Finish Basement or Not?

[Andrew Clarke]

Hi we recently bought a property that we are planning to renovate and sell. However, the house is situated lower than the other houses in the neighborhood (see picture), so we were worried about the pooling of water around the base of the house. We are planning on adding gutters to the house. We realized that the land around the house is pretty flat so even with gutters the water may not move very far from the house. Therefore, we are also considering adding a drain tile system and sump pump. The basement is currently unfinished. Since we would be excavating the basement to put in the drain tile system we think it might be best to finish the basement.  Finishing the basement would increase the finished sqft from 1300 to 1960. Does it make sense to finish the basement in this scenario?

Thanks!

[Matt Turbitt]

go to the basement and tape a 2'x2' square of plastic to the floor, taping all 4 sides to create a seal.  Then do this on a wall as well. Wait 1-2 weeks and take a look. If condensation has built up under the plastic your basement is not currently sealed and you'll have moisture problems you'll want to address (tiles, vapor barriers,sumps). If condensation builds up outside the plastic you have an existing moisture problem in the basement and the air in it (dehumidifiers).

No matter what you do in the basement you'll want to address the gutters and the grade. I'd add gutters and run drain lines through the yard, they need to go a minimum 10' from the house to be effective. Then I'd re-grade the area around the house. Fill dirt is cheap and easy enough. 

Talk to a realtor to see if your area can support the finished basement. Many times on let's say a 100k house a 10k basement remodel won't recoup that from the appraisal and sometimes not even from the buyers.