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Old 07-31-2014, 08:33 AM
 
36 posts, read 40,172 times
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So my husband and I are looking at houses and a few of them have unfinished basements. I know construction costs vary based on region and was wondering if anyone could give me some general pricing information. I know this is a vague question and answers will vary based on what all is put in the basement (bathrooms, etc), but just some general information would be great.

Thanks.
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Old 08-04-2014, 08:56 AM
 
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Just be careful. A lot of houses on the market without finished basements are that way because they have moisture or past flooding issues that makes finishing a basement impractical or expensive. It could cost $25K for you to do the remediation for moisture necessary just to start the finishing. A low quality general contractor may not care and just build over it and then you'll have mold issues that may require a full tear out.
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Old 08-04-2014, 09:04 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slim04 View Post
Just be careful. A lot of houses on the market without finished basements are that way because they have moisture or past flooding issues that makes finishing a basement impractical or expensive. It could cost $25K for you to do the remediation for moisture necessary just to start the finishing. A low quality general contractor may not care and just build over it and then you'll have mold issues that may require a full tear out.
Sounds like our basement. They cleaned it up before we bought, but we discovered after we bought that it turned into a swimming pool every time it rained. We had to not only do some work in the basement to keep water and mold out, but we also had to have the yard regraded and french drains put in. It's still far from water proof, and finishing it is probably close to impossible without the risk of eventual water damage. Fortunately, we didn't buy with the plan to refinish.
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Old 08-15-2014, 03:37 AM
 
104 posts, read 153,506 times
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It's an impossible question to answer without more information. You're talking framing, flooring, electrical, plumbing, fixtures, and drywall. DIY: $10k for bare bones, $25k more elaborate, $50k full blown. Pro: $25k bare bones, $50k more elaborate, $100k full blown. This assumes ideal conditions...
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Old 08-15-2014, 10:55 AM
 
104 posts, read 153,506 times
Reputation: 63
Quote:
Originally Posted by slim04 View Post
Just be careful. A lot of houses on the market without finished basements are that way because they have moisture or past flooding issues that makes finishing a basement impractical or expensive. It could cost $25K for you to do the remediation for moisture necessary just to start the finishing. A low quality general contractor may not care and just build over it and then you'll have mold issues that may require a full tear out.
Completely agree. I have decided to live in my new house for minimally a year to survey basement conditions before even considering refinishing it. Even the smallest amount of moisture can wreak havoc on framing, drywall, etc.

It pains me to see some of these higher-end houses that have really luxuriously finished basements yet have obvious foundation settling, some even with reverse grades! And I can't help but wonder about the effectiveness of these new irrigation systems that move outdoor water to the indoors!
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