The Pros and Cons of a Walk-out Basement

If you’re among the fortunate homeowners who have a walk-out basement, you’re in luck! Finishing your basement just got a lot easier. You may have paid more for the walk-out lot when you built or purchased your home. Why? What’s the big deal?

Part of a home built on a sloping lot, a walk-out basement is partially underground but has one or more outside entrances. Typically, a walk-out features a sliding door or French doors, allowing abundant natural light into the basement. Additionally, since the windows on the walk-out side of the basement are above-ground, the area feels less like a storage room and more like an extension of living space from the main area of the home.

Walk-out Wins

1. Better Lighting

A walk-out basement’s full-sized windows and doors contribute to far better lighting than that found in a standard underground basement. This makes walk-outs ideal for additional living space–even bedrooms–as the full-sized windows comply with fire codes. No one in the family need feel relegated to a less desirable part of the home, as a finished walk-out basement has the look and feel of the main level of the home, making it suitable for any use.

2. Accessibility

An outside entrance into the basement makes a walk-out basement a prime candidate for mother-in-law apartments or for separate entertainment spaces. No need to bother individuals on the top floor since guests or residents can enter through the additional entrance. Additionally, the contractor finishing your basement will thank you for not having to crawl through the window well to enter your home to work, and bringing heavy sheets of drywall into the home will be a breeze!

3. Ability to Customize

Again, the accessibility and design of walk-out basements make them extremely versatile. Turn your walk-out basement into separate living quarters, a home theater, a basement bar with a kitchenette, a game day space, or a play area for children.

4. Increased Property Value

Did you know that a walk-out basement adds to your home’s overall value? If you plan on reselling your home, sprucing up the basement is a great way to ensure top market value when the time comes to sell.

Walk-out Wishes

Can your standard basement be converted into a walk-out? The answer, to a great degree, depends upon the slope and size of of the lot on which your home resides. Consult with a licensed structural engineer and architect to see if your basement is a walk-out candidate. The price of installation, while deemed a considerable remodel, would also add appreciably to your home’s value–especially once the basement is finished. Adding value to your home, however, may also increase property taxes. Weighing all of the pros and cons will help you determine if it’s worth the cost of retro-fitting a walk-out.

How Can We Help?

Averaging a 5-star review rating on Google, Sheffield Homes Finished Basements and More can turn your basement into the space of your dreams! Our goal is to create a basement finish that fully satisfies you. Call us today for a free consultation in the Denver metro area and in northern Colorado, and let’s see what your basement is waiting to become: 303-420-0056.