P.J., it is good practice to wait one year or to go through 4 seasons before you finish a basement.A couple reasons are; to allow the foudation to settle so any cracks that occur can be repaired and to be sure that there are no water problems.

Thank you so much for your opinion. I'm wondering thought what happens when builders finish basements right away? Actually there is a new home also being sold across the street which includes a finished basement. I'm confused in regards to this.

I agree with the previous poster.

Best to wait a year or so before finishing.

There are many reasons why among which are:

1)Waiting allows concrete or concrete block to dry

2)Waiting allows any foundation defects to present themself and be dealt with much easier

3)Waiting allows any soil shifting, water table problems, or other unforseen issue to be more readily noticed and corrected.

As for builders jumping right in and finishing immediately, well, they only will do what the customer allows them to do...rightly or wrongly.

Personally, I would wait at least a year before finishing.

Gives you enough time to examine the most critical element of your home in detail: the foundation.

Won't go into the details of new homes whose foundations have collapsed or leaked or shifted or cracked during the first year....