Establishing a home game room is one of the best ways to bring your family together. Not only will you feel more relaxed and comfortable at the end of the day, but you can also rest easy knowing that the rest of your family has a designated spot to put their toys, board games, and videogames.
If you have been thinking of investing in basement remodeling, why not make your new finished basement into your family’s game room?
After all, basements are the perfect place to host a variety of activities. Since they’re usually more temperate than other areas of your home, they are perfect for large gatherings of excited people. Better yet, since the space is completely customizable, you can have different corners of the room for different games and activities. In one corner, you might build the perfect pool table. In the other corner, a new wet bar can keep thirsty guests hydrated. But you mustn’t forget to set up a large television in order to showcase your collection of beautiful videogames.
Of course, few basements are ready to hold your games, electronics, and more. Most old basements are meant for storage at best and others will merely hold your washing machine and dryer. Remodeling designers have a lot to do when it comes to crafting the perfect finished basement game room, from cleaning to plumbing to ventilating the space.
Are you ready to transform your unused space into the ultimate gaming room? Here are some of the top ways that you can work hard to play harder.
Craft a layout for the space
Before you start crafting the best finished basement game room, you need to have a plan for how you intend to use the space. Between electrical work, plumbing, and other home maintenance necessities, it’s important to have a layout in mind before you start tearing down walls. Establishing where you want the essentials, like a wet bar and bathroom, can help your project take shape.
The last thing you want to do is set up your perfect layout only to have to change everything because of plumbing issues. Before you contact your remodeling company, get in touch with an electrical contractor and residential plumber. They can help you determine which areas are best for your basement’s kitchen and bathroom by identifying important structures in your home. The electrician will make sure all of your current wiring is up to code while the plumber will tell you if you have to drill a new pipeline to install a powder room in the basement’s back corner. Performing this vital first step is key to getting the most out of your finished basement game room.
Make sure the rest of your home is able to handle a basement remodel
Your home’s integrity is impacted by a range of factors, least of all the basement. After all, your home relies on its foundation, which is typically found in the basement or directly below the basement. If you start drilling into the floor or knocking down walls, you might be impacting the necessary supports to the rest of your home. As such, it’s important to rely on the blueprints of your home’s design to ensure no support beams or structural components are adversely affected.
You will also want to contact a remodeling contractor that has experience in landscape design. Since our home’s foundations move by minuscule amounts each year, you want to ensure that your remodeling company contains aspects of a great landscaping company. Changes that occur below the ground can have a big effect on your home’s structural integrity, especially in regard to landscaping and your lawn’s overall gradient. Without the proper tools in place, your project could cause more harm than good, especially if you’re looking to extend your basement or invest in changes that impact your lawn. Additionally, your home might be impacted by the soil surrounding it. For example, Texas homes are at-risk for shrink and swell soils that change drastically with rain. Relying on a local landscaping company will help identify these obstacles to your success and ensure that you get the most out of your finished basement game room.
Apply for a loan
There’s nothing worse than starting a project only to discover that you don’t have the funds to finish it. After all, you never know when a new home project will unveil important fixes in your home; a faulty circuit breaker will need to be replaced while a humidifier might be essential for mitigating moisture in your space. This might come as a surprise to homeowners, but it’s increasingly common to find potentially dangerous problems in older homes. However, even new homes are at-risk for design flaws that could cost you more out-of-pocket later.
That’s why you should consider investing in a loan application from the bank or another loan provider. Since you already know what you want from your finished basement game room thanks to the planning stage, you should have a ballpark estimate of the amount you need in a loan.
Keep in mind that there’s no shame in overestimating the amount of money you need for your project. After all, any leftover funds can be used to start paying back the loan. The last thing you want is to run out of money halfway through your project. Consider the cost of paying home remodelers, the cost of buying supplies on your own, and the cost of hiring companies to provide home estimates regarding electrical work, landscaping, and more. When it comes to crafting a newly finished basement game room, you don’t want to cut corners. Get the funds that you need to ensure the project is done right. You might even be able to get a quality ROI if you ever plan to sell your home in the future. Real estate development can take many forms, even nerdy gaming ones.
