Thanks for sharing, this is an amazing project. What will your floor to ceiling height be after this? did you consider digging deeper in the new area than the old to get more headroom?

First of all, 60k looks like a steal for the amount of materials and labor this must have taken. You rent heavy equipment and operators like that and shit cost adds up quick. Nice work managing the budget!

Second, yeah I think knowing it’s “only” 60k means if you’re in the neighborhood for the rest of your life then not moving and just adding on makes sense. And unlike a pool, a finished basement actually adds value. Garages and finished basements are often high on buyers lists. Pools are a giant headache and probably don’t add any real value IMHO. I just use the indoor, year round, heated pool at the JCC in my neighborhood.

I noticed you did a lot of the plumbing yourself. What would you say the split is between your work and contracted work?