Homeowners always strive to use the available space rationally, and an empty basement is an additional space with latent opportunities. This is especially true for large cities like Chicago, where the price of even a small home will be high.
Basement finishing is financially justified, as it not only increases the comfort level of home-owners, but also increases the cost of the entire house. The price of finishing a basement in Chicago is justified, if you want to resell the house, you can recover the costs on the difference in price.
Competent basement finishing in a private house will help turn it into a comfortable and useful corner. We figure out what principles are used to change your old basement, what options for its use are and what must be taken into account in the finishing process.
Variety of Opportunities
Many home-owners don’t find their basement as a potential living space. It is considered only as a place to store household items, tools, garden tools. Here old furniture and other unnecessary things found their shelter. Then there should be an understanding that the basement can become a full-fledged living space, and after the finishing, it can be comfortable and look attractive.
The role of the basement pantry is still important, where there is a place for storing provisions, and for garden tools, and for a wine cellar.
- Utility room. It is convenient to locate a boiler room or a laundry underground, or make a workshop.
- Recreation area. Downstairs, it is convenient to make full sized pool tables, a gym, a sauna or a health center with a swimming pool, arrange a home theater or a bar.
- Functional rooms. Below you can arrange a garage. Moving the kitchen or guest bedroom downstairs is becoming a popular solution.
- Basement. It is entirely ground level, being part of the foundation. In many houses, its area is impressive, but it is used only for placing communications.
There are lots of other ways to use your basement, but before using it we need to perform its finishing. Home-owners know basement finishing demands some efforts and budget. Let’s consider how to perform it.
Basement alteration begins with drawing its plan. The layout of the basement in a private house will help to visualize the possibilities of its use; several options are being considered at this stage.
If the area is small, the functions can be combined. For example, combine a laundry room with a pantry by installing convenient shelves or cabinets in it.
The darkness and damp, musty air in the basement are not good conditions. If you plan to place living rooms in your basement, you will have to take care of a thoughtful design, as well as a comfortable micro-climate.
To create conditions suitable for permanent residence, you need to pay attention to the following aspects of the arrangement:
- Electricity. If there are no outlets, there will be no household appliances, the main source of comfort. Safe hidden electrical wiring with easy access to the switchboard will be required.
- Ventilation. It should provide the usual air exchange, because hardly anyone wants to breathe dirty air. A forced system with a powerful exhaust hood is required.
- Heating. Even in summer, the temperature in the basement is not comfortable enough to stay there for a long time, so you cannot do without batteries; a good solution is a warm floor.
- Water supply. It will be required in any case. The minimum program for a good basement is a toilet and a sink. The water is supplied to the kitchen and bar, and if you are planning a bedroom or gym, you should think about a bathroom or shower.
In Conclusions
If you intend to make a work-room, a play area or a home theater, provide TV and an Internet. Regardless of how the basement will be used, other details should not be forgotten: security, accessibility, choosing a suitable staircase. Most often, a living room, gym, game room or workshop is arranged in the basement.
