Posts Tagged Cost
How to Finish a Basement in a Cost Efficient and Effective Way
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on May 18th, 2010
For a long time you have been dreaming of finishing your basement. You saved some money for it. What you need next is to find time to work on it. It’s not really that difficult. First off is to draft a plan and you will be on your way. Here are a few practical tips on how to finish a basement effectively.
- Figure out what you want to use for your basement. There are so many options. You can use it as your home office. You can put in a small space for kids to play. Perhaps a mini bar would be nice or an entertainment corner. You can put one or all of them in depending on the available space you have. In studying how to finish a basement, it is a basic necessity to itemize your plan well and draw it. This way you will save time and money.
- Set a timeline. Your basement is a home project and requires a schedule. If you’re a busy person, you can do it during weekends. Your plan should tell you how much work you need to do for your basement. Consider this in your planning on how to finish a basement outline. It always pays to organize this project in details especially the schedule. Then decide when you want to start. And for how long depends highly on you.
- Decorations are a must. If you hope to have a beautiful den, include the decorating your basement walls. Many of those furnished basements are accentuated with decorations. Add this to your list in your to have a better perspective in how to finish a basement. Just remember not to overdo it.
- Learn a bit about construction and interior design. A little knowledge about it won’t hurt and this helps a lot. If your money is just enough, you might want to take the do-it-yourself option. Learn about electrical wirings, insulation, and materials. Contractors can be expensive. More so if you had planned out hiring one, you wouldn’t be taking the time to know how to finish a basement. Read magazines, look at finished basement photos to give you some design ideas.
- Plan out the cost. This is a very important part in this project. Of course you won’t be able to do this without the plan or drawing. Decisions are to be made especially the cost. Analyzing your plan against your savings will help you decide what materials to use, where to buy them, and how to use or put them together.
- Learn a bit about plumbing. Whether you like it or not, you will be dealing with pipes. The basement is the lowest point in your home. Water flows down to this level. Therefore moisture can be a problem. You don’t have to know be an expert in this field though. Just learn enough about plumbing to know how to prevent excessive moisture from happening.
You now have the basic outline in knowing how to finish a basement. Just like any other project, you start from an idea. Then it moves to putting it into a plan. The plan helps a lot especially with cost and in finding ways to realize it. When all of this is laid out, get your tools ready and work on it.
Find more tips on how to finish a basement. Find more finished basement design photos to help you.
Finishing your Basement in a Cost Effective Manner
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 9th, 2010
Tough times call for tough measures. While the ongoing fiscal downturn has put many basement finishing plans on hold, many others are looking to go ahead with their plans and are looking at economical yet good ways of turning their basements into living spaces. Given below are a few tips that should help you do just that.
The first thing you would need to do is to figure out what you want to do with the basement. While this seems like an obvious step, the options that one has are truly varied. You could choose to convert your basement into office space (thereby saving on office rental), or you could simply choose to create a play area for your children. Knowing in advance of what you exactly want will result in your saving on unnecessary irrelevant expenditure. It is also a good idea to draw a plan and itemize it at the very onset.
As part of your initial planning, also set a timeline for the project. For instance, if you do not find time during the week, you can schedule to work upon the basement during weekends and plan accordingly. Your plan should ideally tell you how much work would go into refinishing your basement and this should help you in devising an estimated timeline. In deciding when to start, try to make sure that you do not have to give the project an extended break half way through.
Decorating a refinished basement is an important aspect of the project and should not be overlooked, as this is what would help incorporate the basement into your main living space. If you intend to use your basement as a den, you could choose to set up an inexpensive mini bar with minimalist seating. Remember that you do not have to splurge in decorating your basement, as there are a number of fairly economical options that you can opt for.
It is also a good idea if you can get some knowledge about interior design and construction as this could result in your saving money that you would have otherwise spent in seeking professional help. Besides, with a tight budget, a ‘do it yourself’ basement finishing project can be a great alternative. In looking for basement remodeling finishing ideas and tips you can go through home improvement magazines and books, and the internet is a great source for any information that you might need pertaining to finishing your basement.
Planning the expenses that you would have to bear is also important. In planning the costs at the very onset, you would have a clear idea of the options that suit your budget and the ones that do not. Also, in planning out your expenses at the very onset, you could also look to buy your required material at discounted prices.
Also, since you would have to deal pipes in finishing your basement, some knowledge about plumbing could help you avoid employing a plumber. However, with water playing havoc in many basements, it is best to take professional help if you have any apprehensions about doing the plumbing yourself.
Remember that if you can adhere to the aforementioned points about refinishing your basement, your project does not have to cost a bomb.
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What is the Cost to Dig a Basement?
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on March 5th, 2010
The cost to dig a basement hole on our 1800 sq. ft. house was only $790. However, I have a feeling you want to know more than simply the cost of digging the basement hole.
Some of the other costs that you likely want to know about are::
……..You need to dig the basement hole, which as I said was $790.
……..How about pouring footings and foundations, which costs $6 to $7K
…….Then there is pouring flatwork cement for a tune of $1.00+ per square foot x 1800 sq ft = $1800.
…….Putting in sub-rough plumbing which can be $1,000 plus the cost of gravel and the excavator’s charges.
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…….There’s the windows for your basement which includes window bucks of close to $500 (4 windows) and the corrugated window wells of $500 …total $1000 + or -.
