Pros and Cons of Finishing the Basement

It is common for basements of homes to be

unfinished after construction of the home is

completed. This situation brings up a question for

the home owner—should we finish the basement or

not?

This question, like all such questions, should then

invoke in the minds of the homeowner the age old

comparison of the pros and cons list. Developing a

pros and cons list of both the benefits and

drawbacks of a completed basement will help a

homeowner make the right decision for their circumstances concerning their unfinished basement.

Considerations

One can first consider the pros to finishing the basement of the home; and the top benefit for many

homeowners who decide to have a finished basement is that a finished basement becomes a usable

space in the home. Many finished basements become an interracial part of the home as a completely

new living space that may include additional bedrooms for a growing family, bathrooms, offices, or as a

large space for the family to gather.

In addition to becoming an added wing of the home, a finished basement will be more likely to attract

buyers once the time comes to sell the home. This fact is especially important when a homeowner lives

under community zoning guidelines that prohibit expansion of the home by vertical or horizontal means.

In other words, one of the great benefits of a

finished basement is that it allows for the

homeowner to expand their livable space

within the confines of their original home,

negating zoning laws that prohibit exterior

home expansion. This is seen as a great

benefit even for those who live without

zoning laws that prohibit exterior expansion

of the home because finishing a basement

offers a lower cost than a completely new

addition to the home.

Overall Cost

Still, the one bluntly obvious con of finishing a basement is the overall cost. With returns on the

investment being somewhat marginal, although here again a home with a finished basement is more

likely to sell than one without, there are many who justly weigh their finances and responsibly decide

that finishing their basement is beyond their financial means.

In the end, the decision to finish the basement

will be entirely up to the homeowner and will

largely depend on what they plan to do with the

home in the near future. If, for example, the

homeowners plan on selling the home relatively

soon, then the investment into a finished

basement may not have the returns that a

homeowner is looking for, which return has been

averaged out to be a typical seventy five percent

return on investment.

But, on the other hand, if a homeowner in Idaho is planning on staying in the home for a longer stretch

of time and can make quality use of the finished basement, then spending the funds and time to finish

the basement may be the right decision for them as a finished basement allows for more use of space in

the home. If you and your family decide to look further into finishing the basement of your home,

contact a general contractor in Idaho today to learn more about how they can help you finish your

basement and to receive a quote on their services.

Photo Pin: Lisbokt, Nic McPhee,