Maybe we have been renting a place for too long, but when the time comes to buy our own place, we can be overrun with ideas. For once, you have the chance to make a place yours, and yours alone. As such, you can find ideas to communicate your own aesthetic, through colors, decorations, and furniture. But, depending on the house, you may want to add extra space, and this is where a basement could come in handy. Why have a basement? Well, if you are living with other people, and you need a bit of space for yourself, a basement provides that. Likewise, it can be a place where all of the junk goes, or you could banish your significant other there to have parties down there so they don’t clutter up the rest of the house! The options for a basement are endless! So, what are the essentials to put in place for the ideal basement?
Is It Feasible?
If you bought a house with a basement already in there, then it’s plain sailing! You can turn it into whatever you want, but if you’re looking to add a basement to the property, you need to find out if the plot of land is suitable. It depends on the ground and site conditions, such as unsuitable bedrock, a high water table, pre-existing structures, or even if archaeological discoveries are present! But as long as you aren’t on an ancient Indian burial ground, your home will be safe from hauntings and objections from the neighbors!
Protecting The Space
It’s an amazing hideaway, sure, but a basement comes with a lot of risks to house and home. After all, a basement requires solid construction, but it also needs to be waterproofed. If you’re creating a new basement, it is essential that you have the knowledge in place. However, you can easily just find out more content on waterproofing from a reliable waterproofing company. It’s essential that any structure below ground level is waterproofed because the potential for waterlogging is very high. But what you have to remember as far as waterproofing is concerned is that there are three different types; tanking, the structure of the property providing the waterproofing, and the incorporation of a water management system. While this is all very technical, contacting a waterproofing specialist and going through all of this will give you your options, budget permitting.
The Useful Uses
A basement can be a storage facility, hideaway, or a place to party. Think about the house and if you want to add an extra layer of style in the basement. Because a basement can be particularly unattractive, because of the structural essentials, this doesn’t mean that you can’t work hard to disguise these things. It’s a delicate balance, depending on where the essential structures are. Generally, you’ve got a particularly unappealing staircase, leading down to some dark and dingy quarters. And as such, the basement could do with some renovating to make it brighter. Adding light is an essential component to a basement, but also finding some tricks to help reflect light back into the space can help as well. Brass, mirrors, as well as numerous reflective surfaces of this ilk, can help reflect light back into the space, making the basement appear brighter. If you think about what you want to use the space for, let this dictate what you need to add to it as far as style and color is concerned. But if you want to make it a bit more practical, then you’ve got to give consideration to the layout and your budget. It’s important that you create a floor plan that will help you realize your vision. A space like a guest room will likely need a bathroom, for example.
Making It One Of The Highlights Of Your Home
A basement from the perspective of a house buyer is a big draw. Of course, the space can be small or it can be expansive. Depending on the size of the space, you can lay it out accordingly. As the basement doesn’t need to be somewhere to store all your old items, you can make it an extra living room. As such, you can look at installing focal points, like couches, bookcases, and other items to make the space look homely. This works particularly well you want to turn it into a guest room. If you have got a small space, this is one of the ideal options. But if you’ve got a large area, you could even think about transforming it into a few different rooms for different purposes.
Styling The Space
It’s not just the battle against the light you’ve got to fight in a basement space, it’s about accentuating the size so that it can look smaller or bigger, depending on your purpose. If you want to make the space look smaller, work with strong colors that add a little extra. Neutral colors like white and gray make a space look bigger. If you have got a small basement space, you can use color to your advantage by allocating the space for different purposes. For example, if you want to make one part of the basement a place to relax, you can define this with relaxing colors, a dimmer switch, and a sofa.
A basement can either be the highlight of a home or just the dumping ground. If you’ve been renting for so long, and you’re looking for somewhere with more space, and the opportunity to express yourself, a new home provides that canvas. A basement can be a home of multiple uses, but before you get to that point, you’ve got to ensure that it’s a safe structure and it ties in with the rest of the house. A basement can be one of those dark areas that people are scared to venture to, or it can be the place that everybody runs to when they get home. A basement can be a hideaway, but in the best possible way!