…….The actual windows cost $400+ depending on if you have a walkout basement with sliding glass doors, which would be plus the cost of the sliders.
…….Sealing the basement walls to prevent water leakage through the walls will be another several hundred dollars.
…….The cost to backfill around your basement adds a few hundred more.
…….Now the last question is how big is your basement going to be?
That $790 figure of digging a basement suddenly became a whole lot more didn’t it? The reality is, however, that the real cost only involves a few of the above: digging the hole, flatwork cement, and windows, window bucks and window wells.
You still have to either poor a cement slab, or put in footings and foundations, which in the case of the later, go down to frost level. You still have backfill whether you have a basement or not. You still have sub-rough plumbing, with gravel before the slab. With a slab you will have furnace ducting to consider too.
Even though you have all the above items to consider in building a basement, it is still only a few thousand dollars more to add a basement, in comparison to the total cost of building your home.
Considering that your home may be worth $250 thousand to $400,000, your basement will probably only cost $7K-$10K+ added to the cost. All things considered, there isn’t a better investment for that extra 10K in comparison to doubling the living space of the first level, that a basement adds.
As an example, consider the storage space it adds to your home. If you didn’t have to rent storage space, what would it save you each month? Or wouldn’t it be nice to park the car in the garage instead of using it for storage space?
In addition, the basement maintains an even temperature of around 59 degrees all year, so the cost of air conditioning in the summer is drastically reduced when compared with air-conditioning an upper story with the same amount of floor space.
If you build your home on a hillside, a walkout basement makes for a nice feature opening up the basement so it doesn’t feel so “deep” in the ground.
Many people are putting home theaters in the area of the basement that doesn’t have any windows.
The furnace, hot water tank and water softener can all go in the basement utility-furnace room and not take up precious main floor living space.
Some areas of the country are too close to sea level to have a basement, but if you live inland, having a basement is a real advantage when compared to the cost of putting one in. To dig a basement is a an economical way to increase the square footage of your home.
In reality, what is the cost to dig a basement? Very little, and the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
Linda Baxter is a piano teacher, and stay at home mom of nine children, (22 grandchildren) who acted as General Contractor for building their retirement home. She hired and paid subcontractors, was overseer of all construction work (with the help of her husband, RL), and did most of this from her ?armchair?.and telephone. She freely shares her experiences on her website, http://www.home-built4u.com, hoping to help other potential owner/builders escape some of the pitfalls she and RL experienced, of being their own GC.BIO
Five Tips in Minimizing the Cost of Finishing a Basement
Posted by admin in Long Island Basements on February 26th, 2010
You have saved enough money to hopefully build a new house. You also hope to have it built with a very spacious basement. You know that it will be used for a lot of things. Perhaps spending your time with friends there or use it as a recreation area. For what it’s worth, a basement is a place in your house that can be valuable. But you are also aware that your budget must be well spent.
A great deal of estimating the cost is needed. Or else you might end up having only about thirty percent (30%) of the basement done. So here are a few design tips to help you save and minimize the cost of finishing a basement.
- When doing your cost estimate, allow a fair percentage from your budget to allocate for the cost of finishing a basement. Do a list of those things you want to use your basement for. You know that by planning this out well, your basement could be one of the best places in your home. Later on you will realize that what you have invested is all worth.
- Design your basement windows to fit other purposes. It’s a given that the window is used for ventilation. Since the basement is an underground facility, the room temperature will be a little bit different. The opening of your windows should not only allow more air to come in but also daylight. Basements are usually dark even at daytime. The more daylight, the less electricity. Having this anticipated will not only save you the cost of finishing a basement now but also when it is in use.
- Fashion your plumbing system and ducts to give head room. The clearance of the ceiling height in basements is usually low. This is because this is where the end ducts and pipes pass. You can still have enough for the cost of finishing a basement if you have it designed in a way that it would be easier to clad or hide. This idea can also be an advantage if in the future you hope to renovate your basement again.
- Use the right materials for your basement. It pays to know what attributes to the condition in a basement. For example, since a basement’s floor can have a lot of moisture, consider using tiles. Not only is it practical, it prevents accidents from slippery floors. Moisture in tiles is easy to mop off.
- Lastly, try not to see your basement as a basement. Most household owners see their basement as a last priority in their list. If you can do away with this attitude, you have a good chance to save cost of finishing a basement. Some households have beautiful and functional basements because they never treat it as one. A basement is basically just a room under your house. Therefore it is a room that you can use. And while you have this thought, consider having a basement design that you don’t have to spend so much on.
Actually, the last tip is the best tip. There are a lot of ways to use your basement for. You can use it as a mini-bar, a small gym, a guest room, or what have you. In areas where light cannot penetrate deeply, some people use it as a theatre area. The cost of finishing a basement is not really that costly. It’s just another extra room in the house. So while you’re still saving for this new house, include another room in your budget.
Do you need an estimation of the cost of finishing a basement? Consult the experts for your basement remodeling idea from start to finish.
“Long Island Contractor Will Build Your Basement With No Worries”
Creating extra living space affordably has never been easier. This Contractor shows dozens of different uses for basement spaces, then shows their clients exactly how they will accomplish each task. Spaces include adding an extra bathroom, a family room, bedroom, home office, kitchen or game room to their homes.
A basement can be as fine a living space as any other area of the house. Basements present their own challenges, such as moisture, lack of heat and light, among other issues, but many ideas are available to remedy these.
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