Page 15 - 9-26-22

RURAL-URBAN RECORD, September 26, 2022 Page 15

Fall Home & Garden

can install such flooring on their own, and the project can provide a return of around $49,000 (or 70 percent) at resale. What to do with a home
be much easier if they learn as much about installation as Though that’s not a poor return on investment, homeowners
possible prior to beginning the project. who are remodeling a basement solely for the potential ROI office after going back to
How to approach a at resale can find other projects that provide a greater return. work
· Foundation: The foundation of the home must garner
ample consideration before beginning a basement remodel.
basement remodel Certain foundation issues, such as soft concrete, cracked or
curved outside walls and cracks in the flooring, are indicative
The number of professionals working remotely skyrock-
of significant issues with the foundation. These issues can eted in 2020, when businesses were forced to close their
be costly to address, and they must be remedied before the offices in an effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 vi-
basement remodel can begin. rus. As the world transitions from the pandemic phase to an
· Existing space: Some homeowners may have bought endemic phase, many office workers also are transitioning
their homes with partially finished basements or even fin- back to their offices.
ished areas that they simply want to remodel. In such in- A recent
stances, a pre-remodel inspection from a licensed home in- survey from
spector can save homeowners lots of money and heartache the Pew Re-
over the long haul. Partially finished or even aging finished search Cen-
basements might not have been renovated in adherence to ter found that
codes, which could lead to costly violations down the road. 59 percent
An inspection in advance of a remodel can give homeowners of workers
an idea of what they will need to do to bring the basement up in the United
to code. Local officials also can provide a list of necessary States are
permits and a detailed description of requirements to ensure now working
the remodeled basement adheres to code. from home
A fully finished and functional basement is a dream for · Soil: Soil surrounding the home should be tested prior to all or most of
many homeowners. Such a space, when completed, can beginning the project. Radon is an odorless gas found in soil the time, while 22 percent are rarely or never working from
serve as an entertainment space, a man cave, an artist’s that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes can in- home. In 2020, 70 percent of workers were working from
studio, or any number of additional functions. crease individuals’ risk for lung cancer. Radon can seep into home all or most of the time, while 17 percent rarely or never
Despite their usefulness, finished basements are some- basements and increase that risk even further if it is pres- worked from home. Those figures reflect that work life, albeit
thing of a rarity. In an analysis of data from the U.S. Census ent at elevated levels in the soil surrounding a home. Radon gradually, is returning to pre-pandemic norms.
Bureau’s Survey of Construction, the National Association of tests are simple and inexpensive, and no basement remodel As individuals find themselves going back to the office with
Home Builders® found that only around 24 percent of sin- project should begin without first conducting such a test. increased frequency, they might be wondering what to do
gle-family homes built in 2018 have basements. Homeown- Finished basements are valuable spaces. Homeowners with their home offices. If space inside a home is at a pre-
ers who do not currently have a finished basement but are who want to finish or remodel their basements should con- mium, then repurposing a home office into a space that can
considering such a project can approach the remodel with a sider a host of factors before beginning the renovation. be used more frequently is a great way to make better use
few key factors in mind. Careful consideration of these fac- of the existing square footage. The following are some ways
tors can ensure the project is budget-friendly and worthy of homeowners can transform home offices created during the
homeowners’ investments. pandemic into more useful spaces.
· Investment value: Conventional wisdom among home · Go back in time. Perhaps the easiest thing to do with a
renovation and real estate experts suggests that a base- home office that is no longer needed is to return the room
ment remodel is best if done to satisfy current inhabitants to its pre-pandemic state. Because the shift to remote work
and not necessarily to appeal to prospective buyers once the was so sudden, many homeowners were forced to turn
home is put up for sale. Remodeling magazine reports that
a midrange basement remodel costing around $70,000 will CONTINUED ON PAGE 16

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