If you’re running out of room in your house, preparing to put it on the market or want to find a way to earn some extra income each week, then giving your basement a makeover is an excellent decision. You can turn that dingy, cluttered space into a useable room for you and your family, show potential buyers another reason to put in an offer or rent out your space via Airbnb or some other booking agency to generate additional household funds.
No matter what your goals are, now is a great time to think about freshening up your basement area. Read on for some tips to give it a memorable facelift today.
Make a Plan
Think about exactly what kind of space you want to create and how you want it to look and feel when all the work is done. How do you need to use the area, and what new elements have to be factored in?
Create a budget for how much you’re willing to spend on your basement makeover, and then plan out how much each particular task or purchase of materials and décor etc. will cost. If you need to hire contractors, make sure you budget in enough for this, and plan out when they need to be at your home and in what order if you’re using multiple people (such as demolishers, tilers, carpet layers, electricians, plumbers, painters etc.). It’s much more economical if you arrange tradespeople to come in the correct order, rather than having to pay extra for people to come back at a later time to finish jobs or fit in tasks at after-hours rates.
Do Some Decluttering
For work to be done on your basement, you’ll first need to clear it out, so you or tradespeople can get proper access. Plus, getting rid of a lot of junk will also make the finished space look better, be more usable and increase its attractiveness to potential buyers.
Over the years, you’ve probably allowed your basement to turn into a junk room, so you will need to spend time decluttering. Search through your items to work out what needs to be repaired, what can be moved upstairs and actually used, which goods can be donated or recycled and which things simply have to go in the bin.
Get Rid of Problems
Once you’ve got all the mess out of your basement, it’s time to evaluate the space. Look around and see if there are any problems to be addressed. For example, you could have any number of pests, damaged structural elements or elements that aren’t up to code.
Another issue which is a big one for many homes is mold and mildew. Lots of properties have basement water damage caused by moisture getting inside the space (e.g. through burst or leaking pipes, bad flooring, cracks in walls, leaks from above, etc.), in addition to poor ventilation, which compounds the issue. This is particularly the case in unfinished basements.
To get rid of the dank smell, chronic dampness, a flooding problem, plus even a potential health hazard, you need to address the underlying issues straight away. Find the source of the problem(s). If this isn’t immediately obvious, pull shelving, storage units, boxes and the like away from walls and check into all the corners and along the ceiling for signs of moisture. You may need to get a plumber and/or contractor in to do some work.
If your basement has windows and an outside door, open these up and run a fan to circulate the air. If not, purchase a dehumidifier to try to combat the moisture issue. Kill mold and mildew spores with bleach and water solutions or other dedicated products, and check windows and vents to ensure everything is operating properly.
If you have carpet in your basement that has gotten wet over time, it and the underlay will likely need to be removed to eradicate odors. Adding a fresh coat of paint will also not only do wonders to get rid of musty smells, but it will brighten up the space and make it more welcoming.
Once you have addressed these and other issues, you can bring in your contractors or otherwise get to work breathing life into your old basement space.