5 Benefits of a Finished Basement

September 22, 2017

An unfinished basement can be a blight on an otherwise beautiful home. If it’s left without consideration, a basement it can become a dark and uninviting area instead of a place of possibilities. When you are thinking about the basement in your custom home, consider ensuring it is finished. Here are just a few of the many benefits of a finished basement:

1. Increase Home Value

If you decide to sell your home, it will have a significantly higher market value with a finished basement. The sale may be easier, as well. Potential buyers may not be thrilled at the prospect of an unsightly basement.

An unfinished basement rarely holds appeal for prospective buyers. However, your pool of interested homeowners will grow significantly with a renovated basement. Not only will you increase the number of interested buyers, but also the value of your home as well.

2. Get Extra Space

Looking to add a new room to your home? Why pay for the extensive – and expensive – construction process afterward when you can make the best of the custom build process and build in what you want at the beginning!

Too often basements are left to the wayside and people end up spending more money than they need to on lengthy projects from scratch. Basement renovations later down the road require some specific work on aboveground rooms, which can become extensive and expensive. But, adding a finished basement into your custom home design before breaking ground can give you the extra space you want.

You can even increase the size of your home with an extra bedroom in the basement. Whether you have explicit plans for it or not, having an extra bedroom can always come in handy. It will also serve as another contribution towards increasing your property’s value. If not a bedroom, the basement is a perfect place to put an entertainment or training room.

Movies, games, and musical practice of any sort can be quite distracting for those not involved. Having it located in the basement means that you don’t have to worry as much about your noise levels. If used as an exercise room, the cooler temperatures will help keep you from overheating. It’s also a perfect place for large exercise equipment.

3. Save on Energy Bills

Unfinished basements can be an energy drain due to their lack of insulation. Having a room that siphons the heat or air conditioning from other rooms requires much more energy overall. It may be in small increments, but it adds up over time. A finished basement with proper insulation, however, contributes to maintaining a moderate temperature in your home by reducing energy inefficiencies and air leaks.

4. Use it as an Income Property

A basement can be the perfect place to put a guest room. It’s quiet and isolated so your guests will have the privacy they need. Even more advantageous, the potential to rent out this extra room becomes available. Renters will appreciate the added privacy, and it’s an easy way to receive some extra income.

In this way, a finished basement can be used to give you some income property. A basement room is separate enough from the other rooms to give the owners and renters privacy. If you need a little extra money, giving your basement a simple makeover can provide that for you in the long term.

5. Get Extra Storage

Finally, a finished basement can serve as extra storage. A basement can keep all your extra furniture and items in an easily accessible, but nonobstructive, space. It’s a great place to store things inside the home while also keeping them out of the main living areas.

Things you don’t use all the time like Christmas decorations, seasonal wardrobes, and even bulk items can be easily stored and accessed as needed. Plus, good insulation will keep any unnecessary damage from happening and keep it all organized.

These are just a few benefits of a finished basement. Finished basements do require some time and effort, but the process is more efficient when they are completed during the custom home design/build process. Not only do you get to determine your basement design, but you also get to experience a lot of short-term and long-term benefits that a finished basement provides.