While most people see a dark, dingy, and downright cave-like basement — we see potential. A basement renovation is one of the most valuable, most usable home remodel projects, notes the MHN Property Management experts. However, there are a few key basement finishing tips you should know to ensure your renovation provides maximum satisfaction for your budget.
At Choice Windows, Doors & More, we’re the home remodeling company that does it all — and we even specialize in luxury finished basements. In today’s blog, we’re sharing some of our favorite basement renovation ideas. Plus, we’re also revealing the basement finishing tips that we’ve learned by doing this kind of work for decades.
KEY BASEMENT RENOVATION IDEAS
You’re transforming one of the least used rooms of your whole house into one of your hands-down favorite places to be. You can do almost anything you want with your basement: a home theatre, a personal bar, a kids’ play area – really, the sky is the limit! These are our essential basement renovation ideas:
- Add Counter Space – Just like you would in a new kitchen, adding new countertops to your basement gives you a whole other way to utilize it. Using your newly renovated basement as a kitchenette – complete with a toaster oven, a George Foreman Grill, and a mini fridge – is a popular idea. However, with the right seating, the right countertop can create the man cave dream of a personal bar, too, at a fraction of the price. Depending on what you want to build, adding a countertop is one of our favorite basement finishing tips.
- Cover the HVAC/Appliances – You want your finished basement to have a polished feel, and nothing gets in the way of that like having a constant view of your water heater, HVAC unit, or washer and dryer. That’s why we recommend building a permanent partition around all of the utilities in your basement. Whether it’s a partial wall or full structure with a door, keeping them out of sight is a great upgrade. However, we always recommend making sure there’s enough room for technicians to work on either the water heater or HVAC unit if needed.
- Cancel the Noise – Sound proofing your basement is one of our key basement renovation ideas. Let’s say you want the true home theatre experience – or you want a play area where the kids can cause a ruckus without disrupting you. Sound proofing is key to making those things (and more) happen. As part of your basement remodel we can include a wide variety of upgrades such as noise canceling ceiling tiles, insulation, and wall panels.
- Paint and Light – Let’s think about the typical dark, dingy, and dismal basement. When you want the perfect antidote to that, you want to add brighter colors and lots of light – it’s one of our key basement renovation ideas. That’s why we also recommend using light-colored paint to create that light and open feeling. In addition, adding extra lighting is key to creating the feel of a welcoming finished basement.
- Egress Window – Our final basement finishing tip has also become a building code requirement. Having a point of egress – or exit – is important to add so you have a secondary way out of your basement in the event of a fire. We can build a stylish exit window that lets in an extra bit of natural light while ensuring your new basement is code-compliant and safe.
