Has anyone done a basement conversion (plus extending it)

[muffins78]

Hi all, I?ve put my property on the market and started looking to buy around the area. I?ve never had a basement so hadn?t considered it as a means to extend usage of a property. The prices on the market are quite bizarre to say the least and while people move to gain space, I seem to be losing it (long story short)!

I saw a lovely place today, and I?m considering it?s potential - as it?s two bed one bath, and ideally I?d like more. There is no scope to extend externally etc., but there is a small basement - so I?m googling all evening!

It would be good to understand the potential costs involved - I understand it may not add full value - but I?m willing to overlook that, if the cost to escavate etc., was reasonable. It?s a terraced property and I understand other neighbours have done it.

Thanks for any experiences or potential costs help!!!

[redjam]

We are thinking about just doing a very basic refurb on our basement - rubbing down the walls and treating them with varnish so they don't crumble away, fitting some new stairs, putting in new lights and moving some of the pipes that hang down low etc. So we wouldn't be able to use it as a proper room as it would still have a very low ceiling but it would be a more useful space that could be accessed much more easily (as opposed to the deathtrap it is now). We were given a rough quote of ?3k for this.

We're now wondering about going a bit further and taking down the internal (non-load-bearing) wall along one side so we can use the recesses under the living room floorboards as storage (we've got a typical Victorian coal cellar - long and thin, extending under the front hallway). Anyone else done this???