Never try to save money on basement renovation average cost by disobeying building regulations; you’ll spend more.
If you’ve done a poor job remodelling your basement, you’ll have to fix or remove it before listing your home. But that doesn’t mean you need to choose the priciest quote.
It is possible to save money on a basement makeover without compromising quality or aesthetics in several ways.
Use a prefabricated egress window and well that is both affordable and easy to install to cut basement renovation average cost
The basement renovation average cost of installing emergency exit windows in a finished basement is $3,750. Depending on how many egress windows you require, this can get quite pricey.
According to the International Residential Code’s (IRC) Emergency Escape and Rescue Requirements (R310.1), a finished basement that serves as a single, open living space must have at least one egress window.
However, each new bedroom you create in the basement must have its egress window. One reason the national average is so close to $4,000 is that homeowners frequently wish to have custom egress windows built to match the existing architecture and materials.
If your egress windows are on the side or back of your house, however, they won’t detract from the aesthetic appeal of your place.
If that’s the case, you can save money by buying egress windows that have already been manufactured.
Estimated costs for a prefabricated egress window range from $600 to $700, with a window well costing roughly $500 on the low end of the price spectrum.
The cost per egress window can be reduced to roughly $2,000 by including the installation cost, which can be as low as $900.
Cut basement renovation average cost by finding out if the outer walls are dry before you finish them
Consider this tip to cut basement renovation average cost.
There is a reason why cellars are stereotyped as being dark, musty, and dreary. Some homes also contain interior moisture sources, besides the groundwater that can seep in from the rain or melting snow.
It’s important to check for moisture in the basement, even if the walls don’t look damp and there have never been any issues and problems with mold or water damage in the basement before. This test can be performed without extra help at home with just some duct tape, some aluminum foil, or some plastic wrap.
A square can be sealed with tape, left for 24 hours, and then checked for moisture content. If the weather is very dry, you can go outside. Any accumulated moisture must be removed before the walls can be finished.
Fortunately, a coat of sealant, such as a masonry waterproofer, may usually restore walls that fail a moisture test but feel dry to the touch for roughly $100.
There is a wide range of basement renovation average costs from $3,324 to $11,748 to examine and waterproof a basement that has a serious moisture problem.
Don’t just cover the damp cement in your basement with paint or drywall and hope it goes away. Within 24 to almost 48 hours of exposure to water, mildew and mold begin to grow.
In addition, if you sell your property and the buyer can show that you either knew about the moisture problems in the basement or chose to ignore them, they may file a lawsuit against you.
Don’t forget to set aside some room for storage
Besides basement renovation average cost, It’s important to remember why you’re remodeling your basement in the first place.
Most homes’ basements serve as the primary warehousing area for seasonal or rarely used items such as holiday decorations, clothing, and patio equipment.
Many potential buyers would dismiss a home no matter how lovely the basement looks if the seller has finished every inch of it with beautiful furnishings and decor without leaving any space for storage.
Making use of unfinished spaces during a makeover might help you save a lot of money by reducing the project’s total square footage. Building a wall to section off 500 square feet of your unfinished basement for storage will save you the cost of redesigning the entire 1,500 square feet of your basement.
For more ways to cut costs (basement renovation average cost), reach us at Condocosmetics and find out.