In the past basements were often ignored and considered to be to dark and musty. They were simply used as a storage unit and that was it. However, in recent years homeowners have realized that the basement has wonderful potential as an extra living space. It could be a place for kids to play on cold or rainy days, somewhere to do laundry, a mother-in-law suit, or even a space to rent out. If you are thinking about adding extra space to your home an unfinished basement is a great opportunity. In fact the cost savings of redoing a basement versus adding an addition can sometimes be up to 1/3 to 1/2 less! Plus aside from the cost savings and the benefit of extra space finishing your basement can also add value to your home. Before you jump in head first though there are a few things to do before you get started on your new space:
1) Make sure mold and moisture problems under control.
Before you start finishing your basement, make sure that you don’t have uncontrollable mold and moisture problems and ensure that you can stop water from getting in.
2) Set a budget for your renovations.
You will need to create a budget to find out how much money you have to work with. Don’t forget to take into account things like building supplies, labor, items such as toilets and showers, and extras. Hiring a contractor to do this is a good idea, as they can help you figure out how much money you need and where you can save a few dollars.
3) Plan out your renovations.
A good contractor can help you complete this task as you will need to know the lengths of all the walls you’ll put in, how much square footage of flooring material you’ll need, how much wall space you need to drywall, etc.
4) Get any necessary permits and inspections.
Before you start it is very important to get all of the necessary permits and inspections from your local building department. You wouldn’t want to do all that work and then have someone tell you you need to take it down or worse: hit a surprise water main!
C&H Construction is a licensed general contractor and Custom Home builder located in Blairsville, Union County Georgia serving Towns County Georgia, Fannin County Georgia, Gilmer County Georgia and the North Georgia Mountains.