Designing a Custom Basement Home Blueprint: 9 Key Questions

A basement renovation is one of the most impactful ways to rejuvenate your home, turning an often neglected space into a dynamic new area for you to enjoy.

But there are dozens of ways that you can remodel a basement, so there's no shortage of potential floor plans. For many homeowners, taking the first steps in the remodeling process can feel overwhelming.

To help narrow down the options, I've listed out the nine most important questions that can help direct you to the right house plans. With more clarity about what you want out of a remodel, you can zero in on the project plans that best suit your needs.

Question 1: How Much Space Do You Have?

A key question that will drive your layout is how much space you have available and the specific dimensions of your basement.

I recommend that you create a sketch of your existing basement floor plan, including rough measurements and the location of all doors, stairs, walls, and windows. Knowing this layout and the overall square footage can give you an idea of what modifications may work. It can also show where you have extra space to play around with.

If you already have a walkout basement, take note of the layout of the surrounding exterior space. In some cases, your house plans can optimize the indoor-outdoor connection, improving both spaces as part of the same project.

Question 2: How Will You Use Your Basement?

One of the fundamental questions behind your basement floor plan is how you want to use your basement in the future.

Many people still think of basements as primarily for storage, but there's so much more you can do when upgrading your basement floor plan.

• Family room: One common use of a finished basement is creating an additional space where your family can be together.

• Playroom: For many homeowners, a basement space can be converted into a playroom where kids can run wild without risking damage to the nicer furniture or decor in the upstairs living room.

• Game room: Whether it's billiards, ping pong, or poker, your basement can be a prime spot for your favorite pastimes.

• Guest room: A basement is an ideal spot for a guest room, letting your visitors have privacy and their own space while staying at your house.

• Home gym: Many homeowners have a hard time finding adequate space for gym equipment in the main part of their home. In a finished basement, you can keep the equipment you need for cardio and weightlifting as well as other activities like yoga or pilates.

• Home office: Instead of using one of the upstairs rooms for work, you can outfit your remodeled basement with a home office. If needed, you can hardwire an internet connection and install noise-absorbing material in the walls to keep things quiet during video calls.

• Media room: If you've dreamed of an in-home theater where you and your family can watch movies or the big game, your basement floor plan can include a high-tech viewing room with a high-definition projector.

• Bar or wine cellar: Many of our clients want to turn part of their new basement into a stylish wine cellar or bar where they can unwind with a drink or entertain friends and fellow wine connoisseurs.

• Independent living space: Also known as an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or mother-in-law suite, this basement floor plan has an independent entry and a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen area. An ADU gives your property an additional living space with extra privacy that short-term guests or a family member can use. In Des Moines, you can also rent out an ADU as long as you still live in the main house.

With any of these house plans, you can also include space for storage. This doesn't have to be a separate room — you can increase storage space with built-in furniture in almost any basement layout.

Question 3: Do You Need Bedrooms?

A key factor influencing your remodel is whether you need one or more bedrooms. While it might seem simple to add a bedroom to the basement floor plan, it's important to remember that a bedroom comes with other requirements.

For example, you must include an emergency egress window for each bedroom. With a bedroom, you'll almost certainly want a bathroom and may want to increase natural light, too. You might need to add heating to counteract chilly basement temperatures.

Taken together, these requirements add significant cost to your basement remodeling budget. Having more bedrooms can certainly raise your home's value, so take some time to think it through and determine whether a basement bedroom makes sense for your home plans.

Question 4: Do You Need a Bathroom?

When basements are just for storage, having a bathroom is mostly irrelevant. But it's a totally different story when you plan to use your basement in other ways.

If you decide to create a movie room, office, bar, family room, or any space where you plan to spend a significant amount of time, you probably should add a bathroom on the basement level. It may not seem like a necessity, but leaving out a bathroom is a decision you'll regret every time you have to trudge upstairs when nature calls.

