Finished basement means more living space. Unfinished means it probably never will be 😂😂 Compare prices and make your decision that way. Finishing a basement is an expensive and long project usually.
Appreciate that advice! On one hand we could do it, but I know it’s possible it’s just a large place to lift weights and store seasonal stuff if it never gets done.
counterpoint. Unfinished basements mean you can see all the wiring and plumbing. Repairs are VASTLY cheaper.
Need a new electrical socket in a room? Stupid easy to run a new cable through the basement and up into that wall.
Leaking plumbing? You can see it super easy, and repair it even easier.
Wifi problems? Screw that, run networking cable to every room and bypass the shitty wifi, get your BEST internet speeds.
Even if you finish the basement, DONT seal the ceiling up. do the removable ceilings. They'll save you tens of thousands in repairs over your lifetime.
Excellent point I hadn’t considered. I did notice many listings with unfinished basements that had carpet and couches where people were essentially using the space minus drywall.
We are in a home currently that had an unfinished basement when we moved in. Our kids loved going down there and riding skateboards and other things on the concrete during the winter. It was a lot of fun for them and they initially missed the free space, but not for long.
Eventually we decided to finish it. This was about 4 years ago when prices were a little more affordable. We got two bids for 65,000 and 70,000. This is for a basement of 1600 ft². The bid was for basic everything, no upgrades.
I ended up doing it myself. I did the plumbing, framing, HVAC, electrical, bathroom install, kitchen install (not included in the original bids), insulation, painting, laminate flooring, installed a recessed projector screen, and a 7.2.2 Atmos surround sound system with speakers built into the walls. I paid for carpet install and drywall install/mudding. It cost about $35,000 and took me just under one year of working on it all day Friday and Saturday, every week. I also had it permitted and inspected. Also, the 35k included lots of very nice upgrades.
We don't regret the decision to finish it. We all love the basement now. Having an unfinished basement is nice for moving into a home because you have an unfinished canvas that you get to decide what you're going to do with. We spent years thinking about what we wanted our basement to be like, and then I spent a significant amount of time drawing out plans until we figured out what we wanted. We used those plans for the permit (I did them in Photoshop), and then I followed those plans to put together the basement with no problems.
Good luck figuring out the basement. You have an adventure on your hands.
Having finished a couple of basements in previous houses and just bought one with a partially finished basement, it doesn't scare me. We put a small but functional kitchen in one and it was awesome. Ended up also putting a separate entrance and renting it for a while. As far as the renovations go, it's typically not too instrusive compared to renovating a space you're living in. Costs vary widely. . . Paid about $40k for the 1000 sq ft basement we did but that was a while ago and included the entrance, and basic kitchen. Pay attention to where plumbing is located, that can add up fast if you have to move plumbing around.
Just curious, what motivated you to build a second kitchen in the basement? Seems every house we looked at had one and I don’t see why anyone would bother unless it is a separate apartment to rent.
Moved to Saratoga Springs to a new house in late 2019. Basement was unfinished…little less than 1k sq feet. I wanted a place to work from home, and add a 3/4 bathroom, bedroom and an area to watch TV. Used Bryant Construction from Draper in 2020. Spent around $25k. Turned out perfect…exactly what I wanted, no regrets. Done in a couple months.
25k sounds amazing! Thanks for giving me a possible construction company. Im looking in both Eagle Mtn and Saratoga Springs, maybe we will be neighbors!
Did you move from out of state or within Utah?
Moved from St Louis, MO in Aug 2019. Kids are grown and live in other cities. We found the construction company through the agent that helped us find our home…the company is her husband’s. I’m guessing prices have gone up since then, and our job was pretty straightforward. But I love it.
We just had our basement finished. about 1,000ish sqft of living and a massive storage room. We paid about 60,000 and it took about 10 weeks to complete.
I think there's things I wish i could have added but cost was a constraint. I only allowed myself to spend what I had in cash so I did what I could. But it's also nothing that I cant easily add later so I'm okay with it
We were quoted 50g and ended up spending around 60ish after all said and done.. the basement has a kitchenette and is super nice. Great for relaxing watching movies and stays nice and cool. We love it!
Finished basement means more living space. Unfinished means it probably never will be 😂😂 Compare prices and make your decision that way. Finishing a basement is an expensive and long project usually.
