Basement work Redux - Quicker, Simpler, and Cheaper

[Dan Mages]

Hi All.

The basement work resumes, but in a much simplified form. I have eliminated the TARDIS (dangit!), a lot of the fancy light work, built in book cases, and a few other goodies. The detailed plans are shown below.

All of the walls are framed and 75% of the electrical is done. I need to finish connecting the recessed lights to the electrical boxes and need to build the bar so I can locate the exact position of the track light above it.

Two big questions for tonight:

1. I might hire out the drywall work to quicken the project. I have a deadline for getting the house on the market by 31 March 2006. Four months is not much time considering how much other work I need to finish in the house. Does anyone have a guestimate on how much a 24x18 room would cost to drywall?

2. I have a single 4" recessed light located above the coffee table (shown in green). Would you make this a separate switch, or should it be tied in with the general lighting for the room (Shown in Blue). The purple lights are 4" lights that will be pointed towards the wall (legacy lamps from my plans to put up built in cabinets.

Dan


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v647/DanMages/Basement%20work/Basementplans-1.jpg

[Rennie Heuer]

I have a single 4" recessed light located above the coffee table (shown in green). Would you make this a separate switch, or should it be tied in with the general lighting for the room (Shown in Blue).

Dan,

Looking at the floorplan I'm guessing the TV will be opposite the couch and coffee table. I would put that one can on a separate dimmer switch. Just the thing for late night movies with some snacks and adult beverages.

[Jim Becker]

I subcontracted the drywall in my kitchen project. Area was approximately 16'x26'. Cost was $1500 in 2003. 'Best decision I ever made, both with the work reduction and my ability to observe how the pros do it...which came in handy when I had to cut in once the new bay window was installed. Virtually no sanding was required when I did that due to the knife techniques I learned.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I put a small 'eyeball' recessed spots over each seating area in my den. Each spot has it's own dimmer on a cord (lamp stores have these for remote dimming of floor and table lamps) plugged into a receptical wired to each spot. The spots are controlled from its own seating area via the dimmer on the cord.

I can watch TV in a dark room while my wife browses a magazine. The spot doesn't spill too much, and she doesn't have to disturb the cat in her lap and cross the room to adjust her light.

Mitch

[Brian Elfert]

You may find a lack of drywall contractors willing to work on a relatively small project like this. Most of them are busy enough with larger projects that they don't want to do a little project.

Maybe this has changed with the new housing slowdown. I don't know.

Brian Elfert

[Dan Mages]

Update:

I have received four quotes for the basement ranging from 2900 to 3500. This is beyond my budget, so I will have to do it all myself.

[Jim Becker]

Dan, did you try a "contractor locator/vetting" service, such as ImproveNet or a similar local concern? Sometimes you can get a smaller operator/handy-person who has the right experience and time to do a smaller job like this. I've on occasion used a local service for things like this and had good results.

[Dan Mages]

Dan, did you try a "contractor locator/vetting" service, such as ImproveNet or a similar local concern? Sometimes you can get a smaller operator/handy-person who has the right experience and time to do a smaller job like this. I've on occasion used a local service for things like this and had good results.
Hi Jim. I called a couple of the local gypsum supply shops go get references for small operators and this is what I got. I will try ImproveNet.

Anyone want to have a drywalling party?:confused: ;)

Dan

[Art Mulder]

... the walls are framed and 75% of the electrical is done. I need to finish connecting the recessed lights to the electrical boxes and need to build the bar so I can locate the exact position of the track light above it.
...
2. I have a single 4" recessed light located above the coffee table (shown in green). Would you make this a separate switch, or should it be tied in with the general lighting for the room (Shown in Blue). The purple lights are 4" lights that will be pointed towards the wall (legacy lamps from my plans to put up built in cabinets.


Dan,

2. No, I would not put in a separate switch for the coffee table light.


Now the unsolicited comments/opinions... Dan, you are going to put this on the real estate market by the end of March. Therefore, resale is obviously a big thing for you. Therefore I say: Lose the bar. I would have no use for a bar in my house. In fact, by putting cabinets out there, you are actually reducing the options that buyer would have for using that room. Even if someone likes, or is neutral, about the bar, I doubt that it will add that much to your resale cost.

Note, I'm talking about the peninsula. The wall cabinets and sink will probably be good. But even those... if time and cost are a concern I would just leave the plumbing rough-in and skip the cabinets. Just drywall, paint it a neutral colour, put in a basic neutral coloured carpet, and you'll have no trouble selling.

[Dan Mages]

Dan,

2. No, I would not put in a separate switch for the coffee table light.


Now the unsolicited comments/opinions... Dan, you are going to put this on the real estate market by the end of March. Therefore, resale is obviously a big thing for you. Therefore I say: Lose the bar. I would have no use for a bar in my house. In fact, by putting cabinets out there, you are actually reducing the options that buyer would have for using that room. Even if someone likes, or is neutral, about the bar, I doubt that it will add that much to your resale cost.

Note, I'm talking about the peninsula. The wall cabinets and sink will probably be good. But even those... if time and cost are a concern I would just leave the plumbing rough-in and skip the cabinets. Just drywall, paint it a neutral colour, put in a basic neutral coloured carpet, and you'll have no trouble selling.

Thanks for the comments about the peninsula. I am contemplating the peninsula to give me a little practice at doing this sort of work for the next house. I am planning on doing it cheap with a 2x3 frame and skinned 15" predrilled bookcase sides available at the local millwork store. The floor will probably be a laminate or a carpet tile. I will have to check with my real estate agent to see what she thinks about these investments.

Dan

[David G Baker]

Jim,
I just had my rain gutters using an Internet service like you described. I saved around $1000 by doing it this way. The guy that did the work was a contractor that has had his license for 15 years but had moved to upper Mid Michigan and had not yet established much of a customer base. He did a very good job.
David

[Dan Mages]

Dan, did you try a "contractor locator/vetting" service, such as ImproveNet or a similar local concern? Sometimes you can get a smaller operator/handy-person who has the right experience and time to do a smaller job like this. I've on occasion used a local service for things like this and had good results.

Within five minutes of going through ImproveNet I got a call and the guy offered to do the job for around 4800 sight unseen. Sorry, not interested!!

[Jim Becker]

Like I said, "....sometimes you get..." and sometimes not. I've had some folks who were "out of their minds" for what they wanted. Others, the price was very good. The latter was primarily with the smaller, local referral service, however.

[Scott Vigder]

So will the table saw go right behind the sofa? Is there room to squeeze in an 8" jointer near the tv?