Here in Canuckistan we proud peons are eternally grateful for the nearly 58% of our income that the patron graciously allows the average family to spend as they see fit.

To play devil's advocate, once you've put in a bathroom and closed off the mechanicals, you've basically just left yourself (or a future owner) with non-permit needing work, or things that can easily done without raising awareness of authorities to finish it up.

I've never really understood the concept of different tax rates for finished vs. unfinished basements, because what does it even mean to be finished? I feel it would be much easier overall to just tax basement sq footage at some lower rate - like 30% of above ground space, and call it a day.

And some still wonder why renovations are done sans permits.

Assuring safety is simply the state's ruse for finding a reason to raise the always "desperately needed" revenue.

Do what u want with the space and if u have to challenge your assessment do it.

A few years ago we built a guest house (with permits) and the county tax assessor came knocking at our door the day after the GC signed/filed the COO ... assessor didn't even wait for the ink to dry on that paperwork! Told the TA to leave since it wasn't a good time for me ... he had all our info, the least he could do was call and set up an appointment!

Put a row of something like this in front of the utility stuff if you could use the storage. http://www.lowes.com/pd/ESTATE-by-RSI-38-5-in-W-x-70-375-in-H-x-20-75-in-D-Wood-Composite-Garage-Cabinet/3400038

or how about stringing together a run of those accordion doors as a divider. Or install a bunch of closet sliding door track and pop in a bunch of 36" wide doors....looks decent, easy enough to remove if necessary...

We are building and our contractor told us that while we can get plumbing TO the areas where we will put a bathroom and kitchenette down the road, we can't do anything besides just the pipe coming in and then being capped off. Otherwise, they'll consider it a finished basement. I'm surprised you can finish the bathroom at all. But it is annoying and I get your frustration.

I'm adding a workroom in my basement. The ONLY reason it is getting walled off is to keep the cats and any future dog out of sawdust and stained glass shards. Fortunately I won't need to sheet rock in the ceiling, but now all concrete on basement walls will need sheet rock. Pfft.