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| Flickr image by Haydnseek |
The basement has many similar attractions as the garage;
regardless of how specific your intentions were for its use, these are soon
overpowered by step-and-toss habits. The huge open areas of the basement
attract castoffs of various shapes and sizes. It is generally accessible with
its stairs, which eventually becomes a depository of items easily hidden in the
shadowy corners of the basement.
Although some basements function as laundry rooms or home
offices, they still turn into receptacles of unneeded or rarely used
items. Thus it becomes a dumping space.
The chief factor that determines your decision for basement remodeling
is utter necessity: If you are in need of space to hold small group activities
or simply for storage, consider the basement as a potential real estate. You
might need a small business office and could not take it have it anywhere
else. Many homes today require a home
office. We all need a place to manage
household finances, arrange family schedules, and keep our records.
If you have an unused basement, but have no place for a home
office, game room, or hobby studio, check if the basement can meet that
function. Of course, you might have to
clean and renovate your basement to accommodate its new role. Although this
would eat up a large chunk of your time and would probably call for a removal
of some (or a lot) of excess stuff, turning your basement into something more
functional would be a lot better than moving or reconstructing.
One other factor to take note of as you assess the potential
of your basement is its condition. When your basement flooring has dirt or
rough concrete floor and rough walls, you will not want to assign a playroom
there! If it contains the cesspool pump in that must run nonstop to keep the
water level in check, the basement can't be used as a feasible home office
space. Check for leaks and mildew problems.
If this is the case postpone your basement conversion task until you
have fixed these issues. You may need to
avail basement waterproofing services. These
are among the basic considerations on planning or redefining your basement use.
Tips on Organizing Your Basement