finishing a basement

[insider]

ther are so many things that can go wrong and sometimes do please be careful if you try to do it yourself.remember you might want to sell it later. i have heard of people having to tear out wiring and plumbing to pass a inspection for new buyer not trying to talk you out of it and i know contracters are a pain sometimes.but when its done its worth it.and besides that your time is worth a lot to you and your family and look at the money you save on bandaids and tetna shots.

[domergurl]

I second that insider! You may pay more for a contractor, but if you hire a good one, they will guarantee their work and fix anything that they mess up. If you do it yourself, well, good luck and the money you saved may go down the drain because you'll be on the hook for anything that goes wrong.

[ImGibby]

This is also true, depending on the abilities of the "do-it-yourself-er". My buddies that did it had some experience / knowledge of construction and or framing and had relatives / friends that came over and helped for payment of food and beer and they also brought with them some experience, skills, and knowledge. But I also have seen the do it yourself projects gone horribly wrong, including hosed up plumbing and wiring, and my favorite, a bathroom exhaust vent fan AND dryer vent hose connected to a mid efficient gas furnace metal exhaust flue pipe via a PVC y-connector...can you say "fire hazzard?"...unbelievable.

Anyway, if you feel you are competent and qualified to tackle such a project yourself and are willing to devote the time required to save some bucks, go for it. If you have no skill set for this type of project, yeah, it's better left to those that do. Or do what you can yourself and pay the professionals for those you can't. There are 6 main things that go into finishing a basement:

1. Framing
2. Electrical
3. Plumbing
4. Drywall
5. Painting
6. Flooring

Pick the ones you can do yourself, and hire out the rest.

[jstern]

I already have a finished basement with paneling and flooring but want to change it to dry wall and carpeting and remove the ugly old cabinets plus put a half bath any idea on costs for that?

[jstern]

I am looking into basement refinishing systems..I want to go with owen corning company..I just got a quote for 32,000 which will include a 3/4 bathroom and laundry room a finished stairwell, new closet space, recess lighting ,new ceiling, flooring, increased voltage, more outlets, window casing, and a lifetime guarentee I also got some benefits to get the price lowered by holding out and agreeing to 0 down 0 interest if I pay it of in a year. I think that is a great deal, however my husband thinks it is a scam price and thinks we should get a contracter and use cheaper materials. I am concerned about mold which basements are known for..any opinions?