Need-to-Know Basement Finishing Tips

While most people see a dark, dingy, and downright cave-like basement — we see potential. A basement renovation is one of the most valuable, most usable home remodel projects. However, there are a few key basement finishing tips you should know to ensure your renovation provides maximum satisfaction for your budget.

At Choice Home Remodeling, we’re the home remodeling company that does it all — and we even specialize in luxury finished basements. In today’s blog, we’re sharing some of our favorite basement renovation ideas. Plus, we’re also revealing the basement finishing tips that we’ve learned by doing this kind of work for decades.

Key Basement Renovation Ideas

You’re transforming one of the least used rooms of your whole house into one of your hands-down favorite places to be. You can do almost anything you want with your basement: a home theatre, a personal bar, a kids’ play area – really, the sky is the limit! These are our essential basement renovation ideas:

Add Counter Space – Just like you would in a new kitchen, adding new countertops to your basement gives you a whole other way to utilize it. Using your newly renovated basement as a kitchenette – complete with a toaster oven, a George Foreman Grill, and a mini fridge – is a popular idea. However, with the right seating, the right countertop can create the man cave dream of a personal bar, too, at a fraction of the price. Depending on what you want to build, adding a countertop is one of our favorite basement finishing tips.
Cover the HVAC/Appliances – You want your finished basement to have a polished feel, and nothing gets in the way of that like having a constant view of your water heater, HVAC unit, or washer and dryer. That’s why we recommend building a permanent partition around all of the utilities in your basement. Whether it’s a partial wall or full structure with a door, keeping them out of sight is a great upgrade. However, we always recommend making sure there’s enough room for technicians to work on either the water heater or HVAC unit if needed.
Cancel the Noise – Sound proofing your basement is one of our key basement renovation ideas. Let’s say you want the true home theatre experience – or you want a play area where the kids can cause a ruckus without disrupting you. Sound proofing is key to making those things (and more) happen. As part of your basement remodel we can include a wide variety of upgrades such as noise canceling ceiling tiles, insulation, and wall panels.
Paint and Light – Let’s think about the typical dark, dingy, and dismal basement. When you want the perfect antidote to that, you want to add brighter colors and lots of light – it’s one of our key basement renovation ideas. That’s why we also recommend using light-colored paint to create that light and open feeling. In addition, adding extra lighting is key to creating the feel of a welcoming finished basement.
Egress Window – Our final basement finishing tip has also become a building code requirement. Having a point of egress – or exit – is important to add so you have a secondary way out of your basement in the event of a fire. We can build a stylish exit window that lets in an extra bit of natural light while ensuring your new basement is code-compliant and safe.

Basement Upgrades to Think Twice About

At Choice Home Remodeling, we truly are a do-it-all renovation team, and there really is no project too big for our expert teams. However, we want to consider that these next ideas, while cool, can add expense or headache to your project.

New Bathroom – If you already have a bathroom in your basement, then this isn’t a concern for you and we can put our luxury bathroom remodeling skills to work for you. However, adding the plumbing for a new bathroom in the basement can be quite costly.

Full Kitchen Ranges – While having a kitchen is one of our favorite basement renovation ideas, adding a full range can make the project harder to be approved by the local planning commission as they may consider this evidence you are trying to add a rental unit onto your home.

Of course, these are just basement remodeling tips to make it as easy and quick as possible. If it’s your dream, we can make it happen.

Request a Free Consultation from the Experts

These tips and ideas are just the tip of the iceberg to start you thinking about your own remodel project. Once you’re ready to take the next step, we encourage you to reach out to our skilled basement renovation contractors.

Schedule an at-home consultation to discuss your plans, your style, and your budget. Not only will we help you finalize your vision, but we’ll give you a free quote to make it happen, too. Contact us to start the conversation today!

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Excellent

Choice Windows, Doors & More, Inc.

4.7

We've had a great experience with Choice Home Remodeling replacing windows in our great room and kitchen area. Tim was fantastic to work with during the quote phase and explained our options clearly so we could make the best choices. We were able to divide the whole house project into two phases, and were so pleased with the initial work that we decided to proceed with the rest of the house as soon as phase 1 was complete. The installation crew was excellent! We are so happy we found Choice Home Remodeling!

Response from the owner:Beth, thank you so much for the kind words and for taking the time to share your experience! We're thrilled to hear that you’re happy with your new windows and that Tim and the installation crew made the process smooth and enjoyable. It was a pleasure working with you on phases one of the project, and are looking forward to completing phase two. Thanks again for trusting Choice Home Remodeling!

I had a great experience with Choice Home Remodeling! From my very first meeting with Tim, he was helpful and attentive to my needs and questions. The installers, Rob and Doug, provided more of the same professionalism and expertise. Thanks to you all!! I will definitely recommend Choice to friends and family!!

Response from the owner:Thank you Cindy for the kind review. We appreciate you taking the time to let us know about your experience and for your future recommendations.

Out.
Standing service from the beginning to the end.Windows are absolutely beautiful.Chad was very helpful and very knowledgeable with everything that he told me.I would recommend Choice remodeling

Response from the owner:Diane, thank you for the five stars and letting us know of your positive experience with not just the product, but our team as well.

Our new front door looks amazing. From the first phone call to Choice, to the seamless installation, everyone one involved made the project so easy and professional. We have a 20+ year relationship with Choice and it’s been a pleasure working with them.

Response from the owner:Cristy - Thank you so much for your kind words and for continuing to trust Choice for over 20 years! We’re thrilled to hear that you love your new front door. It’s always a pleasure working with you, and we truly value your loyalty and support. Looking forward to helping with your next project!