Have you considered building a finished basement? An unfinished basement? Or should you even have a basement at all? It can be a tough decision, so we’ve come up with a list of pros and cons to help you make your decision.
PROS of BUILDING A FINISHED BASEMENT
A Space Apart
Basements are set apart from the rest of the home and can be the designated “quiet space” or “loud space” depending on your needs. For example, building a finished basement to create an office space or crafting space, makes sense for keeping out distracting noise–but it also could be a playroom, where kids can be loud. If you have musically inclined household members, you can insulate the basement to minimize the noise from practicing instruments.
If You’re Building, Better Finish Now Than Later!
If you suspect that you would like to finish your basement at any point, the most cost-effective way to do it is have the finishing completed during the initial construction. It’s also the best way to get exactly what you are looking for. Planning out electricity and plumbing is easier done on the front end than the back end. Especially if you have a very specific vision for the space (a wine cellar or decked-out man cave or a high tech office) you will want your design in place from the beginning–you might not be able to change things to your exact specifications later. For some cool ideas, check out this blog: https://sebringdesignbuild.com/modern-basement-ideas-to-prompt-your-own-remodel/
Increase Your Resale Value
Though spaces such as kitchens and bathrooms continue to have the best ROI, building a finished basement adds usable space, which adds value for potential buyers for the same reasons that they add value for you as the owner.
Tornado Shelters
Since we live in the midwest, tornadoes are a very real danger during certain times of the year. For some, the peace of mind that comes from having a place in their home to shelter from these disasters is enough of a reason to have a basement.
CONS of BUILDING A FINISHED BASEMENT
Basements don’t make the best storage space
We often assume basements are good places to store things that aren’t in use, as well as the equipment needed to run our home, such as our furnace or water heater. However, when building a custom home, it’s perfectly possible to design the home so that there are alternative storage spaces for those things above ground. The benefit of this is keeping your stored items in good shape (no musty smell–even basements that are well-built and maintained often have a slight odor). Above-ground spaces for household machinery can be designed to minimize the sound of the machine, so it’s no problem to keep your furnace invisible, even if it is above ground.
If you have items you want to store, consider attics, small outbuildings, or a larger garage with built in storage.
Basements aren’t the best choice for the environment
It takes a lot of energy to make concrete. Almost 5% of the world’s carbon emissions come from the process of creating cement for the concrete. Basements require a LOT of concrete, and steel to reinforce that concrete, which also requires a lot of energy to produce.
Basements are a more costly option, and they take time
Because the building basements requires so many resources (see above) and because there are a lot of steps and specialized knowledge involved in the construction of basements, they end up costing more time and money. It may be that for the homeowner, a basement is well worth the money and the wait–but sometimes it just hasn’t occurred to the homeowner that what they want a basement for might be achieved just as easily by modifying the structure of their home above ground. After all, this home will be yours. You can build it with all the features and amenities you want–and depending on what draws you to the idea of a basement, you might better be able to get what you want above ground.
Finished basements need long term attention
If you do decide that you want a basement for practical purposes such as shelter from tornados, you might consider leaving it unfinished or semi-finished. No matter how new or well-built your basement, they are underground, susceptible to moisture, flooding, mildew and accompanying odors. Any finishing you put in your basement has the potential to be ruined by these things–of course, you could say that anything you buy could be ruined by an unlucky circumstance or bad weather, but basements are statistically likely to be plagued (now or in the future) by a moisture problem of some sort. If it’s finished, you will not only have to deal with that problem but with restoring or replacing any finishings. It’s definitely something to consider if you’re building a finished basement.
Whatever you decide to do, remember that when you build a home, you should be making the choices that are right for you and your family. At Hamilton, we work with you to get exactly what you want from your home. You shouldn’t have to compromise; basement or no, finished or no, you should be getting exactly what you want, not the watered down version of what you want based on some existing template.
And if you’re not sure what you want yet…that’s okay! We’re here for you every step of the way. Schedule a call today, and we’ll help you explore your options for a dream home.