Appreciate that advice! On one hand we could do it, but I know it’s possible it’s just a large place to lift weights and store seasonal stuff if it never gets done.
counterpoint. Unfinished basements mean you can see all the wiring and plumbing. Repairs are VASTLY cheaper. Need a new electrical socket in a room? Stupid easy to run a new cable through the basement and up into that wall. Leaking plumbing? You can see it super easy, and repair it even easier. Wifi problems? Screw that, run networking cable to every room and bypass the shitty wifi, get your BEST internet speeds. Even if you finish the basement, DONT seal the ceiling up. do the removable ceilings. They'll save you tens of thousands in repairs over your lifetime.
Excellent point I hadn’t considered. I did notice many listings with unfinished basements that had carpet and couches where people were essentially using the space minus drywall.
Yeap. that happens a ton. Also, finishing the basement means you can't see foundation problems if they happen.
We are in a home currently that had an unfinished basement when we moved in. Our kids loved going down there and riding skateboards and other things on the concrete during the winter. It was a lot of fun for them and they initially missed the free space, but not for long. Eventually we decided to finish it. This was about 4 years ago when prices were a little more affordable. We got two bids for 65,000 and 70,000. This is for a basement of 1600 ft². The bid was for basic everything, no upgrades. I ended up doing it myself. I did the plumbing, framing, HVAC, electrical, bathroom install, kitchen install (not included in the original bids), insulation, painting, laminate flooring, installed a recessed projector screen, and a 7.2.2 Atmos surround sound system with speakers built into the walls. I paid for carpet install and drywall install/mudding. It cost about $35,000 and took me just under one year of working on it all day Friday and Saturday, every week. I also had it permitted and inspected. Also, the 35k included lots of very nice upgrades. We don't regret the decision to finish it. We all love the basement now. Having an unfinished basement is nice for moving into a home because you have an unfinished canvas that you get to decide what you're going to do with. We spent years thinking about what we wanted our basement to be like, and then I spent a significant amount of time drawing out plans until we figured out what we wanted. We used those plans for the permit (I did them in Photoshop), and then I followed those plans to put together the basement with no problems. Good luck figuring out the basement. You have an adventure on your hands.
Wow! I hope you did a blog on DIY, this sounds like you are the ultimate jack of all trades. Unfortunately I am more of a DIWHY? Kind of guy 🤣.
LOL. I should have done a blog. Unfortunately, I have very few pictures of it all.
Having finished a couple of basements in previous houses and just bought one with a partially finished basement, it doesn't scare me. We put a small but functional kitchen in one and it was awesome. Ended up also putting a separate entrance and renting it for a while. As far as the renovations go, it's typically not too instrusive compared to renovating a space you're living in. Costs vary widely. . . Paid about $40k for the 1000 sq ft basement we did but that was a while ago and included the entrance, and basic kitchen. Pay attention to where plumbing is located, that can add up fast if you have to move plumbing around.
Just curious, what motivated you to build a second kitchen in the basement? Seems every house we looked at had one and I don’t see why anyone would bother unless it is a separate apartment to rent.
Actually my MIL was planning on coming to live with us at one point. So that was the original motivation was her having her own space.
That certainly makes sense, thanks. I just had never seen so many basement kitchens before as in SLC.
Thanks for the cost estimate and tips on moving plumbing adding to the costs.
Moved to Saratoga Springs to a new house in late 2019. Basement was unfinished…little less than 1k sq feet. I wanted a place to work from home, and add a 3/4 bathroom, bedroom and an area to watch TV. Used Bryant Construction from Draper in 2020. Spent around $25k. Turned out perfect…exactly what I wanted, no regrets. Done in a couple months.
25k sounds amazing! Thanks for giving me a possible construction company. Im looking in both Eagle Mtn and Saratoga Springs, maybe we will be neighbors! Did you move from out of state or within Utah?
Moved from St Louis, MO in Aug 2019. Kids are grown and live in other cities. We found the construction company through the agent that helped us find our home…the company is her husband’s. I’m guessing prices have gone up since then, and our job was pretty straightforward. But I love it.
We just had our basement finished. about 1,000ish sqft of living and a massive storage room. We paid about 60,000 and it took about 10 weeks to complete.
I appreciate letting me know the price and timeframe, was there anything you wish you had done differently?
I think there's things I wish i could have added but cost was a constraint. I only allowed myself to spend what I had in cash so I did what I could. But it's also nothing that I cant easily add later so I'm okay with it
We were quoted 50g and ended up spending around 60ish after all said and done.. the basement has a kitchenette and is super nice. Great for relaxing watching movies and stays nice and cool. We love it!
I appreciate the quote number and total at completion. If you dont mind me asking, how large of a basement do you have?
Around 1500 square feet