Basement Remodeling in Cincinnati
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.
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.
