What's Hiding in the Basement?

If you’ve seen recent horror movies like The Conjuring, The Forrest, and The Collector or even more dated movies like Scream from the 90s, or Psycho from the 60s, you’d probably never venture down into the basement for fear of the unspeakable terrors that could be awaiting you within the bowels of your home. Television has portrayed the basement to be a dark and scary place where spooky things happen to nice people. But this is the real world, so what’s really down there in your basement?

If you haven’t been conducting séances or communicating with the dead using a oujia board, then you’re probably safe from unspeakable terror. Instead of being afraid of what’s in the basement, why not develop it into a space that can be fully functional for your family?

Benefits of a Basement

The basement can be used for a number of different purposes. You could develop it into an office space and work from home. You could turn it into a play room for your children and finally get some peace and quiet upstairs. Husbands could use it for a man cave. Wives could use it for all of those extra shoes and handbags crowding up the closet in the master bedroom. You could turn it into a guest space or just use it as a large laundry room. No matter what you decide to use the space for, it’s so beneficial to have the extra square footage. It’s sometimes challenging to add on to the surface level of the home because of backlash from neighbors who think you’ll be to close to their home, or from the HOA for violating local ordinances on construction. Adding a basement to a house that doesn’t yet have a basement can increase the property value because you’re increasing the livable space within the home. Finishing a basement that was already a part of your home also can bring the value up because you’re improving the space that already existed. Imagine how much more your home would be worth if you turned the basement a second master bedroom or master suite, for example.

Building a Basement

If you’re building your home from scratch it will be more feasible to include a basement. Building a basement under an already existing home requires the approval of your local housing administration. In either case putting in a basement would also require that building professionals (soil specialists, contractors, plumbers, electricians, etc.) come out and evaluate your home’s eligibility for a basement. Certain factors could keep you from building a basement. Those factors include the density and texture of the soil around your home, the depth of frost lines in your area, and your homes proximity to bodies of water.

There has to be a foundation underneath your home for the house to sit on. Most builders call this foundation “footing”. Having a basement is what we like to call a win/win situation. You would have a strong foundation underneath your home and you can use the space inside of that foundation in any way that you choose! So, what exactly is hiding in the basement? The opportunity to expand your home and create a space that is unique to you and your family’s needs.

When doing your research, always be sure to consult great sources. Check out the sources for this article below!
https://www.thebalance.com/pros-of-finishing-a-basement-for-property-investors-2124861
http://www.latimes.com/home/la-hm-basements-20150509-story.html
http://www.mailtribune.com/article/19980811/news/308119991
http://mccainconstruction.net/basements/

WHITNEY RUSH, VALLEY WEST MORTGAGE