Years ago the basement started out as a place where we stored old furniture and had laid down the old shag from upstairs. Think of it as a student’s living room: mismatched junk. No finished walls, exposed sump, etc. etc. One studded load-bearing wall to give semblance to a future finish.
Fast forward a couple years and an influx of furniture enters the scene: my brother moved to Bermuda and wasn’t able to bring much with him. We stored most things in the fruit cellar, but not the 36″ T.V. that I quickly hooked up with digital cable. Then, the Nintendo64 was brought down and the room began a transformation: Roach’s Last Resort! The place that was frequented mainly by myself.
Then, the weight equipment arrived and the far side of the basement that houses the laundry facilities becomes the workout area. Soon after, the dartboard goes up and Dan & I are doing our workouts again. The old shelf stereo goes up and we’re beginning to have a place where I can spend some serious time.
Another year passes and some ‘sports-type’ paraphenelia works it’s way onto the concrete walls and studding. Then, a fridge appears! All of life’s amenities are within reach. My mecca has arrived.
Then the twist in the plan: Olivia. Things are fine for the 1st year. In fact, the Arcade machine is born and the basement becomes ‘the’ room for me. But soon, the toys. Oh, the toys. It was time for me to share the basement and that is the arrangement to this day.
But, the times they are a-changin’. We’ve got all the pieces in place, the contractors are hired and we’re finishing the basement! Photos to come, starting with the ‘before’ and then documenting the process to completion.
The first snag: we thought it prudent to get a permit due to the fact that we’re cutting into the load-bearing wall to produce an 8-foot entrance between the 2 rooms that will be finished. Much to the chagrin of the contractor. This may delay things slightly.
Lesson #1: don’t leave things to the last minute. Scrambling for electrician, A/V wiring, building permits makes things stressful.
Lesson #2: make sure you have a clear picture of what you want done. Once it’s done, it’s too late. That includes the pre-wiring for the future. Use the resources you’ve hired to help define what you want the finished product to be.
Lesson #3: Re-financing. Acquire 50% more funds than you think you’re going to use. Even if you don’t use them at least you’ve got them. We miscalculated the amt of coin we need and now will have to dig into alternative sources.
Lesson #4: Don’t compromise your dream. Especially if you plan to use the space for many years. That includes forgoing the drop-ceiling!