Basement renovations

A Basement Renovation To Make More Space In Your Home

A basement renovation is without doubt one of the best ways to add extra usable space to your home. In many cases it is more cost-effective than adding another full or part-storey to your home which can require strengthening of the lower levels.

Also, adding a storey or filling in space on your home changes the aesthetic look of the building. For many houses, this addition to the structure can look ugly or at least out of character with the architect’s original designer. A basement renovation or extension on the other hand, is largely below ground and therefor has little impact on the overall look of your house.

How Do You Want to Use Your Basement?

The most important question is to ask yourselves, “Why you want the basement renovation?” For some people they simply say they want more space but with better questions, you can get a much clearer definition of your desired outcome.

When you have a better definition, you can give better direction to the designer or architect, which will mean they can draw up the plans for your basement renovation project so it’s fit for purpose.

Having a clear idea of what you want at the end of the basement extension work means that you will be less likely to make changes along the way after the basement renovation builder has started their work, which can cause delays and incur additional costs.

Below are some ideas for basement renovations, to give more room to your home.

Rumpus Room

One of the classic uses of a basement is for a rumpus room for young children. They can keep their toys, downstairs away from the tidier adult areas like the living room. It can also be quieter when the children are playing downstairs in the basement renovation.

Also you can have floorings and wall coverings that are child-friendly which you can clean easily without the concern of damaging your living room walls or carpet.

Granny Flat in Basement Extension

Granny flat basement renovation

At the other end of the age range is your parents. As they get older they often need help or they simply don’t want to live in a large family home as they have done previously. This is especially the case if they have lost a spouse.

As a result, many families take in their parents and either provide them with a bedroom in the main part of the house or, better still is to convert a basement into a granny flat. This gives the best of all worlds. The grandparent is close by, but they have their own living area with more privacy, and a place to rest. A nana nap anyone?

Teenager’s Basement Room

When children are young, they often like sharing their bedroom with their siblings. But as they get older and become teenagers, the idea of sharing with a sibling is,….well, we know the outcome.

So one solution is for one teenager to stay in the existing bedroom, and to turn your basement into a room for your other teenager. This gives both children privacy, and more space to bring home their friends without disturbing the rest of the household.

Bar or Cellar

Many people like the idea of having a bar in their basement. Somewhere that they can have friends around in a convivial atmosphere. Beers on tap, a fridge, a dart-board maybe. Just like being down at the pub.

More recently people have had the idea of creating a wine cellar and tasting area in basement renovations. The room is likely to be both cooler and darker anyway being underground, which are both important aspects for storing wine.

Entertainment Area or Home Theatre

An increasingly popular use of a basement renovation job is making the room into an entertainment area. This can be an extension of the bar theme with a pool table too. Or, in recent times, many people have had a home theatre or media centre installed.

This could range from a few chairs and a big screen TV to lavish seating with full surround-sound and film projector.

Guest Space

Basement bedroom renovation

Perhaps you want to add space for visitors staying at your home. This might be family or friends, or you could make it into another income stream and convert a basement for home-stay overseas students or Airbnb.

Office

Another idea for converting a basement is to make an office space. If you are self-employed or run a business from home, this is a great idea since it gives you a more peaceful space to work in, and it also keeps your papers etc away from the family living areas. Not only does this make the living areas tidier but it also means that little fingers don’t make off with important documents.

How to Build a Basement Extension?

There are essentially two ways to build a basement renovation. You either dig out the ground, or you can fill in an open space below the house. On the hilly Auckland roads, there are plenty of homes with unused space beneath the main home. Enclosing the space with external walls is a relatively easy basement renovation method and can produce some fantastic basement renovations.

Summing Up Basement Renovations

A basement renovation can give you a lot more room in your house. This is often easier than selling and buying a new home, especially if your children are at school.

A good basement renovation builder with the right plans can also add considerable value to your property without significantly affecting the overall external appearance of the building, therefore maintaining the integrity of the original design.

If you want more space in your house, consider a basement renovation. We are happy to come along and have an initial chat to give you some ideas of what might be possible with a basement extension in your home. We can give you the benefit of our experience on similar basement renovation projects we have worked on.

Call us on 0800 224 628 or email admin@cainbuilt.co.nz.