Living with an unfinished basement? If you don’t need the space,you may be fine with leaving it as is. Maybe you’ve always wanted tofinish it, but just couldn’t fit it into your schedule. However, if you’rethinking of selling – this might be the time to get the project done.Before you hire a pro or begin to DIY, there are a few things you’llneed to investigate.
First – what is the current ceiling height? If your home is newer,then there likely will be ample space to finish the ceiling. If you livein an older home, make sure there’s enough room for a 7’6” finishedceiling – and don’t forget to calculate the height any new flooringwill add.
Next, does your basement have any moisture issues? The great thingabout an unfinished basement is that moisture issues are easy tospot and much easier to fix than with a finished basement. Onceyou start putting up drywall and installing flooring, moisturegetting in can cause a lot of damage.
Another thing to consider – are your current windows big enough?Older homes often have quite small basement windows, which maynot pass an inspection once you list. They also need to open so theycan be used as a fire escape. Plus, their energy efficiency is a bigfactor. If your windows already check all those boxes–great! If not,speak to a window expert to figure out the cost of upgrades.