A proper basement is becoming less and less popular amongst homeowners, but when it comes to expanding your property as much as possible and squeezing as much value as possible out of it, a basement is a key renovation. It’s not enough to focus on the top levels of your property anymore, especially if you don’t have any space you can expand out into!
So, in the interest of ensuring you’ve got plenty of information available to you about what you can do with space beneath your house, here are some key points to keep in mind.
Think About What You Need
It’s good to take your time with planning a basement conversion. You’re going to need to consider a lot of different factors here – the amount of natural light, exposure, water and power flow, etc. These are all incredibly important, and it’d probably be best to get a survey done before you hire any contractors.
Most of all, consider waterproofing and the placement of tanks the most. You need your basement to be plumbed in right, as well as ventilated, especially if you’re planning to put a bathroom down there as well. Water damage alone is the biggest risk to a basement, thanks to how much pressure it can exert on any supports you’ve got down there.
Work with a Specialised Contractor
A specialised contractor is someone who knows the ins and outs of carving out a proper basement. It’s not something that can be done on the fly, and who knows what’s waiting beneath your house? If you dig that out and hit a pipeline, or any other utilities, or even just come across some immovable rocks, you’re going to be fresh out of luck!
So get to know an excavation contractor in your area. They’re going to know the land much better than you do, simply due to their local knowledge, and they’ll have exactly the right equipment to dig it out and make it safe to convert too.
Make Sure It’s Cost Effective
You’re going to want to ensure that a basement renovation is the most cost effective move you can make here. For example, if you’re living on a big plot of land, and the next thing you want to do is expand downwards, you’re going to want to get back to the drawing board on that one. Sure, you’ve got some money to spend here, but a basement is costly for many good reasons.
Think of other, more simple changes you could make. Basement renovations or conversions can be the most expensive property development plan to go ahead with, and if you’ve got surface level land to work with, be sure to start there! Build an extension or conservatory, get the loft converted instead, etc., and only then think about converting the basement too.
A basement in your property is a very desirable change. Make sure you’ve budgeted for it right, and you’re working with the right people.
