Why Renovating Your Basement Has Become So Popular

In the last couple of years more and more people have been calling us and asking us to do a basement renovation. Not just a little clean up or remodel but a full gut back to the original studs and concrete walls, then remodeling it to the point were you can't tell the difference between the upper levels of the home and the basement. The level of fit and finish is as high in the new basement as in the rest of the home.

Why the increased interest in renovating the basement?

There are several reasons for the increased level of interest in the basement;

• With the cost of real estate ever increasing people are less inclined to move out of the home that they already live in and the neighborhood that they have lived in and come to love and enjoy.
• There is a shift in the market away from building larger and larger homes, people want to live in homes that are smaller and easier to take care of with lower carrying costs.
• The renovation market as a whole is shifting to a younger clientele. That younger clientele still have families with children in them. As the children grow older the need for more space becomes imperative.
•  A lot of basement renovations are to homes that are 20 years or older. The finishing's (if there are any) are out dated and there is usually a moisture or mildue problem. A lot of basement renovations come about because of the need for people to have some other problem solved in there basement.
• With the extreme weather that we have been having in the last couple of years there have been a lot of water damage done to basements. Insurance companies have been paying out claims to home owners for the damage and the remuneration, this means that clients are coming to us with found money. This allows them to spend more money then they originally budgeted for on their basement to make it something special.
•  The rise of the "man cave", a space separate from the rest of the house were the husband can go and relax. This is a natural fit for the basement, it doesn't take away from the existing square footage of the home.
• While renovations are happening in the basements other problems in the house can be fixed because most of the systems and piping that run or supply the rest of the home come from the basement. This makes it a lot easier to adjust or exchange when the basement is wide open.

Basements are the next frontier for home renovations, done right and it becomes a place where your family wants and will spend most of its time. Gas fireplaces, surround sound, heated floors and increased lighting all help a basement feel like something other then what it is, the bottom of your house.

With what we can do in your basement there is no reason for you to have to move to increase your square footage by moving. Renovate the basement and make your happy home a larger one.

Rob Abbott

Village Builders Inc.

Does Village Builders do Basement Renovations?

Q:

Does Village Builders do Basement Renovations?

A:

Yes we actually do quite a few basement renovations every year for our clients. Village Builders on average does anywhere from 4 to 8 basement renovations for people every year.

These renovations are sometimes as simple as remodeling bathrooms downstairs to full guts of the basements and rebuilding them to an extremely high standard.

We routinely have excavated around homes and fixed damaged or non-existent waterproofing, repaired the weepers, installed gravity drains and even installed exterior sump pumps to help move water away from the basement before it ever gets close to the foundation. This is usually the result of water seepage or a full out flooding of the basement.

Renovating basements takes certain know how, the wrong renovation and a basement can feel like a dark uncomfortable place. What you want your basement to look like is just like the living area upstairs in your home. The problem that you end up with of course is that there is a lot less windows in the basement then in the rest of your home. To compensate for this you have to design the basement in a way that makes the basement feel light and airy, making the space an enjoyable place to occupy.

There’s nothing stopping you from having a wonderful basement that feels comfortable and welcoming, you just require the right contractor with the know how to put it all together.

We have the ability to make your basement the way you want it, drop me an email robabbott@villagebuilders.ca and let’s see if we can turn that basement into something special.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.

Turn Your Dark Basement Into Welcoming Livable Space

Turn that dark basement into welcoming livable space

A lot of older homes have dark unwelcoming basements that end up being glorified storage for all people’s stuff.

Newer homes are designed with larger windows or with walkout basements.

Short or rebuilding the basement walls for larger windows and re-grading the landscaping around the house to accommodate the bigger window wells you will have to renovate the basement in a way that will make it feel light and airy.

There are many things that you can do to make your basement light and airy;

• Paint. Paint is one of biggest things that will affect the feel of your basement. You don’t have to pick white for the walls and the ceilings but a light colour and earth tones will give a warm and welcoming feeling.

• Wall treatments. You don’t just have to paint all the walls and the ceilings you can do wall treatments, wallpaper or textures on at least one feature wall. This will bring a sense of drama and artistic flare to the area.

• Lighting. The more light that you can put in a basement the less it will feel light a basement. Pot lights work really well because they are flush with the ceiling, spotlighting on certain parts of the basement also help. All main through fares need to be almost over lighted.

• Bulkheads. Try to keep the bulk heads that will be in the basement to a minimum. They are a necessary evil especially in an older home but if you can try to keep them to certain area’s or towards the outside walls then they can look more like a feature of the ceiling and less like a bunch of drywall installed to hide ductwork.

• Flooring. Stick to a lighter stained or coloured floor and the ceilings will feel higher and less closed off.

• Storage. It’s a basement you’re going to want storage, have built in cabinetry that matches the wall colours or the wall paneling. It will help give the allusion of being upstairs.

Whatever you choose to do to your old basement you should make sure that you don’t have any water or moisture problems. There is no reason to do any work at all in your basement until those kinds of issues are resolved and resolved permanently.

Rob Abbott
Village Builders Inc.