Home and Auto How much does it cost to finish a basement? - Page 3

BWillie · 03-24-2009, 09:33 PM

I know it depends alot of square feet and other factors, but what is a general rule of thumb? I'm looking at houses right now and basically, I will not buy a house without a finished basement. I've noticed that alot of houses are significantly cheaper that I like, but the only thing that gets me away from them is not having a finished basement. I'm kinda in a time crunch, because my FHA 4.7% interest rate only lasts for so long. Hell of a time to buy a house right now.

I don't want to put a room down there or anything. Don't really need a bathroom either. Just a wet bar, some good chiefs memorabilia, and make it a nice rec room. BTW, I am not handy at all. Unless it's something I can learn in a weekend, I ain't doin' it. Any good reputable companies around here that specialize in that kind of thing?

**Iowanian** · 03-24-2009, 10:24 PM

I'm not making fun of you. I think buying a home instead of renting, assuming you can afford it is a responsible financial decision. I think thats great.

My potential to mock comes from the "I don't like this tone of beige in the den, I prefer oyster...this house will just not do" tone I'm reading from your post.

I encourage you to look at more important things like structurally sound home, good roof, square walls, solid foundation, quality of neighborhood, school district, taxes, wiring , plumbing, overall condition....things that need fixed/updated/remodeled and have some idea of cost(add 40% to whatever number you come up with to get the truth). If the basement is sound and dry....spend time and money as you get extra to improve the basement for both use and resale.....or don't since you know all.

My first house was a turd without a garage, and I never thought I needed one. I bought a shed, remodeled the house and got by until I sold it for a profit and upgraded after 3 years of working on it. The 2nd house was bigger, nicer and had a 1 1/2 car detatched garage.....It was awesome to have a place to park a car to save ice scraping....change oil....stain wood, cut boards on a rainy day for inside projects(like finishing a basement room)....keeping a lawn mower, tools, extra storage etc.

My current home has a 2 car garage....and I wish it were 3, or supplimented by an additional shop. I got by alot of years without a garage, but once I had one, I'll never go without.

Take it as informed opinion, or don't.

BWillie · 03-24-2009, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

No, Dude, congratulations!

I just wanted to make sure (DaneMcCloud-style) that you were taking everything into account when eschewing a garage.

Very good. I had to look that word up. I'll have to add it to my limited vocab arsenal. I pretty much only use the words the, a, at, you, your mom, and fuck. For everybody that didn't know

Eschew - verb avoid, give up, abandon, have nothing to do with, shun, elude, renounce, refrain from, forgo, abstain from, fight shy of, forswear, abjure, kick (informal) swear off, give a wide berth to, keep or steer clear of

I like it.

**DeezNutz** · 03-24-2009, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWillie007

Very good. I had to look that word up. I'll have to add it to my limited vocab arsenal. For everybody that didn't know

Eschew - verb avoid, give up, abandon, have nothing to do with, shun, elude, renounce, refrain from, forgo, abstain from, fight shy of, forswear, abjure, kick (informal) swear off, give a wide berth to, keep or steer clear of

I like it.

Actually, Dane just misspelled "cashew," but no worries.

KcKing · 03-24-2009, 10:27 PM

Not sure on the exact cost, or even a ball-park cost... But I do know it's a hell of a lot cheaper to do it yourself...

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hi_bas..._13902,00.html

**Iowanian** · 03-24-2009, 10:28 PM

I just had a vision of Rocky Balboa and Adrian looking at the first home.....thats how I vision willi.

"yo adrian, this is some nice wood."

"the home is about 10 years old and there is a minor problem with the foundation" [/realtor]

Look at this here, I'll put my bean bag chair in this corner

BWillie · 03-24-2009, 10:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KcKing

Not sure on the exact cost, or even a ball-park cost... But I do know it's a hell of a lot cheaper to do it yourself...

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hi_bas..._13902,00.html

thanks, lot of info in there.

**DeezNutz** · 03-24-2009, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Mine's detached from my house.

And full of everything that doesn't fit in the house, including all of our Costco items and "stock surplus" so that I don't have to go to Costo every week.

For what it's worth, to put in the shelving in my garage, I broke two hammer drills while drilling more than 300 holes for shelving.

And you ****ing guys think I'm Lord of the Manor.

Garages are must-have items.

I have my weight bench, tools, etc. At one point I had my beer fridge out there. Great catch-alls.

BWillie · 03-24-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I just had a vision of Rocky Balboa and Adrian looking at the first home.....thats how I vision willi.

"yo adrian, this is some nice wood."

"the home is about 10 years old and there is a minor problem with the foundation" [/realtor]

Look at this here, I'll put my bean bag chair in this corner

ha, nah. I actually didn't buy two houses because they had put piers? up in the corners and they had mold covered up by carpet in the basement. I'm not smart enough to know if those issues were taken care of, and even if they were. I wouldn't think people aren't going to want to buy when I would go to sell it knowing those issues once existed.

