Does Basement Tanking Increase Your Home’s Value?

Increasing the value of your home is a major UK preoccupation. From replacing windows, to building conservatories to converting the loft space. Although, if none of those are possible, or if they are already done, what alternatives are left?

More and more property owners are now looking to basement tanking as a route to improving their homes and ultimately adding value.

WHAT IS BASEMENT TANKING?

Basement tanking is more than simply renovating the basement of your home. Tanking is a process used to waterproof any structure that is constructed below, or partially, below ground. Waterproofing combats the build-up of groundwater around the edge of a building. This water can easily penetrate porous brick walls of a basement or cellar and, in time, result in hydrostatic water pressure and decreased stability of the walls.

In short, it renders a property liable to significant damp, mould, and possible flooding if not tackled, compromising the structural stability of your property as a whole.

Tanking costs vary from project to project, and it is not a cheap process. A simple basement project being turned into a storage room will obviously cost significantly less than an underground swimming pool. However, the value ratio does need to be taken into account. For example, a simple storage room may not add massive overall value. But a luxuriously fitted out cinema room could (location dependent). Some studies show that the return on investment could be anything between one and two percent. And in the long term, as property prices rise, this investment will repay itself year on year.

FUTURE PROOFS AGAINST DAMP AND FLOODING DAMAGE

If your property has a basement, it is important that you call in a qualified structural surveyor to assess what works need doing – which also gives you the opportunity to carry out essential remedial work and counteract the costs involved by professionally turning the basement into a space that can be used by the property for additional living.

Preservation of the very fabric of the building is one of the key areas in which employing a reputable basement tanking contractor can help increase the value of your home. By future proofing your property against potential damp and flooding, you can add the guarantees to any home information pack to evidence the long-term investment you have made in the property.

INCREASED LIVING SPACE

Perhaps one of the most obvious reasons why basement tanking systems are so popular in the UK is that they help homeowners to increase the overall living space without actually increasing the footprint of the property. In our increasingly working from home culture, additional living accommodation is no longer a luxury, but a necessity. While an additional bedroom, storage room, or guest suite is a popular use of a renovated basement, there are a myriad of different uses – a wine cellar, home office or study, a cinema room, a gym, studio or workshop, a bar-cum-party room, or even a teenage hang out. In some properties, a basement conversion will open up the garden, creating a space that can provide access to previously neglected or inaccessible parts of your garden.

Basement tanking has proven to be particularly popular in city centres, such as London, where space is at a premium. Often with clever design and structural know-how, a basement conversion can completely transform how a homeowner lives in and uses the available space.

INCREASES ENERGY EFFICIENCY

As well as eliminating any existing, and potential, damp and flooding, basement tanking will add to the energy efficiency of your property as a whole, reducing its overall environmental impact. This is particularly important when you consider the increasingly strict green regulations that homeowners are being asked to observe in years to come.

Chances are, an untreated basement will be uninsulated, meaning that any heat goes straight out through the walls and flooring. Part of the tanking process is to ensure the walls and floors are fully insulated. As a result, not only is heat not lost – it is actively kept within the room to help drive down overall heating costs.  

TICK ALL THE BOXES

When considering undertaking a basement tanking project for your home, you must employ professional specialised qualified tanking contractors who will take you through every process to ensure that the finished result is fully compliant with planning and building regulations and finished to the highest standard.

• Make sure the area is surveyed by a qualified structural engineer with a proven track record and expertise in basement tanking projects.
• Follow through with all planning permission applications – the timing should take between eight to twelve weeks, though there may be a long delay due to the Covid backlog.
• Ensure all building regulations are covered – including fire safety and ventilation.
• Depending on your property, your neighbours may be overjoyed, or appalled, by your plans. They may be overjoyed that there are going to be no unsightly, bulky extensions to the outside of your property. However, if you are joined to them through a party wall you will need to make a Party Wall agreement application, which covers all party walls, boundary walls, and excavations near neighbouring buildings.

TANK YOUR BASEMENT WITH GARRATT’S DAMP & TIMBER LTD

Here at Garratt’s Damp & Timber, we’re specialists in basement tanking with decades of experience. Contact us to discover how we can increase your home’s value.