Deciding the layout of your basement is one of the best ways to make sure you are getting everything you want from your new home or your basement remodel. Basements often become significant storage areas or unused spaces, but if you do some careful planning, you will end up using your basement just as much as the main floor. Have a look at some of these great ideas for rooms that you can add to your basement layout that can help you in the future.
1. Consider it a Separate Space
If you have a teenager in your family that is looking for their own space, then you should consider putting in the extra work to give them their own floor in the basement of your home. Adding a door to the outside is another way to foster independence, but it can also be a way to make some money in the future. Once your teenager moves out, you can use the extra floor as a short-term rental and make some of the money back that you put into the additional details.
If you plan on building your basement to be suited to a rental property, have a look at the regulations in your area so you can be sure you are following all of them as you build. You will likely want to add an extra bathroom and kitchen, but a door to the outside is essential in some places if you are considering renting it out eventually. You will also need to make sure the windows are a specific size to ensure that there is a safe exit in case of a fire. This is one of the best basement ideas for new homes as the rise of short term rentals has made many people reconsider unused space in their homes and it can be a great way to get extra income.
2. Get the little ones out of your hair
Many parents prefer their kid’s playrooms to be in the basement over the upstairs floors. The noise level is significantly reduced, and you won’t need to worry about anyone playing too close to the windows. If you want to go the extra mile, try building your basement around your kids toys. You can be sure they are having the best time possible underneath your feet.
Look into building a large playroom and a few smaller rooms that can be used for individual entertainment ideas. Think about building a gaming room, a movie room, or a music room to keep the noise (and kids!) downstairs while encouraging their creativity and independence. Look into using kid-friendly carpeting and paint to make sure the basement stays clean and look for some basement design ideas to incorporate storage for their toys.
3. Make it into your dream basement
Many people are afraid of making too many personalized improvements to their homes in case they choose to sell in the next few years, but any real estate agent will tell you that these improvements can often make the house sell faster. A built-in bar or a man-cave-style entertainment room area are things to put on a listing to make them stand out from the rest. If you have even thought about making some upgrades to your home to help you handle your hobby, your basement is a great place to do it.
If you want to add in some features, then look for high-quality additions over cheap shelves and figure out a way to make them easily adjustable so the new owners can use them for whatever they’d like. Look into hiring a contractor to build the items into the home, or consider going the DIY route and building them yourself. A new buyer will appreciate the extra touches that were put into the space over a purchased shelf that has been screwed into the wall.
4. Make it work for you
One of the best ways to use extra space is by making it do some work that helps out the rest of the house. Using your basement as storage sounds like a recipe for disaster, but if you designate the storage, it can be easily organized and kept clean. Installing a storage system can make the space functional, and it will be appealing to any new buyers that are looking to move into a home with plenty of storage space available.
You can also look into making the basement into a laundry room or a workshop. Laundry rooms have become increasingly popular in the last few years with the rise of farmhouse-style homes, and many people have started to dream about a space that is reserved just for their appliances instead of just sticking them in a corner. A workshop is another great idea as it could be used for so many different styles of building. Install a pegboard wall or a heavy-duty workbench in the area to designate the room as a workspace, and you will appeal to many different hobbyists.
5. Wide open spaces
Finished basements are often defined by walls, so why not leave them as open as possible? Look into what needs to be done to give the first-floor support while keeping the basement in an open floor plan. Open rooms are great because many people are looking for a large space that they can work with instead of rooms that won’t suit their needs.
This makes it easy to change up the space when you want to, and it’s a great way to have a minimalist look. If you want to make some slightly defined spaces while you are living in the home, look into choosing different paint colours for different spaces. A “play” area for kids can be a fun colour with some cute decals, but the “office area” can be a subdued sand or sage. This is a great way to create some wall-free rooms, so everyone can enjoy the space at the same time.
6. Half and Half
Splitting your basement in half is a great way to designate two different areas for two separate things (or people!) and it’s one of the best basement layout ideas for large spaces. If you have siblings that prefer their own play areas, then separating the basement is a fantastic way to give everyone what they want. We mentioned already how you need to make sure you are building the basement to be sturdy, and this is important to remember when it comes to building a dividing wall.
A simple wall is a great idea to give some division to the area while maintaining the large space that a basement typically has. It’s important to make sure you are placing the wall in a good spot that will help with the structure of the first floor, and this might mean one room will end up larger than the other. Make sure you have a builder that has some knowledge of what is required to figure out a structural wall; otherwise, you could end up with major problems in your basement in the future.
Whether you are planning your basement as you build or you are redesigning your basement to give it a new look, changing the layout is one of the most drastic ways to make a statement. Designing your basement is a great idea for anyone that wants to make sure all of the spaces in their homes are used, and it’s a great way to draw in a wide variety of new buyers when it comes to selling. Have some fun with the space and make it work for you by using one of these great basement layout design ideas.
