In Newark, basement remodeling is one of the most popular major home improvement projects and for good reason. Ridding your home of the dark, dank, and unwelcoming atmosphere of subterranean spaces will allow you to maximize the enjoyment of your home. Rather than watch your basement leach heat from your home in the winter, give your children nightmares, and become a home to various strains of mold and mildew, you can make this area one of your home's biggest assets.

Newark Basement Remodels: Creating Living Space
As the second densest city in the U.S., there is no shortage of compact dwellings in Newark; basement finishing is a great way to make every square foot of work for you! A wise basement remodel can work as though you were simply moving into a bigger house or building a home addition, as your basement becomes an extra bedroom, a game room, home office, studio space, or any other number of intended uses. Moreover, while Newark basement remodeling is far from what you'd call cheap, when compared to similar projects in the area like building a home addition or adding another story (or even moving into a bigger home), finishing your basement will seem very affordable.

Cost vs. Resale Value for Newark Basement Remodeling
In Newark, basement remodels tend to fall just below paying for themselves in terms of cost vs. resale value. Overall, data suggests you might be able to recoup about 90 percent of the project's cost when it comes time to sell your home. This means, if you spend $40,000 on a comprehensive basement remodel, the value of your home should surge about $36,000. Now, to be fair, you probably won't see this kind of return with the current condition of housing market, but if you don't plan on selling your home in the immediate future, chances are the housing market will combine with the ongoing Newark renaissance and you may very well find that rare home improvement gem that does, indeed, pay for itself. Of course, this percentage (and naturally the initial cost of the project itself) will fluctuate depending on the pre-existing condition of the basement. If the financial end of your Newark basement remodel is a high priority, you should discuss with a local contractor what aspects and choices for your basement remodel tend to be the most important to prospective home buyers.

Newark Basement Finishing, Step-By-Step
The current condition of your basement is likely to hinge on quite a few factors, many of which have little to do with the basement directly. A solid foundation and gutter system will help minimize the amount of moisture saturating your basement area, and subsequently reduce the cost of waterproofing, the first step of most Newark basement finishing projects. Since you can expect plenty of cold nights in Newark, basement finishing is also likely to include some insulation upgrades, too. Finally, the condition of your basement floor itself is critical. A concrete slab in good condition can be stained with acid to generate beautiful, low-cost flooring in the basement. Laminate flooring is another great option for basement floors, as it can give you the appearance of hardwood without all of the moisture issues associated with the real thing.

Newark Basement Renovation Contractors
In Newark, basement renovation contractors are not particularly difficult to find. Unfortunately, it may be significantly more difficult to find one that you can trust. With such a huge project and investment, you don't want to put your faith in cold-calling contractors from phonebooks. Certainly, you could do all the legwork yourself, checking with the BBB and asking for customer referrals, but ServiceMagic streamlines this process for you. We put each and every contractor through a rigorous 10-step screening process and provide you with quality-controlled, online customer ratings and reviews; this allows you to view feedback from other homeowners in and around Newark. Basement remodels are likely to vary quite a bit in price, so getting multiple quotes is a must. By contacting several contractors before you settle on one and reading reviews of each, you'll know if that low estimate is a great bargain or symptomatic of a contractor who cuts corners and is known for project delays.