The cost of finishing basement will depend on just how much repair you have to do where the basement is concerned and what exactly you want to do with the basement in the first place. The basement is a very under-utilized space largely because people generally tend to use it to store items of their home which are not practical or useful at all and are instead valuable only when you consider the sentimental aspect of it. These items are usually stored in disintegrating boxes, the basement has one meager light bulb since no one really goes there and there is usually just one window for ventilation. If the basement has to be converted into a room, it means that it must be dusted and cleaned thoroughly so that you do not have to suffer and allergies. Secondly, the items in the basement need to be sorted well – even if they are of sentimental value, if they are taking up space and have absolutely no use then it is ideal that they be donated or sold to charity. So do a proper recce of your basement and clear it out as much as possible. Next you will have to repair any cracks or leaks or damp spots and also install more lights and perhaps more windows for ventilation purposes. All this will cost money so figure out the cost of finishing basement after you have estimated cost of repair.
Estimate cost of finishing basement
The cost of finishing basement will depend on what room you want the basement to be transformed into. There are many options for a basement and they include an extra room, a play room, a guest bedroom, a home theater, a family room or even a separate bathroom with maybe sauna, Jacuzzi and steam shower features. Once you have figured out what kind of room you want, you will be able to estimate the cost of the transformation and finishing. For example, turning the basement into a new bathroom will obviously be more expensive because you will have to consider new plumbing, new tiles, installing shower heads, taps, and bath tubs and so on. If you want to turn the basement into a home theater you might have to invest in speakers, in wall mounted television sets, extra wiring and so forth. You might even need to install new tiles on the ceiling etc. and if it is a basement then you probably have to install a drop ceiling or a suspended ceiling as well. The total basement finishing cost will depend on how well you plan your basement transformation.
Different cost of finishing basement
The cost of finishing basement will only be determined once you have made an estimate of the repair costs. Once that is done, you can think about how to reign in finishing costs. For example, you can avoid going in for expensive tiles etc, and instead use ceramic tiles which have been used for any other tiling work. Spread out a colorful carpet instead of making use of tiles on the floor, if your basement floor is damaged and you must refurbish it then use linoleum instead of expensive material – linoleum is inexpensive comparatively and extremely durable. If there is a pole in the middle of the basement that you cannot do without, instead of taking it off – which will cost more – attach a snack bar table to it for a quirky basement accessory. You can also think about having bean bags and mattresses on the floor instead of actual furniture, which will also cost less. Low cost basement finishing is not hard to come by.
