Remodeling your home can offer a tremendous return on investment, as well as helping you build the home of your dreams. While bathroom and kitchen renovations tend to be the most popular areas for improvement–31% and 28% respectively in 2018–people looking to truly capitalize on space in their home and add substantial value should look no further than the basement. While it may seem daunting, a high-end basement renovation can give your house an entirely new floor, opening the door for everything from expanding families to possible rental properties. Read on for a few ideas about what a finished basement can do for you.
Consider a Media Room
If your family loves to gather around the screen for together time, a basement media room can give you the dedicated space that you need. Whether your family is made up of movie buffs, avid gamers, or anything in between, a media room provides ample opportunity to enjoy the arts in style. Built-in shelving for various media and a wet bar can add a touch of finished elegance to any basement renovation. For an even more grandiose experience, forgo the TV for a ceiling-mounted projector in order to take your viewing experience to the next level. Your movie marathons and viewing parties will never be the same.
Fitness Buff? Try a Home Gym
If an active lifestyle is an important part of your routine, why not bring the gym to you? Creating a space that’s customized for your workout will not only motivate you to work up a sweat, but will also save on pricey gym memberships in the long run. When designing your home gym, it’s important to think about a space that will actually encourage you to work out and plan your remodel accordingly. Is it important to you that your workout be full of a lot of light? Make sure that your lighting choices reflect that, and consider adding built-in mirrors to recreate your perfect yoga studio, or to watch your form while you’re lifting heavy. If you’re planning to wire the basement for sound, make sure to insulate your walls accordingly.
Give Your Kids a Playroom That Will Grow With Them
If your family has little ones, finding space for them to play that will accommodate playtime without cluttering the rest of the house can be a challenge. When considering basement finishing for playroom spaces, storage and durability should be at the top of your list of considerations. Choose durable, kid-friendly materials for all furniture and flooring that can withstand roughhousing, while still being able to grow as they do. Plenty of storage is a must, and this is another area where built-in storage can dramatically increase your return on investment. If your children are young enough to require supervised playtime, it’s important to think about how to separate the kid space from the adult space. Screens and sliding doors can be a functional way to section off the space or to hide the playroom away when adult time comes. Also, when designing a playroom basement renovation, it’s important to give special consideration to the walls. Unlike adult spaces, kids furniture tends to be much shorter, so finding balance can be tricky. You can offset this with larger artwork, but let your kids be the inspiration! Do you want to hang photographs of them or have a space for their artwork? The sky is the limit.
While basement finishing is no small task, the rewards far outweigh the challenge. Whether you’re looking for a safe haven for yourself or for your kids, a little planning, foresight, and a contractor you trust can help give you a space your family deserves. Do you have other dreams for your basement renovation? Let us know in the comments below.