After finishing our entire basement myself, it’s time to answer the question everyone wants to know: How much did it REALLY cost to finish our basement?
My total came to $23,205, but that number only tells part of the story. In this video, I break down where the money went while showing the entire transformation from an unfinished basement to a completely finished living space. Then I compare my actual DIY cost to what I estimate it would have cost to hire the entire project out—and see how much doing the work myself actually saved.
Throughout this basement project we tackled framing, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, drywall, paint, flooring, a complete bathroom, shiplap, a stone TV wall, trim, doors, lighting and all the finishing details that turned this unfinished space into part of our home.
As the transformation happens, I’ll keep a running cost total on screen so you can see exactly how quickly the expenses add up and where the biggest chunks of the budget went.
In this video:
🔨 Complete unfinished-to-finished basement transformation
💰 My actual DIY basement cost
📊 Detailed cost breakdown by category
🚿 Complete basement bathroom
⚡ Electrical, plumbing & HVAC costs
🪵 Framing, drywall, flooring and finish costs
🏠 What it could have cost to hire the project out
💵 How much I potentially saved by doing the work myself
One thing I want to make clear: DIY labor isn't free. Finishing this basement required a lot of nights, weekends and hours of work. The real question isn't simply how much money DIY can save—it's whether that savings is worth your time.
For me, learning these skills and doing the work myself has been part of the journey for almost 30 years, and projects like this are exactly why I continue doing it.
▶️ WATCH THE COMPLETE BASEMENT SERIES:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL3QM32YjSVn3xi7ZTT3AqmuTd3AFXbBRB&si=PhECKiFSvaEmcYLI
▶️ WATCH THE FULL BASEMENT REVEAL:
https://youtu.be/ivOm06I5uJ4?si=uURd3ICJv4vBGLPN
This basement also brings us very close to the end of our complete fixer-upper remodel. From here, we're getting ready for the next chapter: developing our new property and beginning another build from the ground up.
If you're interested in DIY construction, home building, barndominiums, remodeling and seeing the real costs behind these projects, consider subscribing. There is a lot more coming!
Thanks for watching and following along!
#BasementRemodel #BasementFinishing #DIY #BasementCost #HomeImprovement #DIYRemodel #FinishedBasement #MRPostFrame
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