**DeezNutz** · 03-24-2009, 10:31 PM

Get hooked up with a good realtor, man. Preferably a hot one.

She'll show you the ropes.

BWillie · 03-24-2009, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Get hooked up with a good realtor, man. Preferably a hot one.

She'll show you the ropes.

Think I gotta good one. Cept he's an old dude. Seems like he knows a thing or two. I dropped the ball on that one though. Alot of houses I've seen, when we are waiting for the house to get done being shown, a hot ass 30 something blonde realtor comes out.

03-24-2009, 10:41 PM

I've charged anywhere from $30 per square foot on up to $60. It depends on what you want and what is already there. It depends on existing plumbing, electrical, and mechanicals. There are a number of variables.

But if you just want sheetrock, walls, insulation, electicity, and some vents then you're on the low end of that price range.

SenselessChiefsFan · 03-25-2009, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWillie007

I know it depends alot of square feet and other factors, but what is a general rule of thumb? I'm looking at houses right now and basically, I will not buy a house without a finished basement. I've noticed that alot of houses are significantly cheaper that I like, but the only thing that gets me away from them is not having a finished basement. I'm kinda in a time crunch, because my FHA 4.7% interest rate only lasts for so long. Hell of a time to buy a house right now.

I don't want to put a room down there or anything. Don't really need a bathroom either. Just a wet bar, some good chiefs memorabilia, and make it a nice rec room. BTW, I am not handy at all. Unless it's something I can learn in a weekend, I ain't doin' it. Any good reputable companies around here that specialize in that kind of thing?

I come from this a little differently than most. I have four years of construction experience. I have 12 years of real estate experience and I hav bought and sold over a dozen houses in recent years.

Someone mentioned that you would certainly pay less for buying a home and then finishing the basement. This is wrong at least 80% of the time. A home with a finished basement won't sell for that much more than one without. (In comparison to what it will cost you to finish the basement to a similar finish quality)

A lot of different things go into the cost. First, if it is a newer home, it probably has higher basement ceilings, as well as a bath plumbed in the basement already.

The higher the ceilings, the cheaper it is to finish because the contractors don't have to be as 'creative' when it comes to mechanical systems.

Now, mechanical systems: The current HVAC is rated for the finished area. If it is a two story house with two systems and they are zoned already, you can probably get away with tapping into your first floor system.

When you finish the basement, you will want heat and A/C. If not for temperature comfort, just for the air quality. The A/C will act as a dehumidifier, and the system will filter the air. You can look at about 2K for the HVAC considerations. This may be low. You may elect to have things set up radically different from what you currently have after the HVAC guy comes out.... or it may be a little high, if you can tap into an existing system without overworking it. (If the previous owner put in a new system that was much larger than he needed)

Okay, so then the wet bar. If the basement is plumbed for a bath, most of the time, the wet bar can be placed in such a way as to take advantage of the existing roughed out plumbing (basically, just on the other side of the bathroom sink wall). If not, you are looking at breaking the concrete floor to install the drain and the draing pipe. Just this, will run you about $1500.00 depending on how much concrete they have to break up.

Okay, a bath will run you about $3000.00 after the roughed in plumbing. This is a plane jane, no frills bathroom. Standard tub, toilet, cheap sink, cheap fixtures, etc.

Now, to just finish a room in the basement, you are probably looking at about $15.00 per square foot. This is with a dropped ceiling, base carpet, cheap lighting, 3.5" baseboards, etc.

You can usually find basements that are already finished and it will cost you less than if you buy the same house and finish it yourself.

But, right now, frankly, it is all about the 'deal'. It is a great time to buy. You can find ridiculous deals. And, you may find one with a finished basement or without. If it has one, great. If not, don't shy away just because of that.

Obviously, size matters when estimating this. But, if you are hiring a contractor, and are looking to finish 1000sf, with a wetbar and a bathroom, you are looking at around 20K pretty easy, probably more.

Remember, once you start a project, it is real easy to think "I should go ahead and do this... it only costs a little extra'... and you do that a few times and suddenly, that 20K basement is a 40K basement.

One positive, right now, contractors are struggling with finding work. IF you have the cash, you can probably get this done a little cheaper by haggling and getting a lot of quotes. But, the key will be having the cash to offer them a job 'right now'... not getting bids for something to have done in the future.

Oh, and it will cost you more to hire a general contractor that will handle everything. It would cost less to hire each subcontractor yourself.

Anyways, good luck with it all.

Brock · 03-25-2009, 07:23 AM

It looks like drywall slabs have come down in price recently. I remember a couple of years ago I was paying like 16 dollars a sheet and it looks like they're down to about 8 now. Probably a good time to get started.

SenselessChiefsFan · 03-25-2009, 07:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeezNutz

Garages are must-have items.

