Finishing a Basement; is the cost worth it?

[FLgirl367]

Originally Posted by tgbwc

Do you have a walk-out basement or at least have full sized windows for egress? If not, it can be a hassle to have finished with codes.

yes it is a walkout with 3 additional windows. it was built in '07.

[DC Oldtimer]

We spent 20K remodeling our basement in the late 90s.

I haven't a clue what this added to the home's value. But like the other posters, I think that some home improvements are important less from the standpoint of increasing value than from getting a buyer, especially in a miserable market. We're planning to sell in a few months, and because of this, I recently changed the kitchen counters to granite. I don't expect to recoup the expense, I just think that a lot of buyers in Fairfax expect something better than formica, so I made the change to have a fighting chance of getting a good offer.

Most buyers love finished basements, especially if they have kids. Partially finished is plenty ... for example, my husband likes a big unfinished part for all his Harry Homeowner projects.

[RichardsHomes]

Originally Posted by arielmina

we bought new and added the option of a finished basement of 1000 sq ft with an office (didnt need a bedroom),a full bath and a big rec room and it cost about $19000 which the builder said was cost (and our realtor agreed it probably was pretty close). Standard builder quality materials, carpeting throughout, ceramic tile in bathroom. It was a basement begging to be finished because it's a full walk out with two windows in addition to the sliding doors. A huge space with high ceilings as well. We would not have bought the house if we couldn't finish it and I believe it added at least $20K to the value of the house - probably more.

Add us to the "didn't even look at a house without a finished or easily finishable basement" club. There were several homes we considered finishing the basement but if they didn't have the basement done, we ultimately ruled them out.

I know this is a year late and 1$ short. But I wanted to confirm somewhat on basement pricing.
Your builder may or may not have made money, it depends if sublet it all out.
At $16 a sq. ft. + bathroom I am able to make some $ but it is tight and I have to have several sub hats on as well. Thank you for the posts, as they do help me!

[lcairnsharris04]

how much for a rough in basement 1040 sq. ft. in mineral va

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by lcairnsharris04

how much for a rough in basement 1040 sq. ft. in mineral va

You need an estimating website or a contractor to tell you. We can't.

[choff5]

Originally Posted by LynchburgLover

When our kids were young, I loved the unfinished basement because they could roller skate, paint, play-do, throw balls, whatever without worrying about anything. It was for all the messy stuff.

When the younger one turned about 6, we finished the basement and it became a great space for them to hang out with friends. But when we moved the next time, I ruled out unfinished basements because I didn't want to pay "out-of-pocket" to finish them!

That sounds familiar. We bought our first single family home with an unfinished basement, it’s what we could afford. When first child came we finished the bedroom and bath which had been roughed in. We also enjoyed the unfinished area for the kids when small. I remember having a child swing attached to the rafter in the unfinished area. After second child we finished it into a family room and they had a place to play. Would never go through that work again as we got older.

[adriftinthebay]

I would consider it a detraction when buying a home since I like unfinished basements for workshops.

[40yoPirate]

Some things may not pay off in terms of dollars and cents, but they pay off in the ease/speed of selling the house.

A finished basement may actually pay off in both.

[Hal Roach]

Ceiling height becomes critical in finished basements. My brother paid extra for a nine foot basement ceiling and it was a very wise move. Very cool down there.