Remember the exiting journey of choosing and landing your current home? The future of your daily life changed with each option you reviewed: the small but cute 2-bedroom, the centrally-located but over-priced townhome, the historic fixer-upper...
the list went on.
Though it may have been stressful at times, you and your loved ones could imagine a new life here and there.
There is a thrill to the unknown - it allows for you to evaluate exactly what it is you are seeking, and develop a plan from there.
So now you've moved in and it has been a few years.
Though you and your family have settled in and your home is meeting your basic needs, is it everything you had hoped it would be? With a shaky housing market, many homeowners are choosing to stick to their current property and improve upon what they have instead of moving to another home with more square footage for a game room, for example.
What many people do not realize is they are sitting on enough square footage with their basement to create an entire additional story, or "second home".
That is a term many homeowners have used when they have had complete renovations done on their basement.
Usually, this "second home" is where families prefer to spend a majority of quality time together, with a family night at the theater with a home movie area.
Despite the vast space beneath your floors, it is only the skeleton of a second home.
The cobwebs, dust and dirt, not to mention your stored goods haphazardly packed.
Don't let those details prevent you from going for that basement remodel.
With a modicum of planning and a healthy amount of hard work, you can get that home theater, guest room, home gym, children's playing area, personal study or whatever it is you are yearning for.
It is just a matter of cleaning up, developing a plan, understanding the best materials for the job and how to get them affordably and fabricating some basic infrastructure to fill-out those bare bones in your basement.
If you set aside a schedule for after-work construction every day, you will be off in your new second home in no time.
It will be like a free membership to a gym, except you end up with a finished basement.
Also, for expert and technically difficult work such as electricity and plumbing, you'll want to work with trustworthy contractors that you feel comfortable with inside your home.
You can go cheap to save a few bucks on your project, but then you run the risk of poor quality and shoddy work, and then you'll have to restart that phase of a project.
Make sure you check the credentials and references of any home addition contractor that you hire.
When you deal with a contractor, beware of those who are hesitant to procure bona fides such as licensing, certification or insurance.
You may want to check with the Better Business Bureau.
A quality contractor will often get a large bulk of his clients from word-of-mouth referrals from their friends, family and neighbors, which is also a reliable way to transition into a business relationship with a construction company.
You will want to work with craftsmen and technicians who know how to best maximize your space for an efficient or luxurious bathroom, whichever you are hoping for, and who have a healthy portfolio to share with you.
Do not let this vast opportunity for the home you really want slip away from you.
Your project is within reach, and do not be afraid to discuss in depth the quality and affordability you hope for in a contractor.
The end result will be very much worth the effort.