Tips to Make Better Use of Your Basement

In this day and age where shopping is a common pastime, and excellent yet affordable goods are easily available, many people complain about never having enough room to store all their belongings. However, often all the storage spaces in a property are not being used effectively.

If you’re in the situation of having closets overflowing and your stress levels going through the roof because you can never find a spot to put everything, consider unused space in your house. In particular, what are you doing to utilize your basement right now? If you’re like many people, probably not a lot.

It doesn’t have to take a huge amount of time or money to give your basement a makeover and make it a place you and your family can make good use of, though. Read on for some tips you can follow to freshen up your property’s lower area in the coming months.

Get Rid of Junk

For starters, get rid of the junk that has filled up your basement over the years. By doing this, you’ll clear room to work out if there are any issues that need to be addressed and make it possible for tradespeople and/or designers to get in there and do some work. It’s necessary, too, to declutter so you can make the basement look bigger and utilize it more effectively.

Plan the Layout in Advance

The more planning you do upfront, the smoother the renovation or redesigning work will go, and the less time and money it will likely take. Plus, by sitting down and thinking about how you want the space to look and feel when it’s complete and how you and your family need to use it, you will feel more organized and have less stress.

Part of your planning phase should include setting a budget for the project. It is wise to give yourself a final number that you’re willing to spend and then work back from there to decide how much money you can allocate to each part of the work. For example, budget for contractor labor, the purchase of materials, new furniture and accessories and so on.

Fix Damage or Faults

Since you probably haven’t been using your basement much lately, you may find that once you declutter you spot a variety of issues. There may be damage to your basement or various faults that need to be addressed before much else can be done.

For example, it’s common for basements to be damp, dark places with mold and mildew issues. This is because many below-ground areas don’t have much ventilation. Plus, you could have leaking or burst pipes, dodgy flooring or cracks in windows which have been allowing moisture to get in without you realizing. These kinds of problems will need to be sorted out by tradespeople such as plumbers, builders or other contractors.

You may also notice that your basement has holes in walls. If so, get this addressed ASAP, so pests don’t get in (or stay in). Search for service providers in your area who do this kind of job regularly. For instance, take a look at these Houston drywall repair service options. If you notice evidence that pests have gotten into your basement (such as rats, mice, cockroaches, hornets, silverfish, snakes or termites), you’ll need to call a pest control person to help get the issue under control.

Install Lighting

Since many basements don’t have any or many windows, they often end up being pretty dark. To make your lower-level space more appealing, have an electrician come by to install additional lighting for you. Putting in proper overhead lighting will not only make it easier to use, but it can also make the room much more inviting and comfortable. You can add desk or floor lamps too for additional illumination and charm.

Fix up the Flooring

Another tip to make better use of your basement is to fix up the flooring. Many of these areas only have concrete on the floor, which makes rooms feel bland and keeps them quite cold. To enable you and your family to use the space year-round, complete the basement makeover with new flooring such as laminate, hardwood, cork, vinyl or carpet. If you can’t afford to do this, at least add some large area rugs to warm things up.