Courtesy of the Home Building Suite
Should you finish your basement and turn it into useable living space now as you are finalizing your construction plans for your new home or should you wait a few years? This is an important question for many people and the answer is of course different for everyone and depends on their personal needs and financial situation. This may be a non issue for many folks in southern climates using slab construction techniques; However, in northern climates, the
majority of homes are built with some type of basement or crawl space.
We have listed a number of issues on both sites of the discussion to help you decide which alternative is most appropriate for you. Here they are :
Finish your basement during the construction phase:
You may include the funds needed to finish your basement in your construction mortgage.
It may be easier to obtain required permits now as part of the original permit application phase.
Do you need the extra space now for living, recreational or home office needs?
Do you need extra bedrooms, playrooms, craft rooms or entertainment space?
Do you want your home office to placed away from the main living area?
Will you have an exercise room or do you want the teenagers to have a place to entertain their friends?
Do you intend to use your basement for storage only?
Large families can benefit from an extra bathroom, shower etc in the basement.
Walkouts from your basement to your backyard may be a factor in
finishing of your basement now.
Where will you entertain guests, family get-togethers, formal and informal situations? Do you want to have a game room for the children or even the adults?
Where will guests sleep when staying over? Do you want privacy for them and you?
Will you have live-in help and where will they have their living quarters? Personal space, shower, bathroom etc.
Finish your basement some time after initial construction:
Will you have the financial resources you need to pay for the completion of your basement at a later
date?
The types of permits required will vary by state and province; however, they could include all or some of the following:
1) Building permit 2) Electrical permit 3) Mechanical permit4) Plumbing permit How difficult will it be to hire contractors to finish the basement at a later date?
Will access to deliver materials, etc. be a problem?
Will the disruption that construction will surely cause while you are living in your home be problematic for you or for your family? (dust access, time off work etc.)
Regardless of which option you chose, you should plan your basement for your
future needs. Placement of your furnace, water heater, ducting, support members, well and sewer inlet locations will all play a part in the eventual aesthetics and cost of finishing your basement.
Many people find it easier to finish their basements prior to moving in to avoid the additional stress of completing their
basement in the future. They avoid the dust and disruption to the household at a later date and they have the additional living space immediately.
Useful Resources:
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