold and musty odor that you smell in your basement or in your home is the result of mold and rot decaying. If you can smell it, you have a problem even if you can't see it. Start with a basement dehumidifier.
-Paint Peeling from your basement walls indicates that you have a moisture problem. If you have damp spots on the wall, this means that water is absorbing through the wall. Remember that concrete is porous.
-The white chalky substance on your basement walls is a chemical breakdown of the bonding agent that holds your walls together. Structural deterioration could be the cause of the efflorescence remnants.
-Get any basement cracks checked out and sealed.
-Look for rust on items in your basement like furniture and furnaces. Rust is a sign that your basement air holds a high moisture content or more water seeping issues.
-Look for rotting in the joists and other wood material. The black fungus that you see indicates decaying wood.
Waterproofing a basement is important whether you decide to remodel or not. Studies indicate that most won't even consider buying a home with a wet basement, and sale prices can fall up to 25%. Waterproofing is not a job just for flooded basements. If you have moisture it is critical to take care of it before beginning you finishing process. Otherwise, you'll end up with problems with mold and spend even more money ripping out your investment and redoing it all over again. Waterproofing or not, you'll pay for it.
2. Techniques
It is common for homeowners to undertake a basement finishing project on their own. But this project is very complicated and best left to a trained professional. A specialist in the field has ample experience and the knowledge to avoid mistakes commonly made by the average Joe.
-Walls: If any moisture is present, organic material in your basement has the risk of inhabiting mold. Make sure the material you use is mold resistant (inorganic) to stand the test of time and conditions. Total Basement Solutions basement wall panels are rigid walls which allows for hanging of large pictures, heavy shelves, or plasma TVs. The panels come standard in a neutral vinyl but are also paint and wall paper-ready.
-Furnishing: Material that does not absorb moisture work the best. Make sure that you store items like clothes and linens in plastic sealed containers rather than cardboard boxes. For floors, area rugs are ideal because they can be removed, cleaned and dried. If you must have wall-to-wall carpeting, consider a low pile commercial or indoor/outdoor type. Be sure to include a basement sub-flooring material like Basement Systems' ThermalDry Floor Matting if you do go with a carpet. It will lift the carpet off of the cold concrete floor and prevent moisture damage.
3. Design
Basement decoration is just as important as the design. Incorporating bright colors in the paint scheme or furnishing covers will brighten this notoriously dark room. Throw down a textured area rug to give some pop.
4. Lighting
Using lighting that casts light upon the ceiling can create the illusion of a higher ceiling in the basement.
- Take advantage of natural light: Most basements do not offer large windows allowing ample amounts of natural light. There are options though. SunHouse basement window wells (featured on HGTV's "I Want That" show) help prevent window leaks as well as let an incredible amount of light in. If you'd like to increase light AND safety, opt for something like an Egress window which lets an abundant amount of light in as well as provides an easy escape in case of fire or other emergency.
- Use of lights: Although florescent lighting is economical and efficient, it produces a different mood in a room. Recessed lighting, track lighting, or mounted spot lights can give a warmer feel. Mix ceiling light with floor and table lamps.
-Remember to turn off lights that you are not using or consider timers or light sensors. Try 3 way light bulbs so that you can adjust the brightness of your lighting source. Instead of incandescent bulbs, try 4-watt mini-fluorescent or electro-luminescent night lights. They are more energy efficient.
5. Future Value
Basement finishing is an investment that you'll live with for years. Make sure the system you choose has the flexibility to change with your style and taste. Finishing your basement is a great alternative to putting an addition on to your house. It costs about half the amount of an addition while adding value to your home as well as living space.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Luxury Basement Finishing Ideas
Home TheaterTurn your basement into your dream home theater!
Natural sound dampening, isolation from the rest of the home, no expensive window blinds to block out light are are great advantages to creating a home theater in your basement.
A subflooring material will lift the carpet off of the cold concrete floor and enhance the sound quality from your new theater stereo system.
Home Office
Separating work space from living space allows you to be more productive.
Instead of trying to fit your home office in and around your regular living space, creating a space especially for working allows ample concentraction and organization.
More Ideas• Home Gym
• Bar Room
• Extra Bathroom
• Spare Bedroom
• TV Room
• Music Room
• Game room – finally a place for that pool table!
There are contractors who will help you build your dream basement. For example, if you live in the United States, Total Basement Finishing can help you achieve your luxury basement environment.
(Pictures from Finished Basement Company.)
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