A basement comes with many benefits, ranging from being a relaxation area to a quiet space where children can play, or other noisier activities like drum practice. A basement serves many purposes. To many, the additional living space is more than enough reason to finish it. To others, it can serve as an extra bedroom or living space for visitors.

Here are advantages of having a finished basement in your home:

Extra bedroom

If you live in a small home, a finished basement can serve as an additional bedroom, either for you or guest. To consider a basement a bedroom, it must have at least two ways to exit the property. This is important in case of an emergency. To be a bedroom, you have to build a closet.

Home value

A finished basement adds to the value of your home. In the US, on average, finishing a basement certainly increases the worth of your home to over 75 percent of your investment. If you put invest $10,000 into finishing a basement, your home value would rise by as much as $7,000.

Multi-purpose space

Apart from the additional home value a finished basement incurs, it can also serve as a recreation space, storage or perhaps, a workspace. Many options become available the moment a basement surface in your home. All you then need to do is either decorate it yourself according to the purpose or call an interior decorator to put a professional touch on it.

Equity

For homeowners looking to build equity, a basement might just save you tons of money if you can finish most or all of the basement yourself. It doesn't matter if you outsource more complex issues, like fixing of electrical work or plumbing. If you can handle it yourself, you will save a great deal of money.

Additional bathroom 

If an extra bedroom isn't what you want, what about an additional bathroom? Having more than one bathroom in your home can be of tremendous help, especially if your home is getting bigger as more kids or guest come in. 

The only downside with adding a bathroom is the cost. It is more expensive than just putting up drywall for demarcation. 

The advantages of having a finished basement are many. It is left for you to discover an advantage that you can explore and focus on. It could be the extra space it offers, the value it adds to your property, or perhaps a strive to build more equity. Whatever be the case, discover and utilize it.

Most of the time, we build homes to our taste rather than to their environment. And while it’s important to have a home that you love to look at, it’s also necessary to take your local climate and surroundings into account.

One of the best up-and-coming home architecture styles features something called “passive solar” design.

In today’s post, I’m going to introduce you to passive solar and talk about why so many homeowners are choosing passive solar homes in today’s age of rising energy costs.

What is a passive solar home?

Passive solar homes utilize four main things to ensure the lowest possible energy usage:

• The building site

• The area’s climate and weather

• Strict building standards involving top quality materials and airtight construction

Let’s talk a bit about how these three features help make passive solar homes the most energy efficient homes currently available.

Choosing a site for a passive home can be a complicated and scientific endeavor. In colder climates, this means allowing the home to utilize as much sunlight as possible. The building site, therefore, has to take into account the sun’s path throughout the year to provide the home with the best angles for maximum sunlight.

Since sunlight travels lower on the horizon in the winter months and higher in summer months, roofs and overhangs are designed to let in maximum light in the winter time and block out light that would overheat your home in the summertime.

Airflow throughout your home is vital to maintaining comfortable temperatures year-round. Passive homes rely on a heat exchanger system that uses heat from warm areas of your home to heat air that is vented in from the outside.

This means that the air in your home is constantly being circulated and heated without relying on too many outside sources.

Building materials are another key part to passive solar homes. To make an airtight home, special types of sealing and insulation is used.

Furthermore, insulated areas of your home are designed to absorb sunlight throughout the day and slowly release heat after the sun goes down, providing a natural source of heat for the entire 24 hour cycle.

Can I convert my current house into a passive solar home?

While making a home adhere to passive house standards typically requires planning at the construction phase, there are some ways to utilize passive solar techniques in your current home.

Making your home airtight, using thermal mass to slowly heat your home overnight, and taking advantage of heat from the sun are all things that can be retrofitted to a home.

Making these improvements can take time, especially if you plan to change window locations or build an overhanging roof. However, you might find that the upgrades will save you money on energy costs and add to the resale value of your home.