When you contemplate finishing a basement you might want to plan for its future use as that will often depend on the level of finishing required. A simple turn-key finishing for most homes will cover the basics and provide framed walls with insulated and damp proofing. It may or may not provide a dropped ceiling with recessed lighting or a covered floor. These are the things that you will likely have to determine based on the areas utility. For example you probably would want a different type of flooring for a laundry area than a home office.

Importantly you should not underestimate the amount of construction and different skills requiredin finishing a basement. New legislations in many areas now require permits for all plumbing and electrical work. This is not something you can just ignore. Similarly, dependent on the basements proposed use it may require an escape window.

This will certainly be the case if you are planning a bedroom or have any bedroom sized room with an adjacent bathroom. This new regulation is to prevent injury or fatalities in the case of a basement fire. As basement fires are common place the law requires that an escape window is installed. This adds to the complexity of the construction as there are strict parameters set by regulators for the position and size of the escape window. So if you are considering using the basement as an extra guest bedroom then call in a professional to do the work.

However, before you go looking for a professional make sure that you are looking for the right type of professional. You don’t want to hire some general handyman can turn his hand to many skills what you need is a company with licensed professional employees in a variety of disciplines. So make sure that the company that you sign the contract with has the skills to take on the job.  You must ensure that you select someone who is familiar with the permit regulations in your municipality and if they are not, that they dobring in licensed permit holders to handle any necessary plumbing and electrical work.

Understand that although some basement finishing specialists will have design concepts and prototypes of their full designs most will only offer a turn-key solution. This means they will do all the wall framing and insulation, perhaps erect an internal wall or two but the actual design will be down to you.

This will mean that you have to sit down and plan prior to the finishing how you will utilize the space and how you will decorate and furnish it. This is not something you want to rush into and planning space in a basement requires time and patient as it is different from any of the above ground rooms. Lighting is another major consideration as that will often be determined by the utility of the space and if required any egress windows or existing external windows.

Therefore there are lots of thing to consider above and beyond the basic construction.