How to Get The Most Value From Your Unused Basement

So how can you get the most value out of your basement? The first big question you need to ask yourself is what do you and your family want to get out of it – what is its core purpose?

Perhaps an extra bedroom for a child, a play space for children, maybe an area for a pool table, a bar might be desired for hosting parties, or a man cave might be the goal to keep dad and his friends happy during football season. These are just a few ideas, there are numerous uses for unfinished basements – and often families don’t fully utilize the space to their advantage.

Ways to Get the Most Value From Your Basement

Below are some ideas for how to squeeze as much value from your basement as possible. Depending on its floor size and ceiling height the basement space can be functional for the whole family, or just the kids and their friends.

A rental apartment

Looking for some extra income to help pay your mortgage and bills? Then putting a rental suite into your basement might be just what’s needed. To pull this off you will need to install the proper amenities, including a kitchen, ideally at least one bedroom, a washroom and some space for a dining and living room. From a monetary perspective, this is likely the best way to gain the most value from your basement.

Another bedroom

Does your family have one more child than expected, and you and your significant other don’t want to uproot and move to a different home with more bedrooms? Putting a child’s bedroom or a guest bedroom into the basement is always a good use of its space, and can give a nice bump to your home’s resale value as well.

A play area for children

If your kids need more room to play then setting aside some space in your basement will make them happy. Adding some storage space for toys, shelves for books, and floor space for playing is all you really need. They might also want their own television.

A games space

If your family is right into games including billiards, table tennis, air hockey, foosball, and other games such as these then you can transform your basement space to become a gaming paradise. These types of activities are great not only for parents but for kids as well.

A media viewing space

Thanks to our advanced technology now, you can put together a good viewing and audio setup at a relatively low cost – you just need a good quality projector, a decent audio setup with surround sound, some sort of a white backdrop, and some comfy reclining chairs or maybe a big sectional couch would do the trick.

A hosting space

If you enjoy hosting family and friends then having elements such as a bar, space for tables and chairs, and a good television and couch setup might be what you’re after for entertaining.

A wine cellar

Are you a lover of quality wine? More and more people seem to be, so investing in a wine cellar where you can store lots of bottles and keep them at an ideal temperature is well suited to a basement. Or if beer is more of your thing then you can put in a tap that connects to a keg of your favourite beer.

Man cave space

There’s something about men wanting their own man cave downstairs in a basement. These can take on all kinds of forms but typically a television, couch, snack cupboard, and a bar fridge are the basic requirements. Other desired elements may include a dartboard, sports memorabilia, and arcades.

A library

Looking to add a nice, quiet space into your basement where you can read books and escape reality? Then a home library might be something that appeals to you. All you need is some room where there’s a comfortable chair or two on an area carpet, and shelving to hold your book collection. If you have kids this might also inspire them to read more, or be a nice space that is designated for doing homework after school – just add a table with some firm chairs around it.

Add a gym

If fitness is important to you and/or your family then designating some space so that some cardio machines and muscle-building equipment can have a home is all you need. You might also want a big mirror, or perhaps a mat for doing stretching and yoga will make the space more functional. Also, be sure to have good ventilation in the area so the air isn’t stale and stinky.

Getting the Most from Your Basement

Honest Renovations has renovated many home basements to make them more beautiful and functional. Our mission is to provide high-quality results to our customers, all within their budget, and we guarantee our work so you can trust that what you want is what you will get when the project is complete. We proudly serve customers in Burlington, Hamilton, Oakville, Mississauga, Niagara, Stoney Creek, Dundas, Flamborough, and the GTA. Contact us now so we can learn about your exciting project, and help you to successfully move forward with it!