Kaks Basement Finishing & Remodeling

Basement Finishing Boston, the smart way to finish your basement.

Impressive Basements on the South Shore

Hanover, Ma. contractor on A&E real estate reality show ‘Flipping Boston’

By Dana Barbuto

Steve Sweeney, owner of KAKS Home Improvement Services in Hanover, is on the real estate reality show “Flipping Boston.”
Hanover contractor Steve Sweeney of Kaks Home Improvement has signed on to do seven more episodes of the A&E real estate reality show “Flipping Boston,” airing in the fall. It follows the adventures of a pair of Massachusetts house flippers as they buy a home, renovate it and sell it (ideally) for a tidy profit.

Sweeney, who has run his family owned business for seven years, said the best way to increase a home’s value, is to increase its living space. That’s why co-stars Dave Seymour and Peter Souhleris brought him onboard to renovate basements. “A good basement is a slam dunk,” Sweeney said.

In the episode “War Next Door,” Sweeney dramatically transformed the basement of a three-bedroom Colonial in Lynn from a cold subterranean concrete cave into a warm 900-square foot living area with hard-wood floors, light coconut-colored walls with white trim.

“That Lynn basement was challenging. Most city homes are challenging. I had a lady in Quincy, she was like ‘I never step down here.’ Now she doesn’t want to go upstairs,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney uses an eco-friendly finishing setup called Impressive Basement System. He said it takes about a week (or two) for most build outs, which includes, floors, walls, ceilings, electrical and plumbing. “We can move pretty quick,” Sweeney said.

Filming is under way for season two. Sweeney has shot basement remodels in Rockport and Middleton. He’ll be on seven of the season’s 14 episodes. Sweeney said he was asked to do the whole season, but couldn’t because of the time commitment.

“It was a gamble going in. I wasn’t sure this will make good TV,” Sweeney said. “But, there is a lot of drama in home remodeling.” Mining that drama is something A&E and others of its ilk – HGTV, DIY and TLC – are already successfully doing. “Flipping Boston” joins the similarly themed shows “Flipped Off,” “Flip This House,” “Flip That House,” “Flip Men.” And so, while the real estate market remains shaky, the home television bubble continues to grow. Sweeney is grateful for the latter.

“‘Flipping Boston’ got great ratings and has catapulted us business-wise,” he said. Being on “Flipping Boston” was a stroke of luck. “I was at the Plaza with my daughter and a woman called to ask about doing the show. I thought my brother – who is a big jokester – put someone up to it. Turns out it was a referral from a past job. I still don’t know who it was.”

The four episodes from Season One are available via cable On Demand. You can also catch the repeats Friday, June 29, starting at 4 p.m.

 

Insulation & Soundproofing Key to Great Basement Renovation

“I lived in my parents’ basement for quite a while when I was younger,” Steve said with a laugh. “And my memories of that time were not exactly pleasant. My Dad did his best to fix it up, but there was no hiding the fact I was down in the cellar, where it was cold and damp.”  He shook his head. “So when my daughter came to me about having our basement remodeled into an apartment for her, I had my doubts.”

The basement renovations of yesteryear are a far cry from the sophisticated basement remodeling systems available in Hingham and other Western Massachusetts towns today. Two key components that make a difference are improved insulation and soundproofing.

“Insulation keeps the cold out and the warmth in,” Steve explained. “Back in the day, we used fiberglass bats. I was surprised when our Hingham basement finishing contractor recommended a rigid board insulation product. But it turns out that if you want real insulating power and a successful way to fight off both moisture and rodent problems, the rigid board insulation is the way to go.”

“My daughter tends to be loud,” Steve said. “Whether she’s talking on the phone or listening to music, the volume is all the way up. When her bedroom was upstairs, I learned to deal with it. But the idea of having her directly under our bedroom concerned me. I don’t want to be able to hear her when I’m trying to sleep, and I’m sure she doesn’t want to hear us!”  Soundproofing panels address this issue in basement renovations by introducing sound-buffering layers that give parties both upstairs and down peace and quiet.

“Now that we’ve had our basement remodeled, I have to say it turned out pretty nice,” Steve said with a smile. “It’s definitely better than the living quarters I had when I was that age!”

