Guide to Renovating Basement in Your Home

As a homeowner, your goal is to create a safe and cozy space for your family. That

includes maximizing the areas in your home so that everyone is comfortable. In addition

to kitchen and bathroom cabinets, utilizing closet space, shelving, and extra rooms is a

great way to get things you want to be unseen out of sight. You can also add or

renovate unfinished spaces in your home for additional storage. That includes adding a

garage or finishing your unfinished basement.

Continue reading to discover the benefits of completing an unfinished basement and a

homeowner’s guide to renovating the basement in your home.

One of the easiest ways to add value to your home is to increase the size of your living

space. Finishing your basement could add thousands to the value of your home

because it increases the area of your home that is livable. In addition to adding value,

renovating a basement gives homeowners more storage space, is a great place to

entertain, and is a cozy and safe place for adult children to live with a bit of freedom.

Of course, hiring a professional is an option for renovating your basement. However, a

guide for homeowners is below, which lays out some things for the homeowner to

consider if DIY is your goal.

Natural Light

Most think of basements as dark spaces because they typically are. However, if you

have a walk-out basement, consider replacing a solid door with a French door or sliding

glass door so that natural light will come in. That will brighten the space and make it

more welcoming. If you have small windows already in your basement, consider making

them more prominent so that more light comes into the space if there are windows.

Adding larger windows will make your renovated basement appear more like an

extension of your home instead of a basement.

Installed Lighting

Since lighting can take any space up to several notches, consider adding lighting or

other wall hanging lights. Some types of lighting that you should consider are:

Ambient lights spread light all over the space. Ambient can be recessed ceiling lights or

track lights.

Task lighting is lighting directed at a particular space. That could be a light hanging over

the bar area, lighting to illuminate a piece of art, or light next to your favorite lounge

chair for reading.

Flooring

The concrete flooring of most unfinished basements is cold and can create a damp

feeling. Concrete flooring is not only cold, it is unsafe and not welcoming. Therefore,

flooring is an important consideration during renovation. Most homeowners either carpet

their basement or add laminate flooring. Your decision will be based on whether your

basement is prone to damage from flooding.

Waterproofing

If your home has a basement, you are one of the 90% of homeowners at risk for

flooding. However, you can lower that risk tremendously by waterproofing the space,

which shouldn’t be an option for protecting your asset. Basement waterproofing

products are easy to install and available at local home repair stores.

Plumbing

You probably already have your laundry room in your unfinished basement. That makes

it easier to hook up pipes to install a bathroom or even a kitchenette when you renovate

your basement. Adding a bathroom or kitchen is an excellent addition to your space,

especially if you plan to entertain or create a living area in the basement.

Storage

Renovating your basement for additional storage space means you must decide

whether to build shelves or buy and install shelving. In any event, create a room in your

basement that is dedicated to your storage needs so that you aren't tempted to let your

basement become a bottomless pit.

Tools and Gear

If renovating your basement is a DIY project, a list of tools and gear is an essential part

of this guide. That list is below.

Circular saw

Hammer

Ladder

Dust masks

Masonry drill and bits

Durable pants or clothing

Toolbelt

Goggles

Gloves

Nail Gun

Measuring tape

Level

Sawhorses

Installation adhesive

As you have read, renovating a basement can add value to your home. It can also be a

space for storage, a place to entertain, and a place for adult children to live. Renovating

can be a fun DIY project to take that space up to several notches.