As I mentioned in the previous section, you'll also want to include a bath in your basement floor plan if you are going to add an extra bedroom or an ADU. For these home designs, you might consider putting in an en suite bath to give it the feel of a primary bedroom.

Question 5: Do You Need a Kitchen?

Depending on how you plan to use your basement, you may want to consider floor plans with a kitchen or kitchenette. At the very least, having a wet bar with a mini-fridge and sink can offer a ton of convenience and save you trips up and down the stairs.

Basement floor plans with a space to prepare food and drinks generally require more work since you need to account for the plumbing and electrical hookups. But if the goal is to make your basement a more vibrant and active space, our clients almost always find that the juice is worth the squeeze.

Question 6: How Will You Handle Outdoor Access?

Another important design element of basement floor plans is how you will be able to access the exterior of the house.

At one level, this is a matter of building codes, which require at least one exit route plus an additional egress window in every sleeping room.

Beyond code compliance, outdoor access directly impacts the look, vibe, and usability of your basement. The right positioning of doors and windows can make your basement feel bigger and brighter.

A walkout basement house plan is a popular example of how you can connect your indoor space to a patio, deck, or backyard. If a walkout basement isn't possible on your lot, a daylight basement is another option to prevent your basement from feeling dark and closed in.

How is a Walkout Basement Different From a Daylight Basement?

A walkout basement includes a door that exits directly to ground level. In many designs, you walk out to a covered space, which provides some protection from the elements.

If you want to build an ADU or separate living space, a walkout is a great way to do it. However, walkout basement house plans work best when you have a sloped lot, allowing you to more easily put a door at ground level.

A daylight basement doesn't have a door that leads outside. But it does have one or more large windows that let in natural light. There are multiple ways to incorporate a full-size window to suit your lot and floor plan.

Question 7: What's the Right Ceiling Height?

Ceiling height is an important element to consider when designing finished basements. Local building codes require basements to have a ceiling height of 7 feet, but you may want taller ceilings for many basement floor plans.

There are different methods that builders can use to either lower your floor or raise your ceiling, but this is complex work that requires careful planning to maintain the integrity of your home's foundation. You also have to account for utility lines in the walls and ceiling when dealing with these types of house plans.

Question 8: Do You Need Extra Storage Space?

Even in finished basements, storage remains important for many homeowners. If your remodel is adding space for other uses, you can create nooks and crannies meant for storage within your basement floor plan.

We often like to add a closet or two, which could be a linen closet in a new bathroom or a wardrobe in a new bedroom. Unless you are sure that you don't need more storage, we suggest budgeting a bit of space for it in all the rooms that make up your floor plan.

Question 9: What's Your Budget?

As you decide what to include in your remodel, you'll need to determine your budget. In the greater Des Moines area, remodeling projects for basements cost a minimum of $57,000, which is only for the most basic renovation.

That number rises significantly for a more complex basement floor plan and remodel. Project costs tend to be higher for walkout basements or for any work that requires moving walls or modifying the basement foundation.

That said, there's no doubt that high-end finished basements are highly sought-after among buyers, so a full remodel can add value when you sell your house. In the meantime, a revitalized basement can give your house fresh energy, so much so that some clients say it feels like walking into a new home.

How much to dedicate to renovating your basement may also depend on whether you have other projects in your future house plans. If you don't have other major work that needs to be done, it may be worth considering floor plans that have a higher up-front investment but pay off over the long term.

Putting Your Plans Into Action

Your answers to these nine questions can inform the contours of your house plans and basement remodeling project. With that, you can move to the next step — finding the right people to handle the job.

We are a design-build firm with over 15 years of experience in the Des Moines area. In that time, we've remodeled basements in more ways than I can remember.

Our in-house designers can present you with different options for basement floor plans to match your needs and budget. As a design-build firm, part of the value we provide is that we also handle the construction, offering a seamless experience and a single point of contact for the entire project.

You can see examples of our work in our project portfolio, and we'd welcome the opportunity to discuss how we can help make your dream basement a reality.