This is my third article in a series about Finishing a Basement. You can read the previous Hub pages at Basement Remodeling Part 1 and Basement Remodeling Part 2.

This article is going to look at what's involved in the whole process, the best way to communicate with contractors and bringing it all together.

As I mentioned previously I thought all those little details regarding basement decoration would come would come later on, but I quickly realized that this wasn't going to be the case.

When the construction workers arrived at my home the first thing they needed to know was:

where the bathroom mirror would be hung and how large it would be.

I starred at them blankly.

You see that small detail of the mirror determined where the toilet could go and where the shower and bath could be put and where the light would be installed in my basement remodeling dreams. Since they had to drill the spaces in the walls where the electrical outlets would go, and the light is usually above or near the mirror, and since water cannot be a certain distance from where electricity is located, I had to know the size and location of the mirror before they would even start to drill a space for wires in the wall.

Likewise the plumber could do nothing until I knew what mirror I wanted so he wouldn’t put the toilet under the mirror instead of the sink and that was based on where the water came down from upstairs and where the sewage drain and toilet hole could be dug.

Yes, with basement renovation one thing leads to another and basement decorating is not the final step but one of the first you need to have clear.

Another odd problem I had just a few months ago: To mount the main electrical box it needed to be in a place where it happened to require more space then the basement walls allowed. Therefore a nearby door needed to be removed in order to extend the wall, but since the door led to the outside it could not just be remove and left, so I had to decide what kind of door I wanted and have it installed before I could get the electrical box fitted. But to install the door the floor needed to be decided upon because the thickness of the basement flooring would determine the height to install the door. I had to decide the type of ceiling and basement waterproofing I wanted to install because this also affected the door installation, which also determined the color and texture before I had fixed in my mind the décor.

Since the floors had to be leveled and fixed with tile I had to know what tile or basement flooring I wanted. That meant knowing the thickness of the tile. That determined the colors available.

It was all so interrelated.

If I had already had an idea what basement ceiling I wanted and the color choices that would go with my décor scheme it would have been easier. If I had known what tile I wanted for the floor and what mirror I needed for the bathroom and what washer and dryer and what heater I wanted to install I wouldn’t have wasted countless man hours and would have made better selections without the pressure of having to “get it done” while everyone stood around waiting for me to decide if the tile would be terracotta or travertine and if the ceiling would be hardwood or white stucco boards and what kind of basement waterproofing I wanted! EEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!!!!!

Don’t think that selecting an appliance or a piece of furniture or a mirror can be left to after the walls and ceiling and floors are all done. It simply isn’t possible!

I understand what you’re going through and the problems you’re facing with basement remodeling and that is why I invite you to follow me in these articles where I will offer useful suggestions on basement finishing, basement decorating, basement flooring and some basement remodeling plans for do it yourself basement remodeling or for those who will hire a basement remodeling company to manage the construction.