Chronicles of a Basement Remodel - Part 2

Last time we talked, the construction workers were framing in the basement after ripping everything up. It was dusty, dirty and loud, so very loud. We've come a long way since then and I apologize for not checking in sooner. 

Once the framed walls were up, the electrician came and demo'd all the wires and added new ones. He had to separate out the wires that went upstairs from the ones that went downstairs. A previous homeowner had decided to double them up which was not really a good idea. All of his work was mostly unseen at this point but was not cheap. 

Next up was digging the egress windows which left two HUGE piles of dirt in my front yard until well one of them is still there. I'll need to deal with the grass issue soon. 

Then the windows were installed and there was beautiful light and crisp glass in the basement! The windows made the basement warmer and cleaner looking. 

Next the plumber came and did all sorts of plumber things. He added some lines, worked on the drains and made it all nice. 

We decided to replace our water heater when the plumber pointed out that our previous one was 15 years old and living on borrowed time. We went from an electric one to a gas one and I'm already looking forward to the savings. While the HVAC guys were here installing the water heater, they also re-routed some of the vents which made the rooms easier to use and warmer. Our basement has traditionally been cold so we have been working to make it warmer throughout the remodel. 

Then the window wells were installed and they really made the space look better!  Some of the plants were ripped out which was a kind of freedom for me. I'll need to re-landscape some but I'm looking forward to it. 

Then while we were in Hawaii, the electrician came again and reworked the electrical panel and worked on wiring the basement. While he did that, the insulation was put in. It was so pink and Maggie was so excited. 

Next up was drywall and mudding. This has taken some time but the walls are looking so good and I can finally see what the basement is going to look like. Most of the dry wall is up and they are now moving forward on doors, trim and flooring! Next week, the bathroom tile will go in and then the bathroom fixtures will be installed. I'm getting excited but also realizing how much work I'll still have to do once the construction workers are done. There is painting and decorating and door knobs and, and, and. I'm really excited about our new space though and am looking forward to decorating our new space. The girls are super excited about their new rooms and keep talking about what they are going to do with the space. 

Next in The Basement Chronicles will hopefully be a nearly finished space! 

Chronicles of a Basement Remodel

Seven years ago when we bought this house, we fell in love with the unfinished basement. The high ceilings and expansive space was impressive. We could see the possibilities of the space. Time passed and we settled into the main level of the house and shoved things to deal with later in the basement. 

We made an area for the kids to run and play. I painted a wall with chalkboard paint and made an art room. I redid other parts of the basement. I painted the small bathroom and we added flooring to the craft room. We also installed a drain to stop any potential water issues. 

The kids continued to grow and we quickly realized they would want more space as they got older. Last year, Scott announced that it was time to think about remodeling the basement. I got to work finding a contractor and hired a friend as our architect.  I must have interviewed over 20 contractors. Some were outrageously expensive while others were suspiciously low in their bids. After careful consideration, I hired a contractor who came with great recommendations and then got to work designing the space with our architect. Our plan for the space is to make two bedrooms with a family room/media area in between along with an enclosed laundry/utility room. The existing bathroom is being gutted and enlarged. The corner shower was difficult to shower in and the room was quite tight. This way both girls will be able to use the bathroom without as much fighting. 

Last week, we finally began work on the basement. And by we, I don't mean me and Scott. I mean our contractor and his crew began work. It has been loud and messy but as we see the space coming together, it is also exciting. 

Right before the project started, I was extremely stressed about moving everything out of our basement. Scott and I have been slowly purging for months but there was still so much stuff. We moved some stuff upstairs and I hired Clutter.com to come and take the rest to storage. They are amazing. They show up with two workers and a truck, load all your stuff up, take photos of everything and put it in storage. When we are ready, they will bring everything back to the house. I have a bad feeling that we'll be purging even more crap when our belongings come back. 

Last week they demo'd the entire basement and hauled away two dumpsters worth of debris. They also did the earthquake retrofit and started framing out the walls. Electric has been demo'd and recommendations are coming on that soon. There are so many little details to think about. They aren't exciting decisions either like mirrors and sinks. They are boring details like, do we need a new electrical panel or should the windows open by sliding or lifting? All important details but not very exciting ones. I can't wait to see what this week brings!