If you want to remodel your house and create a family room, building an addition might not be your only or best option. Instead of expanding upward or outward, you might be able to take advantage of space you already have and turn your unfinished basement into a family room.
Increase the Size of Your Living Area
If your house feels cramped, adding a family room can give people space to spread out and focus on their own interests and activities. When you have relatives and friends over, you’ll appreciate the additional space.
A room in the basement can serve multiple purposes. You can create a family room and get a sofa bed so the area can double as a guest room.
When you’re converting the basement to a family room, you can also add another full or half bathroom. That will make the house more comfortable for your family and guests and more appealing to future buyers.
Control Noise
Creating a family room in the basement can put an end to arguments about noise. If someone watches TV on your home’s main level, the noise can disturb other people who are on the same floor or upstairs. If somebody watches TV in the basement, the sound will be muffled.
Avoid Problems Associated With an Addition
Building an addition is expensive. It might be hard to save enough money or obtain financing.
Local zoning ordinances can limit your options. You might not be permitted to build an addition if it would make your house too tall or too close to your neighbor’s property.
Even if you’re allowed to expand your home’s footprint, that might not be the best option. Building outward will reduce the size of your yard. That can be a problem if you have young kids or a dog or if you like to have large groups over for parties.
Reducing the size of the yard might not be a problem for you, but it can make it harder to sell your house in the future. A smaller yard can make your property less appealing to buyers, even if you take some space away from the yard to create a family room.
Raise Your Home’s Value
Adding a family room can increase your home’s value. You shouldn’t expect to recoup your entire investment, but you’ll probably get back a large percentage when you sell the house.
Be Prepared for Additional Costs
Raising your home’s value means you’ll have to pay higher property taxes while you live there. You’ll also spend more on electricity, heating, air conditioning, and maintenance. In addition, you might have to purchase furniture and electronics for the new family room.
Deal With Moisture
Moisture tends to be a problem in basements. There are ways to mitigate that, but they’ll add to the cost of renovations and your ongoing expenses. You’ll have fewer flooring options than you would have for a room above ground, and you might have to run a dehumidifier to control moisture levels.