Private Spaces for Personal Passions

“I’ve been playing the cello since I was I was six,” David said. “That doesn’t mean I’m any good at it, mind you.” The Pembroke native spends his days working in corporate law, a career he describes as financially fulfilling but soul-draining. “If I didn’t have my music to sustain me, I don’t know what I would do.”

Each week, David gathers with three of his friends to play music together. “Do we have a good time?” he asked. “Absolutely. Are we performance-ready? Absolutely not.” Finding a private place to practice has been problematic for the quartet. “More often than not, we found ourselves cramped up in someone’s living room. I know that’s very traditional and bohemian,  but honestly? A little more space would be a good thing.”

After learning that one of his colleagues had had his basement transformed into a private gym, David was inspired to investigate the possibilities for himself. “If there are companies in Pembroke doing basement renovations of this quality,” he said, “why couldn’t I have my basement transformed into a studio space? We’d be able to play to our heart’s content, without worrying if we’re good enough for anyone to hear.” David laughed. “And our families would be able to enjoy their homes without us in their midst.”

David’s Pembroke basement renovation included adding flooring, a ceiling, lighting and wall panels. “They have this entire system that makes the whole process very simple,” David explained. “You still have all the access you need to your home’s heating system and electrical panels, but those things are concealed, so they don’t take away from the ambiance. When we’re doing there, you don’t really know you’re in a basement. It’s just this beautiful space, designed for us to enjoy our music!”

Finish Your Basement for Smart Storage in Scituate

“Have you priced storage units lately?” Dakota asked. “It’s absolutely nuts how much they charge for what is basically an empty garage.” He shook his head. “My son has just been deployed for the second time, and paying on a storage unit for God knows how long is just not in his budget.”

Dakota had considered having a storage shed built on his Scituate property, but the way his property is situated makes that difficult. “Really the only place that’s ideal for building is directly in front of our house,” he explained, “and as you can imagine, my wife’s not thrilled with that idea.”

“So we got to talking about finishing the basement to stow Brad’s things,” Dakota explained. “I went down there and took a look around. It was dark and cold. The floor wasn’t very even and there was a lot of dirt and spiderwebs falling down from the floor joists. Brad has his computer equipment, a big tv, that sort of thing – this wasn’t really the ideal storage facility for him.”

He explored having the basement finished. “Having a Scituate basement finishing contractor put in a level floor, and some walls and lighting made a real difference,” Dakota explained. “At first I was worried that this would all be too expensive, but when you do the numbers and compare the cost of renting a storage unit month after month after month, it’s actually a smart financial decision.”

“Brad’s not going to be be deployed forever,” Dakota added. “Eventually we’ll be moving his stuff to his new place. Then we’ll have this nice finished basement with built in storage to get the rest of our lives organized. And that will be wonderful.”

Hingham Basement Remodel Idea: Give the Kids Some Room To Play

“We chose to live in Hingham because raising our children in a safe, nurturing community is important to us,” Lauren said. “It’s great to know the kids our kids are playing with. Whether that’s at T-ball in the spring or swimming in the summer, they’ve got a pack of friends wherever they go.”

Lauren’s family lives an exceptionally active lifestyle. “Between the three kids, it seems like someone’s always involved in something,” she said with a laugh. “But believe it or not, sometimes we have no place to go. And then the kids really have no place to go.” A long stretch of rainy weather had the kids climbing the walls in boredom, and the mother of three scratching her head for solutions.

“What we needed was a playroom for the kids,” she said. “Somewhere where they could go entertain themselves without getting under our feet. And of course I want to know they’re nearby and safe.” A friend recommended converting the family’s Hingham basement into a playroom. “I’d honestly never thought about the basement at all,” Lauren said, “but when I started doing some research, it turns out that finishing the basement made a lot of sense.”

One of the primary factors driving Lauren’s decision was cost. “We’re not exactly broke, but we do have three kids,” Lauren said with a laugh. “That means I have to be smart with every dollar. When I compared the costs of having a home addition built versus having the Hingham basement finishing company build a playroom for it, the saving were immediately apparent.”

As part of the basement finishing project, Lauren had some storage units built in to the new playroom. “Not only does this make getting everyone’s toys put away a snap, but now we’ve got a place for our holiday decorations and camping gear.” She smiled. “This has turned out to be one of the best decisions we’ve ever made.”

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KAKS Basement Finishing & Remodeling

155 Webster Street Unit C.
Hanover, MA 02339
781-871-8887