Is your basement neglected, undercoated, unlivable? Turing your basement into usable space starts with D4! You could decide to convert the area into a:

- Play room
- Media room
- Music room
- Poker parlour
- Exercise area
- Office space
- Mother-in-law suite
- Rental suite
- Storage space
But first…
If remodeling the basement is on your To Do list there are a few things you’ll need to consider before you can get started.
"TROUBLE" SPOTS
…are the first things you’ll need to look for. Things like lowered ceilings, and ductwork can negatively affect your overall ceiling height.
Rather than dealing with the issue of the “trouble” spots many homeowners choose to go with dropped ceilings. Unfortunately this can really reduce the height of your ceilings giving your newly remodelled space a real “this is just a basement” feel.
Instead consider drywalling around the ductwork in your ceilings. The more ceiling height you have the better the finished look in your basement. Just remember to plan in some access points to valves, kitchen and bathroom plumbing traps, etc.
DOES THE SPACE LEAK
Uncontrolled moisture has the potential to cause a number of dangerous and damaging problems in your basement including the growth of mold.
Perimeter drains may be required and the basement walls may need to be sealed prior to renovating.
IMMOVEABLE OBJECTS
The next thing to consider when remodeling the basement is the placement of the mechanical equipment such as water heaters, and furnaces.
Will they need to be moved to achieve your desired results? With careful planning some of this movement, and thereby increased renovation costs, can be minimized.
PLUMBING PLACEMENT
If you’ve chosen to add a bathroom or wet bar to your basement renovation you’ll need to consider the issue of plumbing. Are the necessary plumbing pipes and drains in place already or will they need to be added?
A pump up waste water system may need to be added and if so a section of your basement’s existing concrete floor may need to be removed to make room for the drain lines and pump-up system.
ELECTRICAL WIRING
Many people are including home theatre systems in their basement renovation plans. If you’ve chosen to do this you’ll need to pay particular attention to the electrical wiring requirements of your specific theatre system.
Besides electrical wiring, you’ll need to think about the speaker wire, cable wire, and Cat-5 wiring that’s typically required for a quality home theatre system – you’ll need to plan out the placement of all these before getting started.
LIGHTING
Lighting is another important aspect to consider when remodeling a basement.
Most basements have little or no natural light – so you’ll need to give this area some careful consideration.
If natural light, such as windows, can be installed, then I’d highly recommend doing so. Besides letting light in, your new windows will add character to your newly renovated basement.
You should also consider adding some ceiling lights – the more the better – you can always turn some off – it’s pretty difficult to add more lighting after you’re finished renovating.
Finally, workspace lighting should be added where ever necessary. Each set of workspace lighting should be controlled separately so you have the option of energy-saving.
And finally…
Once you’ve addressed all the areas listed above, your next step will be to determine the most desirable layout for your new basement.
Looking at pictures of what others have done, taking a look at your friends’ basements, looking online, are all great ways to jump-start your imagination!
With a well thought out plan your newly remodeled basement can be a major plus to your home, both in terms of personal use and resale value.
Getting the extra living space you need doesn’t have to mean a costly and time-consuming move to a larger home. By following the plan listed above there’s no reason why you couldn’t enjoy the finished basement you’ve been dreaming of.
After all… Which would you rather have?
This?

Or This?
