Finished bath, bedroom, red room. Wet bar. 6.5’ with granite and cabinets + 2,250 and +$4500 for built in entertainment center. Painted drywall. + $680 to upgrade carpet and pad in rec room and bedroom same as upstairs. +$390.00 Upgrade baseboard to 4 1/4. Upgrade casings doors and windows + $680.00 to match upstairs.

Thank you!

130k to finish a basement - that is on the high side ("a 1 in front of that").

You really aren't describing what you are getting.

Are the walls already framed out?

Would the electricity and lighting be roughed in already?

Is there a pump for the bath ... already? (They are about $500 and not generally included in rough-in)

Is there HVAC... insulation

When I say already, I mean if you don't finish it?

In my state, a basement needs its own HVAC controls - a separate system or a zoned system. Does your quote include that? Or do they just hope that an underground area will need the same HVAC summer and winter as above ground?

Whether you do it after has a lot to do with finances (do you want to put in mortgage), skill level (at least in supervising), permit issues - like do you want it permitted? Higher taxes vs legal issues, etc.

The cost you could beat - that is a guarantee. The more important questions are the other ones.

Comparison number from 10 years ago. $18k to finish 1200 sqft. Included separate HVAC, bathroom, wall framing, tiny bit of new insulation, carpet/doors/trim around windows, staircase finishing - just carpet (oh - forgot to ask about that), roughed and final outlets/lights.

Otherwise the bath was roughed anyway but no pump installed. Drywall was delivered with the rest of the house so that was not in the $18k. I wound up doing it for less but that included some DIY. That $18k was no builder profit added (long story).

If it is only 30K and you like what is being offered, then that sounds like a real bargain. I spent over twice that for finished basement with basic bar area and bath a few years ago.

If within your budget finish it and get it over with, move-in and enjoy your home. The builder has all the contractors there, everything will get inspected, finished, cleaned and done with.

Good luck

You are already spending $50K to get an unfinished space so why not spend another $30K to finish the job now? I don't see much downside risk to that decision. You are getting 700 extra sq ft for $43 / sq ft which is only a fraction of the cost you are paying for the above ground space.
The best part is it will be easy for you with no hassles and headaches in interviewing contractors, checking references and insurance, or finding suppliers. You won't have to pull permits and arrange for inspections. The standard of work and materials will be consistent with the rest of the house. The price will be added to your mortgage at record low interest rates so minimal bump in monthly payment. What's not to love?

If it's in the budget, do it during the build. We've done it both ways, during and after the build. It was so nice to move in and have the basement already finished. There were no worries about finding a contractor, no dust sneaking upstairs, no noise, no people in and out of the walkout daily (especially important during the pandemic), no time consuming selections to make a second time (all were done during the build), no disruptions to daily life.

30K is a bargain.

My dd and her hubby are building and thought about waiting to finish their basement and finish later. My thinking to her....First of all you will never seem to find a great time to do it...especially with children around. Second...there will be a mess for the contractor to come back and do it later, and the intrusion. Thiird...interest rates are so cheap. If you can afford it, get it over with.

can you post a basement floor plan please?

Wow I say do it if your budget permits. We have a 100 sf area in our basement that we’d like to finish but it would take probably $50k minimum without a bathroom or bar. We’d have to dig out the concrete, deal with water, move radiator pipes, etc.

Here is finished and unfinished. We have the walkout option. Our initial thinking was although we would have rather built on a slab for $50,000 less we just loved the lot that was walkout only.

It is hard when you are building and end up adding all these "little" extras that add up and increase the cost, but most of the time it turns out to be the right choice.

A future remodel could be more expensive. and no guarantee that it will be a quick and easy job, if you end up with a contractor that takes too much time and makes mistakes.

If you are happy with your builder and his subs, just get it done before you move in.

Here in the Midwest..it is the land of basements...especially finished basements . So, of course I think you made a great choice using the basement choice vs slab. Such great space for kids, especially as they turn into teens. I have two 18 yr old sons and we love our basement for their use.

last house, we left the stairway to the basement open to the first floor (no door) and their noise drove us crazy. This house a door at the top of the stairway. So much better to block basement noise.

and the walkout option..imo is a good choice.

https://youtu.be/omZvd2Vd3PA

This video of our conventional basement shows features we incorporated. Everything here was DIY but the most important advise I can offer is to make a plan of the space. We placed tape onto the floor to identify walls, features and even placement for can lights. Have lighting on dimmers, ample outlets on multiple circuits. Good luck.

I would not add that to your mortgage. Spend the $30k after closing and save on all that interest money.

$30K is what the builder is charging while he is still there with all his subs. If the OP waits it will most certainly cost much more and bring strangers, dirt, noise and disruption into their home for months. I don't think there will be much savings.

I would do it now. We built three years ago and left the walkout unfinished, but plumbing stubbed, heated, and windows and sliders in. We finished it this year. The disruption wasn’t bad because workers were able to come and go through the walkout and the contractor did a great job with barriers keeping the dust out of the main floor, but it was probably more costly. It came in around $100 psf to finish.

Thank you all for your suggestions and comments

Although my builder has not broke ground yet they are saying it’s too late to put in a change. I understand there is a change order fee but is this normal so far out from a completion date? Thank you all!

I suspect the reason you are being told it is too late is because the contractor's original bid is below current prices. If he wanted the work, it would not be too late to add it to the contract! Perhaps the builder has recently added more projects or has had some delays and his backlog is growing.