Why should you renovate your basement?

One great reason that comes to mind this time of year (our hot weather months), is that basements are spectacularly cool, compared to the rest of the house! You don’t even have to turn on the A/C!

So what can you do to make that space more inviting? It is unfortunately typical to find basements barely finished, and not a pleasant place to be on a sunny day.

First thing to do is hire a trustworthy contractor and meet with him or her to discuss what you can do with the space you have. Basements vary a lot in their make-up. Some homes built on a sloping lot have a full daylight basement, meaning one wall opens to ground level, usually with a sliding glass door for access.  More typical basements are partially underground all the way around, with windows on the upper half of the walls to let in light. Some are almost completely underground and have window wells for egress and to let in some natural light.

No matter what your basement is like, it can be turned into an entertainment center with wet bar and half bath; or a guest bedroom with full bath; or how about an exercise room with a shower? You are only limited by your imagination (and budget!).

A good contractor can negotiate the labryinth of permitting and inform you of any roadblocks ahead of time, so you can avoid going down a path that the permittin

g rules don’t allow.

So go for it! Turn that basement into the cool, fun space you’ve always wanted!