Pros and cons of a basement for a room?
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We just converted our basement into a 4 room apartment for a college aged son.
Cons: spiders, egress needs to be addressed, plus some older homes have a sewer line outlet in the basement that could potentially flood.
Pros: during the winter, our son's basement apartment is quite snug while the rest of us are huddled around the fireplace. In the summer, the temperatures stay at a consistent 65 degrees, even though it can be over 100 outside. Those constant temperatures make the basement a nice place to hang out in, no matter what time of year.
The sound buffering is also a nice factor; it's much quieter in the basement than elsewhere in the house. And, when our son watches television, the noise doesn't seem to carry upstairs.
The biggest pro, is that it increased our home's usable floor space by 25%. It also increased our property value by $50,000, making it an excellent investment.
Cons: Cobwebs, low ceilings, sometimes dampness and lack of sunlight. Also, even dry basements might have a water problem if you have an especially rainy season. If it's a bedroom you need legal egress and each town has it's own building codes you must adhere to because of the possibility of a fire.
Pros: None of the above would stop me from putting in a room. I had a split entry and I loved my basement family room. It's not like you have to add on to the house because the foundation is already there. Therefore, I found it much cheaper to finish it off and there is a lot of privacy when you have a finished basement.
lived in a few myself. cons, light (lack thereof) bugs, dampness, tends to be more depressing than an above ground room.
pro always cool in the summer!
rooms in basements are very attractive, especially for re-sale value!
They are generally more cost effecient as far as heating and cooling goes.
And they add another room to your house's resume.
Not to mention the added space that you would enjoy!
I highly recommed adding this to your house's value by undertaking this type of project.
Thanks,
Danny
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