How to Convert Your Basement into a Living Space

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If you were to ask homeowners what they would most like to have in their houses, one of the most popular answers would be more space. One way of getting this without getting an extension is converting your basement into a brand new living space. Whereas the most common conversion of an unused loft is into an extra bedroom, the basement has a wide range of possibilities as it is located closer to the main living areas and tends to be more easily accessible. Of course, this can be a time-consuming and costly task, so you need to ensure that you have thought everything through carefully. This guide is here to give you a helping hand with this.

The Main Options

There are two main options when it comes to a basement conversion. The first is renovating a pre-existing basement or cellar. The second is by creating a basement in your home if you don’t have one already, which you could either do by building it directly underneath or extending out to the front, side or garden area. Obviously, this all depends on whether or not you have a space to work with or if you need to create an entirely new one.

Choosing a Use

Now, you need to consider closely what you will actually be using your basement for. If you want to go down the practical route, a few potential options include a workshop, utility room, storage space or wine cellar. However, if you are looking to create a fun area, you could create a games room, home gym or chillout zone. Essentially, it all depends on your priorities and the amount of money that you have to spend.

Maximising Light

One of the main issues of converting a basement is that there is never enough light. To start off with, a good artificial lighting scheme is essential and you should also use neutral colours and natural touches to enhance the space. If your basement extends underneath your garden, you can use flat rooflights to bring in the light. Make the most of any light which is coming from the landing area with glass balustrading and open tread staircases.

Ceiling Height

Taller ceilings tend to improve the quality of the space that you have, and with a basement, you can simply dig a little deeper to raise their height. However, you need to bear in mind that the deeper you dig, the bigger the budget that you will require. Remember that the ceiling will need to be able to accommodate lighting, ventilation and plumbing. There are plenty of considerations that you need to think about closely to ensure that the space operates as you would like it to.

Waterproofing

Whatever method of crawlspace foundation repair that you use, you should enlist professional support to make sure that you get everything right. After all, this is a room that is liable to suffer from flooding if you don’t put in place the proper provisions. At the very least, it is an area of the house where damp and mould could be an issue, so you should take extra care to reduce the risk of these issues striking where you can.