Here are five vital questions we should answer together prior to your finished basement project beginning:
Question #1: What do you want this finished basement to achieve for your life?
Sure, there are issues related to codes, water, installation and other important matters that are non-negotiable. But if you’ve called us, we can help steer you from these pitfalls before they become significant roadblocks and headaches. So, no, those aren’t the biggest questions for you, the homeowner, to answer.
Want to know THE most essential thing for you to keep in mind before you call a contractor? It’s having a general idea of what you would love for the basement to have. Think beyond the basic furniture and let your imagination guide you. Here are some places that homeowners typically go with that line of thinking for a basement:
- Workout room
- Wet bar
- Recreation area
- Man cave
This is a fun ideation phase, but it’s an important one. We don’t want to be doing one kind of basement remodel and then you have the idea to do a completely different type of project. That’s not a good thing for anyone, so even before we put numbers to paper, let’s discuss what your “perfect world” scenario is for a transformed basement first.
Question #2: Is there room/a need for a bathroom in the basement?
If the basement is relatively large, most homeowners we work with in the northwest suburbs of Chicago want to have a bathroom in there as they’d like to entertain many people in the basement. So if you’re going to have people over to watch football games, enjoy a wet bar, play on your pool table or anything that creates an atmosphere for quality time to be spent, nobody will want to go upstairs to use the bathroom. Take advantage of the square footage in a bigger basement space and explore the possibility of adding a bathroom to the project. You – and your guests – will be glad you did.
Question #3: Is there a desire to put in a bedroom in the basement?
Perhaps you only have two bedrooms upstairs and you’d like to have guests stay over more often. Where are you going to put them? The basement could be a great contender if the right elements are in place. For one, there is a required amount of square footage for a bedroom. You don’t want to jam in a bed downstairs because, after all, that’s no way to treat your guests!
More important than their comfort, however, is their safety. When you put in a bedroom in the basement, you must have some sort of an escape window so that when a person is sleeping in that room and there’s a fire in a basement, their only route of escape can’t be to go up the stairs. The escape window provides the essential, life-saving exit.
It’s not necessarily a small expense to have an escape window. Still, since we’re talking about the safety of people you care about, it’s an investment that’s always worth it.
Question #4: Is what you have in mind possible or worth the investment?
Ah. Now that we’ve talked about your ideas, vision and ideal function for the space based on the square footage you have, it’s time to get real. Let’s talk about dollars and what’s feasible for your budget. Is the plan still cost-efficient or do we need to adjust it?
With our experience in basement remodels at Skor Construction, this rarely means completely giving up on the direction for the basement, but instead, it’s an opportunity for us to offer forth suggestions. Nobody has an unlimited amount of money to spend on a basement, so, knowing what does work with the dollars we have, how do we mesh that budget with your ideas to stay true to your dream for what your finished basement can be?
Question #5: Are you ready for the semi-disruption over the next four-to-six weeks?
Naturally, our team wants to stay out of your way, but a basement remodel is, nonetheless, a major project. There’s going to be construction noise on a regular basis. There’s going to be people coming in and out of the home. Depending on the basement’s size, it’s not something that will entail a crew transforming the space in a week or two. So be prepared for that higher volume and foot traffic.
However, there is a significant component of planning that can excite you for a basement remodel project and that’s contributing your ideas upfront. Gather your photos, your websites, your sources of inspiration and share it with our team at Skor Construction. It’ll be a big help to us to get a crystal-clear sense of what you want. So a little extra noise in the name of your vision coming to life is well worth it.
If you’re located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago (Mount Prospect, Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, Des Plaines) and seeking to transform your basement into the most beautiful new space in the home, talk to Skor Construction today. We’re happy to meet with you to hear about your vision, answer your questions, walk through your current basement space and deliver an estimate you can live with toward building a basement you’ll be excited to live in. Call (847) 407-9746 or contact us here!
