How to Construct a Small Apartment in a Basement
If you have a house and a minimal need for storage space, renting out a basement apartment can be a great way to bring in some extra cash. Unlike renting out other rooms, basements are usually set far enough away from the rest of the house to provide tenants and landlords a certain level of mutual privacy. The catch is that basements usually come unfurnished and require extensive remodeling to turn them into a livable space. Make the effort and you can have an investment that will last as long as you hold onto the house. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- House blueprints
- Graph paper
- Insulation
- Drywall
- Wood studs
- Copper electrical wiring
- Electrical sockets
- Metal water piping
- Drywall hammer
- Circle cutter
- Key saw
- Drywall lift
- T-square
- Plumbing fixtures
- Lighting fixtures
- Carpet
- Tackless carpet strip
- White house paint
Instructions
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Design a floor plan. Take out the existing blueprints to your house and figure out what amenities you have to work with. Note where you can affix plumbing and electrical hook-ups. With this information, re-draw the floor plans on graph paper and designate which parts of the basement will comprise the bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen and the living room. Determine if you can create a basement door leading outside, if one does not already exist.
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Schedule an appointment with home and mold inspectors. Accompany them during the inspection to make personal notes on what they find and point out any areas that give you concern. Tell them that you plan to convert the space into an apartment and need their advice on how to create a livable space that is up to code. Find out what building code resources are available to you as you build.
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Install new lighting fixtures and electrical sockets. Install enough sockets to handle the appliances you anticipate will be used in each room, staying within the confines of building code. Properly insulate all wiring.
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Extend your water piping and drainage and install plumbing fixtures. Turn the water in your house off during this process. Do not install your plumbing fixtures until you have fit your dry wall over the water pipe outlets. Make sure the bathroom includes a sink, toilet and shower or bath. Include a sink---and possibly a dishwasher---in the kitchen.
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Begin constructing your walls with wood framing built from studs. You should use studs between 2 feet by 2 feet and 2 feet by 6 feet depending on how thick your wall needs to be to accommodate plumbing, wiring and insulation. Build these frames in squares on the ground. Space your vertical studs within a foot of each other---depending on what your building code requires---and include one level of horizontal studs for stability.
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Pack insulation into your walls. Lay the insulation evenly in the spaces between the vertical studs.
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Use a drywall T-square to cut sheets of drywall. Ask a partner to help you use drywall lifts to press the sheets up to the ceiling before you fasten them. Prepare sheets of drywall to fit around pipe outlets and electrical sockets with a circle cutter and key saw.
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Install your plumbing fixtures. Make sure they are fastened tight to the water pipes to prevent leakage, but not so tight as to thread the grooves on the fittings.
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Paint your walls and ceilings. Choosing basic white will give your future tenants the option of choosing a color of their own. Guard fixtures and trim by affixing painter's tape where you want the line of color to end.
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Lay down carpet. Carefully review your floor plans to make sure you prepare the correct dimensions. Place tackless strip along the edge of each wall to avoid potential stubbed toes from tacks. Then place strips of carpet padding long enough to reach the tackless strip. Cut your carpet along the back and make sure the pile goes in the direction of the main entryway.
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Tips & Warnings
Install the electrical socket covers after you finish painting.
If you only have room for either a bathroom or a kitchen, choose the bathroom to provide more privacy to possible tenants.
Use electrical floor heating to maximize dry heat and minimize the risk of mold. Note that this type of heating can be expensive to install, but can also demand higher rent.
Keep a current hard copy of your local building code in your basement so that you have a ready reference.
Do not proceed on a building project---especially if you are a novice---without consulting an inspector at least once.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit garage glauque image by jeremie Delferriere from Fotolia.com
