# Basement finished!!!



## Brik (Jan 16, 2007)

Well, I started the day after Christmas, 2006. Here it is, March 26th, 2007 and I'm done. I just need to mount the door to the area under the stairs and decide on furniture. Carpet installers didn't mess up any paint!

I did this project almost entirely myself. I started with bare concrete wall. Only parts subbed out were the drywall and the carpet install. I did all the carpenty (Rough and finish), plumbing, electrical, insulation, painting, fireplace, etc.

Here are a couple of pictures


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## KUIPORNG (Jan 11, 2006)

Well done... I hope when I post my pictures.. which may be a month more later... I would be as good or better... really don't know yet... but very nice of yours....


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## Brik (Jan 16, 2007)

BTW - Thanks for the praise and for all your input along the way.


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

Looks great...


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## New2dis (Dec 26, 2006)

looks nice I was kind of considering doing that to my basement because everything is just concrete.


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## MinConst (Nov 23, 2004)

Nice job Brik. Looks real nice. Enjoy it now.


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## yummy mummy (Sep 11, 2006)

Really nice brik!
I hope mine will look as good, whenever I finish. :laughing:


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## Big Dave (May 17, 2006)

Looks great.


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## New2dis (Dec 26, 2006)

Brik do you have any before pictures?


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## Brik (Jan 16, 2007)

New2dis said:


> Brik do you have any before pictures?


No before pictures, a couple of in progress pictures is all I have.

Essentially I started with bare concrete walls, concrete floor, exposed floor joists above, 3 bulb sockets for lightiing and hvac ducts running down the middle. Typical unfinished basement.

You cant see in the picture but the mechanicals (HW heater, furnace) are under the stairs. I needed to move the water heater to its spot under the stairs. I also needed to move the water meter. It was origionally at the bottom of the stairs and stuck out almost 18" from the wall. 

The space behind the door next to the fireplace is unfinished storage. The picture with two doors in the 'yellow' room. One is a closet, the other leads to a home office that was finished 2 years ago. (~150sqft).


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## New2dis (Dec 26, 2006)

Is this a hard job? is it very expensive? I don't wish to hide my boiler or meters I just want to lay down flooring & sheet rock the walls.


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## Brik (Jan 16, 2007)

Is what, specificly, a hard job? Moving the water heater was easy. It did involve some planning and the ability to solder copper pipe, work with a pvc vent and to work with gas pipe. I suppose easy it relative. It took about an hour. Would be even easier if electric. Moving the water meter is a little harder. It involved shutting off the city water and requires a special tool to be used in the street, in my case, once the water is off its easy to cut and solder pipe to get things to their new location.


If you are asking about the whole project. No, its not too hard. Know your limitations and also ask yourself what your time is worth. Like I said, I paid to have the drywall put up. It would have taken me 6 to 8 weeks, or more, to do it my myself. Paying someone it only took 4 days. 

Keep in mind they prooject is SIGNIFICANTLY more complex than "I just want to lay down flooring & sheet rock the walls" if you cant envision ALL the other things that need to happen before and after these two steps then you may be in over your head.

As for cost - I didn't keep track. I would guestimate that the entire thing cost me $11,000 to $13,000. $2500 for drywall, $3,500 for carpet and pad and $3,000 for the fireplace were my biggest expenses. Framing was maybe $400, insulation maybe $300, electrical was maybe 3 or $400, plumbing was maybe $100 (no new, just relocating valves, water heater and meter). Trim and doors was maybe $400. Paint was maybe $300. I'm probably missing a bunch of stuff too.

Also, I am not counting tool costs. I already had a full compliment of tools.

Now there will also be furniture, surround sound, etc. That will add up quickly.


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## KUIPORNG (Jan 11, 2006)

I wish I have kept my cost also... I also lose check... If you do yours, I suggest you use a special credit card for all your expense to keep track of the cost... in my case, I could have apply the HD card and track cost there.... I got it kind of too late... now I have no idea how much it cost me either...

Tracking cost is a good information to tell your Boss or friends as they always ask this question...


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## AtlanticWBConst. (May 12, 2006)

If you want to keep all figures, it's good to also keep track of your time (hours you have put into the project).

I know, that when I am tracking costs on projects, I even account for gas usage for picking up materials....


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## New2dis (Dec 26, 2006)

Thanks Brik


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## haaseman (Jan 5, 2007)

Looks Great!


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## Not Sure (Aug 4, 2006)

Very impressive! It looks like you did a nice, clean job! Very, very impressive!


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## beer_geek (Feb 19, 2007)

Nice work. I can't wait until mine is at that stage.


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## tkristi (Nov 28, 2007)

wtg looks Great


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## kimmyb (Jan 25, 2008)

*Basement Reno Costs*

We too recently completed our basement and I kept track of all our costs, including tools needed to do the reno. The reno costs were $9566.00. 

It was well worth the money!!

Kim


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## AndyH (Mar 10, 2008)

phenominal job


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## mark942 (Feb 2, 2008)

*Good Job By You*

:thumbsup:


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