Finishing a basement can get expensive fast. However, by having a great plan of attack, you’ll be able to create the space you’ve always dreamed of on a budget. All it takes is a little extra elbow grease.
1. Prepare Properly
Before any renovations can be made in your basement, you’ll need to make sure the space is ready to be finished. This includes things like ridding the area of all moisture and mold by actually fixing the underlying problems, as well as simply thoroughly cleaning the space and eliminating pests.
2. Planning Is Key
Home improvement projects tend to be slippery slopes when it comes to unpredicted expenses, meaning that starting without knowing exactly what you’re getting yourself into is a great way to either waste money or overspend to the point where you can’t finish the job.
Create a plan that’s within your budget and stick to it, and have a solid idea of what you want the finished project to look like. This will help you avoid having to make more costly changes as you go.
3. Wire It Right
You’ll obviously will want electricity in your finished basement. Making the addition of proper wiring an essential step of the renovation process. Whether you’ve got no electricity down there or just a single dangling bulb, you’ll need to get the space ready for more lighting before you move on to other steps.
If you’ve got experience in the field, this can be done yourself. However, most of the time it’s safer, more efficient, and cheaper in the long run to hire out the work to a professional.
4. Pay Attention To The Pipes
Another important step of finishing your basement is to make sure the plumbing is in the proper working condition. While this does include adding any pipes that might be needed for the addition of a bathroom, it also includes making sure the current plumbing in the vicinity is functioning properly.
Replace worn out and leaky pipes that might break in the future and ruin all of your hard work. By taking the preventive steps to ensure you’ve got great plumbing before you move on, you’ll probably be saving a good amount of money in extra repairs down the road.
5. Try To Find Deals
If you’re looking to install expensive exterior modifications like doors and windows, who you purchase these items from can cause total costs to vary greatly. Try to find a company that supplies builder clients on a regular basis. A lot of the time, they’ll have leftover items from incorrect orders that you can get for a sliver of the typical retail cost.
6. Be Flexible With Your Flooring
Unless you’re dead set on making the basement the nicest room in the house, there are plenty of options when it comes to what floor materials you’ll be using that are cheaper than traditional methods.
If people will be tracking mud in from outside, carpet is a bad idea. On the other hand, tile and hardwood floors can get expensive fast. One good option for those on a budget is use laminate hardwoods, typically costing around $2 per square foot. Not only are they easy to install yourself, they also provide great moisture blockage and will look nice for years.
7. Pick The Right Ceiling
Consider what the primary use of the basement will be. If you’re planning on putting something loud down there that might disturb other residents, like a home entertainment center or a drum set, you might want to use more expensive soundproofing materials for the ceiling. However, if a little noise seeping upstairs won’t be a disturbance, you can save money by installing a simple drop ceiling instead.
8. Lock In That Heat
Not only will this help you save in energy bills, it will also make your basement space more welcoming and livable. It’s important to avoid cutting corners with this step, as cheap wall insulation could let your heating dollars slip away, outweighing the benefits of the lower price point in only a short time.
9. Get Creative With That Décor
One great idea that can help you save is to give you basement a rugged, repurposed look. Try to give new life to old and outdated items that you’ll be able to find for cheap.
Maybe one wall would look great with a brick accent consisting of leftover materials from a nearby construction company. Or perhaps hanging a ton of old records from the local thrift shop could really make the space pop. Décor doesn’t have to be expensive, you just have to put in the effort to find alternative options.
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