Remodel Kitchen or Finish Basement? How to Decide


Chances are you can only afford to get one of these costly projects done at a time. So, which one will be more worth it for you? Below are some pros and cons of each to help you decide.

Pros Of Remodeling A Kitchen:

There are some pros of remodeling a kitchen that doesn’t just include benefits, but necessities. I personally believe that remodeling a kitchen is more worth it. However, everybody’s homes are different as are everybody’s needs. So below are some pros and cons of remodeling a kitchen.

1. Make Cooking Faster/More Efficient

If cooking meals at home is important to you then remodeling your kitchen may be worth it to you. Having updated appliances in your kitchen will definitely have a direct effect on how much enjoyment you get from cooking and on the taste of your food.

Also, older appliances will not be as energy-efficient as newer appliances are. If saving energy is important to you then it could be extremely worth it to you to have the latest technology in your kitchen. You could also potentially save money on your electric bill, gas, and water bill.

2. Safer Kitchen

It is also true that as technology becomes more advanced it also becomes safer to use. Using a kitchen that is full of old appliances, especially ovens, microwaves, and stoves, can make cooking a dangerous risk.

Old appliances and wiring have been known to start house fires. While, old pipes can cause leaking, flooding and can lead to mold growing in your kitchen, which is unsanitary. Also, old cabinets can allow pests to get into food which is also unhygienic. These are all things that can be avoided with an updated kitchen.

If you already noticing some of these things going on in your kitchen, then you do not really have much of an option. Updating your kitchen will have become a must at that point.

3. Increase Comfort

If you enjoy having company over for parties or dinner, then you will most likely want to have a beautiful modern kitchen to show off and serve your friends out of. Not only will a new kitchen be sure to impress your friends, but it will also make being a good host/hostess so much easier.

You may want to consider remodeling the floorplans in your kitchen so that there is more room. You will find that a spacious kitchen will suit you and your friends much better.

Even if you don’t have many friends over, the kitchen can be a vital room in your house for you on your own and for a family, if you have one living with you. It is a room that you can create wonderful memories in and you for sure will want it to be cozy, clean, and safe.

This is one of the most important rooms in the house that is garanteed, to be in use a lot of the time so having a kitchen that is clean, in working order, and suits your style will give likely give you a sense of pride in your life.

Cons Of Remodeling A Kitchen:

1. Disruptive to Lifestyle

Unfortunately, as I said before, the kitchen is a room in the house that is used constantly throughout the day. Having it torn apart for remodeling can certainly be a major obstacle in someone’s life.

Since this is a project that can take a while to get done, even with help from professionals, you must plan how you will get around this hindrance before you get started. Be sure to plan for more time than you think it will take since this project will take a long time and you never know what will happen that can lengthen it.

It may be helpful just to do sections of the kitchen at a time. While this won’t completely help in getting rid of the obstacles it can make it a little more bearable.

Also, you should know that remodeling a kitchen may involve eating out a lot or eating ready-to-eat food, which can be expensive and unhealthy, so you will want to make plans for that.

2. Expensive

It is important to start researching the prices of appliances, countertops, cabinets, and flooring before you start. These will all be fairly expensive; the kitchen is the most expensive room to remodel. This is all because of the number of features that must go into it and also because of the types of features.

Before you get started you should create a budget for this project. Though there is a good chance you may go over your budget (and it may even be worth it in some cases), having a budget will really help limit the amount you spend on your new kitchen. When remodeling a kitchen it is very easy to go overboard with decorating and technology.

Of course, you may be tempted to buy the latest and greatest for your kitchen. However, you should remember that unless you cook a lot and have dinner parties a lot, you probably don’t need to spend your money on the latest and greatest.

Pros Of Finishing A Basement:

Like I stated before, I personally would remodel a kitchen over finishing a basement, however, in your situation it may be more beneficial to finish your basement. It is completely up to you. Here are some pros and cons of finishing your basement to help you decide.

1. More Livable Space

Building a basement to your house can add tons of square footage to your house. This can add some resell value to your house while also giving you more house to use while you live in it.

Once you’ve built this extra space, you can use it for whatever you want. Want to add your o/wn private gym? Want to add a playroom for kids? Want a room for relaxing Maybe you want to add some space for storage. Really the sky is the limit for what you can do in your finished basement.

Just remember, when it comes to reselling, people will prefer an open floorplan over a bunch of tiny rooms. If you go overboard, your basement could actually a negative effect on the resell value.

2. Quiet Space

We’ve already talked about what this extra space can be used for, but while you decide you should note that a basement is great at containing noise.

If you need a place for kids to play where you can’t hear them, a basement would be great for that. Maybe you want a space where you can blast tv, a basement would be great for that. Maybe you want a space where you can avoid the noises from the rest of the house, a finished basement would be perfect for you.

This is your opportunity to create a small oasis in your home and you must create something that not only is exciting for you but also for potential buyers in the future. A finished basement can really help sell a house in some people’s eyes.

3. Guests Can Stay Over

Maybe you care less about friends coming over for dinner and more about family members coming to stay. Finishing your basement could be a great option because it will give more space for guests to spend the night.

If you hate the thought of making your relatives cramming into one room and taking turns to use the bathroom, then finishing the basement could be the better option for you.

Cons Of Finishing A Basement:

1. Smaller ROI

ROI simply stands for the return of investment. ROI is a measure used to evaluate the efficiency or profitability of an investment. Essentially is the money that I’m going to put into this project going to be worth it later on. A high ROI means the investment’s gains compare favorably to its cost. This can be determined by how much money the project saves you in the future, the increase in resale value, and for some, the nonmonetary value increase.

While a finished basement does have a decent ROI, a remodeled kitchen has a significantly higher ROI. This means that when buying a home people would put more value on a home with a new kitchen rather than one with a basement.

So even though finishing a basement is much cheaper the remodeling a kitchen, if you can only afford to complete one project then it will still be a much better investment to remodel your kitchen.

2. Potential Moisture Problems

Basements are underground which causes them to be cool and damp. They are also close to water pipes and the foundation of the house. Any leaks in these and the basement is susceptible to moisture damage. This is a very common problem.

If you finish your basement without being aware of these problems then pretty soon you could have a finished basement full of water damage or hidden mold. Then all the money you spent pretty much just went into the trash. Not to mention, this creates a dangerous living situation.

Checking for leaks can really help in avoiding this problem. If you do find leaks these should be fixed before any finishing happens.

Ricky Kesler

With all of the projects I've done over the years, you'd think that I work on my house full-time. But I actually enjoy other things like spending time outdoors and time with my family.

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