CONVERTING A BASEMENT TO AN OFFICE
At Danford, Brewer & Ives we’re basement conversion specialists, and our team can build you a basement office that’s guaranteed to make working from home enjoyable.
If you’re wondering how to turn a basement into an office, we’re here to explain everything you need to know about basement office conversions.
How Do I Convert My Basement into an Office?
With the rise in homeworking seeing no end in sight, converting a basement into an office is an excellent way to make use of any existing cellar space you have. Even if you don’t have a cellar space, it may be possible to excavate one below your property.
If you’re planning on turning a basement into an office, there are a number of things you first need to consider. It’s always helpful to consult a professional basement conversion specialist, who can help at every stage of the development, design and construction process.
The key stages of a basement office conversion include:
- Ensure you have enough space: not all cellars are created equal. While you may have an adequate space already, it may be necessary to extend that space to make the office workable. It may be possible to excavate below the existing foundations of your property in order to build a larger space that’s more suitable for an office.
- Have a survey carried out: An initial survey will show if excavation is possible, and will provide you with an insight into your options for ventilation and lighting.
- Have designs drawn up: the design stage is where your grand plans for an office become a reality, with an engineer on hand to ensure that the plans are realistic, and to provide time and cost estimates. Designs will need to include plans for lighting and ventilation.
- Construction stage: the construction stage includes any excavation and underpinning needed to extend the space, as well as building any ventilation shafts, windows and stairwells. Features such as plumbing, electrics and lighting may be installed, while it’s also important that the basement is waterproofed and insulated.
- Interior design: the final stage is interior design, where all your plans for a basement office come together as you begin to furnish the space and add your personal touch to the new room.
Advantages of Turning Your Basement into a Home Office
Turning a basement into an office has the obvious advantage of allowing you to work from home in a calm and controlled environment. Forget about distractions upstairs or leave the rest of the family to their own devices as you head downstairs for a day’s work – it’s like going to the company’s office, just without the commute.
But there are a number of other important advantages to be gained when you turn a basement into an office, including:
- Extend below ground, rather than taking up valuable garden space
- Utilise an unused space beneath your home
- Increase the value of your property
- Add an extra room to your home
Don’t forget that when you’re not working in the office, the space can be used for many other things, too. The best basement office is multifunctional, and with computers and television screens down there it could also be used as a games room, an entertainment room, a writing room or a music room. You could even add a pull-out sofa bed and use the office as a spare room when you have guests.
How Can I Make My Basement Office More Comfortable?
During the planning stage of your basement conversion, there are a number of convenient and useful features that can be added to the design to make your office more comfortable. These include important elements such as:
- Ventilation
- Natural lighting
- Artificial lighting
- Plumbing, toilets and sinks
- Waterproofing
- Insulation
Anything structural, including natural lighting (such as windows or light shafts, for example) should be added to the design early on, as this will save time and money in the long term. There are many more features that can also be added as part of the interior design stage to make your new basement office both practical and comfortable. These include:
- Ergonomic chairs
- Wifi extenders
- Lighting
- Refrigerators, kettles and other kitchen appliances
- Television screens
- Filing cabinets, bookshelves and storage space
- Luxuries, like a coffee-pod machine
Danford, Brewer & Ives Offers an Insurance-Backed Guarantee
Danford, Brewer & Ives’ team of experienced engineers is ready to begin converting your basement into an office.
We only work with trusted partners, and this means that we can offer an independent insurance-backed guarantee to our customers on the completion of your basement office conversion.
Contact Danford, Brewer & Ives today to find out more.