Let’s think of your basement for a minute. Is it just a lot of space, simply sitting empty “down there,” unused? If that’s true, a basement remodel could be for you. Not only will remodeling your basement give you lots of extra room to use for recreation, extra storage, extra sleeping quarters — you name it — but doing a basement remodel can also significantly increase the value of your home.

Think about the all great things you could do with a basement remodel for a moment. What about a recreational space for the kids, where they can get as noisy as they want to (within reason) without disturbing the adults upstairs? Or, what if you turned your basement into your own personal home theater? The possibilities are endless, but first, of course, you have to undertake the remodel itself. This doesn’t have to be difficult, though. Yes, it can be a big job, and you’ll most likely want to involve professionals, but you don’t necessarily have to if you’re handy.

Make sure to plan
What you do have to do is plan, though. Make sure you do your homework ahead of time and pull together a complete plan, either by yourself or with a professional’s help, before you begin.

Take care of any dampness in your basement before you start
Basements are notorious for dampness, especially when it comes to rainy areas, and this dampness can pose a hindrance to a basement remodel. However, if you’re going to make your basement any kind of truly livable space, you’re going to want to take care of the dampness before you undertake any type of remodeling project. If you don’t, you’re going to risk a huge headache down the road, because everything may warp, become moldy and mildewed, even unhealthy, so that you can’t use it.

If your basement is damp, first, figure out where the dampness is coming from. Perhaps there’s condensation seeping in from outside simply because the atmosphere is damp, or perhaps you’re simply close to the water table, so that water comes up through the foundation. Drainage, too, can be a problem if the land slopes inward, down toward your basement, instead of having your homes atop a hill and having the “flow” go away from your house.

Once you’ve discovered where the dampness is coming from, chances are, you can fix it or at least mitigate it enough such that you can use your basement space for something useful. Consult an expert as you need to, to seal up cracks, install a sump pump, install a dehumidifier, and so on, until the dampness is taken care of.

Finish the walls
This probably isn’t the first thing you think of when you think of a basement remodel, but because most basement walls are just concrete, they can be very cold, damp and not very “homey”. So cover them with wood panels, sheetrock, or something similar that will make them look truly livable, and you’ll feel much more comfortable in your new space.

Use natural light whenever you can
Your basement probably already has small windows built into the side of the house, but if it’s structurally possible, add bigger windows to bring in even more light. This will bring the basement “out of the dark,” so to speak, and make it an even more inviting space.

Once complete, your basement remodel will give you an entire new floor of living space to do whatever you want to with it. Enjoy!