Like a masterful performance, with its blistering heat and unexpected storms, summer comes to and end soon. After having fun all summer, it’s never too early to think about what Autumn brings when it opens its doors. Sooner than later, your social activities at home will be moving from outdoor to indoor and you need to have a space designated to share comfortably with your friends and family. This is where the basement comes into action!
Benefits
Remodeling your basement can provide more living space to an area commonly used to do laundry and store belongings. For the most part, older properties face the challenge of not having enough room for the whole family due to their antiquated design.
Additional benefits of remodeling your basement include:
• Provides additional income by renting the newly remodeled basement.
• Significantly increases your property value in the event of a sale or refinance as long as it’s permitted by the county.
Uses
You can use your basement for anything you want. There are no limits, no restrictions. Let your imagination fly. Don’t let your budget hold you back too much. Start by thinking what you want the ultimate purpose of your basement to be. For example, think about your family. Do you need to accommodate children, teenagers, pets? What do you as a family spend doing moreoften?
Here are some ideas:
• Home office – For some people, the days of working from home are here to stay. Even if you work doing a hybrid role (some days at the office and the others at home), distractions abound at home. That’s why having a designated office space at home is beneficial to be able to focus and concentrate on getting all those tasks completed on time.
• Home gym – If you enjoy working out and going to the gym, why not bring the gym home? You can buy the same machines/weights you use at your local gym in your basement. Having a home gym will make it easier to fit exercise into your busy schedule and save you money on gas and memberships.
• Entertainment room – If you and your family are movie fanatics, there’s nothing better than to convert your basement into a private entertainment room with out-of-thisworld sound and a huge screen where you can watch movies, sports and shows while sitting in reclining sofas, loveseats, or sectionals.
• Second family room – When you have a big and growing family, it’s best to have a second family room where you can fit more people. If you have children, you can assign the basement for them to interact in while the adults have fun in the main living room (or vice versa).
• Home bar – Entertain your friends and family with a more personalized (you can add a nice countertop from MSI if you want) and safe experience in the comfort of your own home. In addition to a home bar, you can add a pool table, dart board, and even a ping pong table!
• Gameroom/Playroom – Add comfortable couches, gaming chairs, cabinets, a big screen and some ambient lighting to create a gaming haven in your home. The beauty of this is that it can appeal to both adults and kids. Don’t forget to add soundproofing if you plan to game all night (and not wake up the people upstairs). You can also dedicate an area just for the kids where they can store toys and games and be able to have some funinside when it’s too cold to play outside.
Styles
Everyone’s preferences are different, but I would recommend that your basement style blends in as much as possible with its use. Depending on your property’s home structure, your basement remodel will fall under one of the following categories: walk-out, standard, or garden-level.
• A walkout basement is partially or all above ground. This type of basement has a point of exit in the front or back to walk out of, usually leading to an outdoor space, like a patio or backyard. It has sufficient room for big windows, allowing natural light to shine through.
• Standard basements usually push the main level a few feet above the ground. A set of stairs are used to get from the main floor to the backyard and a deck can be built right above the basement. There’s not much light coming in, but you can still add windows to allow in as much light as possible.
• The garden-level basement is partially above and below ground. It does not have a door to the backyard, and it allows light to come in the least. You will need to dedicate some space to add sufficient lighting in addition to adding in-swing egress windows to turn your basement remodel into a proper room.
Your masterpiece
In the end, remodeling your basement is a project that has nothing but benefits. If you are finishing your basement for personal use, consider adding rooms that fit your lifestyle. A finished basement with ample open space, a bedroom and a bathroom will have greater return on investment but most importantly will allow you to have the space necessary to create many wonderful memories at home.
On the other hand, if you are completing a basement for resale, analyze what the current trends in your market are. You need to keep in mind how an average person will make use of the basement. Finishing your basement in a way that aligns with what future home buyers are searching for will only increase the value of your house. This will allow your property to stand out in this competitive market.
Schedule an initial consult or give us a call at 703-989-8744 – We offer 100% free consultations, designs, and estimates!