If you’re worried about applying for a loan on your own, there’s no harm in asking for help from a professional. If you have a regular tax accountant, this person can be a great resource for major financial decisions. However, talking to qualified real estate lawyers will help to ensure your legal rights are protected. These individuals can also help you during the permit process, since you will likely need government permission to make major changes to your home. While this might cost you a little more money than you thought, it can potentially save you thousands in the long term.
Start construction!
Construction begins as soon as you have talked to estimators and developed a layout for your space. With help from contractors and friends, you can start installing new electrical wiring and rerouting plumbing to your new bathroom. If you plan on installing a new kitchen to make snacks and serve drinks, you want to be sure to measure, measure, and then remeasure to ensure you have enough space. Outline the placement of the new kitchen with tape and do the same if you have to extend the bathroom. Even if you have already outlined these spaces on paper, doing it in-person is an essential part of the home remodeling process.
Once all the wiring and plumbing is installed and up to code, you can start bringing in the fun stuff. Installing the marble countertop in your kitchen is a great first step since you can use this as your “home base” whenever you work in the basement. Here, you can lay out important tools, keep blueprints in easily accessible locations, and use this spot as a point of reference for the rest of your remodeling project. After all, you can’t move the kitchen with ease once it’s been installed. From here, you can make last-minute changes to where you want the pool table or couch to go in your finished basement game room. After all, the pool table might look great next to the windows letting in natural light while the television would perform better in a darker space, like a corner. While it’s okay to make small changes like this later in the planning phase, it’s important to know where your major installations will be.
You will also want to think about installing a new floor when all is said and done. This is because tearing down walls, moving furniture, and working with paint can damage your current floors. Since most unfinished basements don’t have great floors anyway, it’s best to do this stage last so it doesn’t get ruined. Flooring professionals can perform this last step with ease, but you can also do it yourself with the right tools from your local home improvement store. In most cases, all you need is new flooring and some caulk.
Clean, clean, clean
Now that construction is said and done, it’s time to bring in the furniture. This might include a comfortable couch, a square table for cards, and electronics for the ultimate gaming experience. But before you start moving furniture, it’s important to perform a thorough cleaning of your finished basement game room.
Between the dust, paint, and dirt brought in by construction, there’s plenty of cleaning to be done. Unfortunately, you might not be able to do it alone. And even if you can do it alone, you might be worried that you will be unable to do a good job. After all, your new couch doesn’t deserve to be slathered in a healthy layer of dust as soon as you bring it downstairs. That’s why hiring a professional cleaning company might be in the cards for your basement project.
Professional cleaners are adept at cleaning aspects of your home that you never thought of. A cleaning company will search for cobwebs at the ceiling, wash walls and countertops, and clean the spots between your floorboards. If you’re worried about the environmental impact of certain cleaners, professionals will provide a number of options to choose from before they begin. That way, any allergy needs are met and the proper cleaning solutions will be used to keep your family — and the environment — safe. This is essential for gamers who plan to spend a lot of time downstairs.
Set up your game room
The final step has finally arrived: you get to start designing and setting up your finished basement game room. You can finally line your cabinets with new glassware and move the couch into that perfect position. Don’t forget to hang welcoming decor and install lighting where it’s needed. Installing great lighting can be particularly beneficial on dark shelves containing your slew of board games and video games, too.
Before you start playing your video games, however, you will want to invest in a few essential tools:
- A surge protector will help your electronics thrive for years to come
- A television wall mount can be essential to opening up more floor space for tables and games
- Buy organizational tools to help keep shelves neat. There’s nothing worse than designing the perfect space only to watch clutter take it over
These ideas are vital to keeping your space safe and organized. Once everything is in place, you can start using your finished basement game room for years to come. For more inspirational home tips, rely on our site to help get you there.
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