Ideas on how to remodel your basement for living

Your basement offers a lot of space that can be used in many ways and not just as storage. However, if you’re interested in learning how to remodel your basement for living, let us tell you that it won’t be easy. In most cases, you’ll have to start from the basics before thinking about its design. This means that you’ll have to insulate walls, add heating, cooling, ventilation… The list just goes on and on. But, let’s go one step at a time. With the help of our comprehensive guide, you’ll learn all about remodeling your basement so make sure to keep reading it!

Things to do before you start to remodel your basement for living

As you probably already know, there are some things you’ll have to take care of before you start to remodel your basement. For example, you can’t insulate walls if the basement is full of clutter! Therefore, you will first have to clear out space and then focus on finishing your basement. Remember how you had to declutter your home before moving with reliable movers and packers Miami? Well, it’s the same! Use that knowledge to declutter your basement in record time.

Man writing down tips on how to remodel your basement for a living
Write down all of the tasks you’ll have to take care of and you won’t forget a single thing!

A small reminder – what to do before you start to remodel your basement?

In case this is your first DIY major project, we’re here to help you get organized. We have prepared for you a small checklist to remind you of all of the pre-remodel tasks that you’ll have to take care of.

  • Clean out your basement. We’ll be honest with you – this will probably be your hardest and the most boring task. It’s time to remove the junk from your basement! In order to complete this step, you can find help and play your favorite songs.
  • Perform a moisture test. Most people forget to do this, but completing a moisture test is really important. After all, you don’t want for your basement remodeling to be ruined by any kind of leaks.  If you detect any kind of issue, fix it before you start remodeling.
  • Research local building permits. In some cases, you will have to check whether there are any kind of restrictions regarding your wish to use the basement as a livable space. In addition to this, your basement needs to meet different requirements, such as the ceiling height and the number of exits. You can learn more about this by reading the Advanced Code Requirements for Residential Construction.
  • Gather materials and tools. there are different kinds of basement renovations so we can’t tell you exactly what materials and tools you’ll need. The number of tools and materials will vary based on the size of your remodeling project.

Finish your basement to make it more livable

So, the first part is over. Now it’s time to start remodeling your basement. However, you should keep in mind that you’re not remodeling your child’s room, a space that is already livable. Quite the opposite! In most cases, basements only consist of concrete walls and floors, they are unfinished and your job will be to finish it. 

Insulate your basement

There’s no need in explaining you the importance of insulation. Finished walls will make space look complete and inviting. And that’s exactly how you want your livable space to look like. Therefore, if you have moved with long distance movers Florida to a house with the basement that’s not finished, it’s necessary to insulate it in order to make it more livable. There are many ways of insulating your basement walls. However, one of the easiest and most effective ways is adding polystyrene foam insulation directly to your foundation walls. Insulation is great protection against noise, low and high temperatures. Therefore, insulation will help you feel comfortable in your new room.

Grey bedroom with a king size bed.
For a cozy room, insulation is a must!

Other finishing touches

Apart from insulating, there is more. For example, some people like to add moisture protection to prevent moisture from spreading beyond the concrete walls. In case you decide to waterproof your home, you’ll be glad to know that there are different ways of doing it. You can do a small research and learn more about home waterproofing.

Since your walls are now finished, it’s time to choose the right flooring. If you want to turn your basement into a bedroom, consider installing carpet, or at least hardwood floors. This will keep you warm during the cold days. In case you’ll be turning your basement into the living room, just add flooring that will fit into the design perfectly.

And, don’t forget about adding light! Most basements are dark and have almost no natural light. Your job will be to change this. In case you can’t install windows, you can at least add lamps and chandeliers after you remodel your basement for living.  As soon as you brighten up your basement, you’ll immediately forget that that room was once a basement full of junk.

Carefully choose the design of your new room

Congrats, the hardest part is over! Now all that is left is choosing the right design. It’s time to unleash your creativity! You can do whatever you want. Make sure to repaint the walls first. Completing this task will be much easier if there is no furniture that you can ruin with paint. If you don’t have enough room in your house for the items that were once in your basement, you should consider getting storage service Miami. And when it comes to repainting your walls, choose lighter shades. This will create an illusion of a much bigger space! Add interesting furniture pieces, bookshelves, hanging wall art and your new room will be finished!

Buckets of paint.
Transforming your basement offers the unique opportunity to create a one-of-a-kind design.

There you have it, that’s all you need to know about remodeling and renovation projects! Follow these steps and you’ll remodel your basement for living in no time! Don’t rush things and soon you and your family will be enjoying your new transformed basement!