I have my weight bench, tools, etc. At one point I had my beer fridge out there. Great catch-alls.

I am in Real Estate, and as you can imagine, things are .... um... slow right now. I had a 3600sf house on the Golf Course in one of the premier subdivisions down here, but we had to move. It was nice, it had a Master Bathroom that was as big as the Master Bedroom in our current house. (not exagerating) It had dual staircases. Every room had a private bathroom. Hardwood floors, extensive trimwork.... just a gorgeous house.

The thing I miss most? My three car, two story garage. The garage was 24 feet tall, 22 feet deep and 38 feet long. I had room for all my cars, all my tools, all the kids outdoor toys, and when I was doing well, I fantasized about putting in a lift and getting an old car to restore.

It is just funny how, of all the nice things that I liked about that house, the garage is the one thing that I really wish we had here.

tooge · 03-25-2009, 07:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaneMcCloud

Mine's detached from my house.

And full of everything that doesn't fit in the house, including all of our Costco items and "stock surplus" so that I don't have to go to Costo every week.

For what it's worth, to put in the shelving in my garage, I broke two hammer drills while drilling more than 300 holes for shelving.

And you ****ing guys think I'm Lord of the Manor.

Detatched? Detatched? What rich guy has a detatched garage? You must have someone that holds an umbrella for you to walk to it when it is raining no?

03-24-2009, 09:33 PM
BWillie Are you ready to Rumble? Join Date: Apr 2006 Casino cash: $-1538759	How much does it cost to finish a basement? I know it depends alot of square feet and other factors, but what is a general rule of thumb? I'm looking at houses right now and basically, I will not buy a house without a finished basement. I've noticed that alot of houses are significantly cheaper that I like, but the only thing that gets me away from them is not having a finished basement. I'm kinda in a time crunch, because my FHA 4.7% interest rate only lasts for so long. Hell of a time to buy a house right now. I don't want to put a room down there or anything. Don't really need a bathroom either. Just a wet bar, some good chiefs memorabilia, and make it a nice rec room. BTW, I am not handy at all. Unless it's something I can learn in a weekend, I ain't doin' it. Any good reputable companies around here that specialize in that kind of thing?
Posts: 53,011

03-24-2009, 10:24 PM	#31
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1638454	I'm not making fun of you. I think buying a home instead of renting, assuming you can afford it is a responsible financial decision. I think thats great. My potential to mock comes from the "I don't like this tone of beige in the den, I prefer oyster...this house will just not do" tone I'm reading from your post. I encourage you to look at more important things like structurally sound home, good roof, square walls, solid foundation, quality of neighborhood, school district, taxes, wiring , plumbing, overall condition....things that need fixed/updated/remodeled and have some idea of cost(add 40% to whatever number you come up with to get the truth). If the basement is sound and dry....spend time and money as you get extra to improve the basement for both use and resale.....or don't since you know all. My first house was a turd without a garage, and I never thought I needed one. I bought a shed, remodeled the house and got by until I sold it for a profit and upgraded after 3 years of working on it. The 2nd house was bigger, nicer and had a 1 1/2 car detatched garage.....It was awesome to have a place to park a car to save ice scraping....change oil....stain wood, cut boards on a rainy day for inside projects(like finishing a basement room)....keeping a lawn mower, tools, extra storage etc. My current home has a 2 car garage....and I wish it were 3, or supplimented by an additional shop. I got by alot of years without a garage, but once I had one, I'll never go without. Take it as informed opinion, or don't.
Posts: 62,945

03-24-2009, 10:27 PM	#34
KcKing Starter Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Olathe KS Casino cash: $10004900	Not sure on the exact cost, or even a ball-park cost... But I do know it's a hell of a lot cheaper to do it yourself... http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/hi_bas..._13902,00.html
Posts: 686

03-24-2009, 10:28 PM	#35
Iowanian Supporter Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Utopia Casino cash: $1638454	I just had a vision of Rocky Balboa and Adrian looking at the first home.....thats how I vision willi. "yo adrian, this is some nice wood." "the home is about 10 years old and there is a minor problem with the foundation" [/realtor] Look at this here, I'll put my bean bag chair in this corner
Posts: 62,945

03-24-2009, 10:41 PM	#41
Phobia Guest Casino cash: $	I've charged anywhere from $30 per square foot on up to $60. It depends on what you want and what is already there. It depends on existing plumbing, electrical, and mechanicals. There are a number of variables. But if you just want sheetrock, walls, insulation, electicity, and some vents then you're on the low end of that price range.
Posts: n/a

03-25-2009, 07:23 AM	#43
Brock Say hello to my little friend Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Larryville Casino cash: $9598422	It looks like drywall slabs have come down in price recently. I remember a couple of years ago I was paying like 16 dollars a sheet and it looks like they're down to about 8 now. Probably a good time to get started.
Posts: 47,314