subject: Square Footage Can Be Maximized and Heat Escaped bt Remodeling the Basement [print this page] Square Footage Can Be Maximized and Heat Escaped bt Remodeling the Basement
Copyright (c) 2010 Gerry StringerThe bad news is real estate is down an average of 24.5 percent from only a year ago. Even worse, real estate values are almost 30 percent off, which means those who bought a home relatively recently at 10 percent down are already about 20 percent up side down.So the question for those homeowners who aren't ready to fold and want to hold onto their credit ratings and real property until the economy recovers is whether to remodel.The basement is, of course, the natural place to deploy smart expansion. Interestingly, the appreciation in a home's value by remodeling or finishing the basement can offer energy savings vs. the expense that automatically accompanies popping the top (adding a second level) or enlarging the home's footprint.How's that?Well, a basement with exposed ducts allows valuable heat to be lost. The R-value of concrete's measurement is as low as 0.08/inch. Multiply that times the standard eight-foot height of a basement and there's savings to be had by simply furring out the walls and filling in with insulation and drywall. Uncovered heat ducts in an unfinished basement are the worst energy abuser, the heat dissipating into the cold basement through conduction.Even the youngest baby boomers may not be old enough to remember potato cellars. But those come from America's Midwest will recall the cool dampness of the cellar and the function of that cool temperature to preserve food (okay, potatoes) that otherwise would go bad sooner than later. That same cool can be turned into a welcome summer retreat when used as an entertainment room, in-home theater, a peaceful corner of the house for homework or even a home office. Sans cold potatoes.Besides rooms in which to live, homeowners are in dire need of storage space in 2010. One in 10 U, Wikipedia states.S. households rent a self-storage unit in the year 2010. On average, a household spends $1,200 a year on a modest-sized storage unit, a cost that is repeated annually for many. You could fill an 18-foot long wall with 6-foot high Metro shelving for $1,200 and pay it completely off in a year with the money spared in storage costs.And when it comes to rooms that can enhance the value of one's home from a 2010 economic perspective, top on the list is the home office. Now what does that tell you about employment trends? Remote workplace opportunities are growing as well as the number of full-time self-employed people and individuals with two jobs, one by day and a second venture/hobby/second income operating out of home base.Truly functional square footage is all about quality finishes. By the same token, basement space that would otherwise go unused can be converted into luxury square footage by a professional basement remodeling company.
