Do you feel if you could extend living space in your home, it would have been better? Multiple times this thought may have occurred, but every time you dismissed it for the fear that you would need to do a home addition. Extending existing home means taking extra stress that begins with seeking approval from authorities about the same to spending money on the construction of the new part from scratch and so on. But you can avoid all this without compromising with your heart’s desire by upgrading your basement. You can modify it to increase the spaciousness in your house without even needing a considerable budget that goes into home addition or purchasing a new house.
There are scores of benefits of taking this step. Let’s unveil them one by one for a clear understanding.
Benefits of renovating a basement
An extra room
Having that one guest room can solve many problems. Large families suffer most from the challenge of cramped spaces. And this issue is more pronounced in places like Mississauga and Toronto, where households deal with overcrowding as the number of people exceeds the number of available rooms. Some may think about expanding existing homes, but zoning restrictions can be an obstacle as these can stop you from adding more space to your home if it already has two floors, for instance. But you can remodel your basement to dodge all the hassles.
Increased ROI
If you go through remodeling magazines, you will realize why a finished basement can be an asset to you. As per them, homeowners can expect nearly 70% return on the money they spent on it compared to bathroom and kitchen areas, where ROI can go up to 64 to 65% only.
Money-saving
Basements tend to be colder, and the unfinished ones particularly so. Due to this, you can experience a rise in your energy bills in the winter season. And as you may be aware, some parts of Canada which experience above-average cold months with temperatures falling to −19°C face steep heating charges. If the floors, walls, and ceilings in the basement have proper insulation, you can save about 15% of the heat that otherwise can easily escape from the walls and the foundation footings. As a result, your energy requirements go down, and you end up saving some bucks. And since your home also becomes energy-efficient, you can relax that you did your bit towards preserving our green environment.
Basement renovation inspirations
The idea of finishing your basement is nothing less than exciting because of the many possibilities that you can explore here. From home theatre to office space to workshop to kid’s playroom to bar to rental area with separate entrance, you can transform it into any layout that looks perfect to you. Whatever you decide for it, remember that it is going to add to the resale value of your property. Hence, no matter what amount you pay for its remodeling, you will be able to recover it all. Then, of course, you can bask in the joy of having that extra living space that you needed so badly.
Anyway, you have to be careful about certain things. For instance, basement areas have higher humidity levels compared to other parts of the homes, mainly when there is no arrangement for heating or air-conditioning. So, before you embark on the remodeling expedition, get it checked that this area is not extremely humid or has water leakage issues that can harm the foundation. If these are the real problems, then you might have to consider taking a different approach. Hence, it is necessary to be careful also. Hiring a trusted, professional contractor can save you from many troubles. Rely on a company that offers a performance guarantee and renovation warranty. It will be better if it also has insurance.
Moreover, here are some finished basement ideas that can give your basement a wholly new and functional appearance. Let’s take a quick look:
A place for relaxation and work
If you visualize your space to be a mix of everything where you can spend family time with kids and parents or work from home, then you can add a working station and storage options where you can stack sound system, printer, and other electronics with ease. To make the place cozy, you can even add a fireplace. It will come in handy, particularly if space feels cooler. Besides, you can also have a little gym corner so that you can work out without disturbing people in the central area of the home.
A Scandinavian-style retreat for hygge vibes
To convert your basement into a lounge or an area where you can host guests, you can choose to give it a Scandinavian theme with lots of scope of natural light. You can use neutral colors and light furniture to maintain a subtle modern charm.
A bedroom for your special guest
If you don’t have a spare bedroom, don’t worry. You can create that in your finished basement when it comes to hosting guests for an overnight. Make sure the room has enough space for natural light to pour in so that it feels warm and cozy in the morning.
A game room for family
You can use a finished basement as a family game room also. Whether you want to play a pool game or football or monopoly, you can do all of this and more without any problem. Since it’s not the main part of your home, you don’t even have to bother about keeping it tidy all the time with everything resting in its designated place. In essence, you can focus on the fun part more than anywhere else.
One thing is clear that a renovated basement is one of the integral parts of any home improvement project in Canada. Whether you want to enhance the comfort quotient of your home or increase its resale value, you can depend on this idea to work in your favor without any doubts. Just make sure you onboard the right professionals for this job. They can take the entire pressure of repairing and renovation off your mind.
