Simple Suggestions For Staging Your Basement

Not every house has a basement, but a house that does have a basement has the opportunity to maximize some additional storage and entertaining space. The basement can be utilized for a guest room where visiting friends or relatives can spend the night; others set up their entertainment center or home theatre in the basement. Other common uses for the basement include wine cellars, laundry room or display area for collections or personal projects.

But, it is also true that in a lot of homes today, the basement has become just some storage unit for old furniture and fixtures that have to be dumped in order to make way for new ones in the house. Basements often serve as extra-large extended cabinets for old clothes and shoes, and over time can be in such a neglected state that the occupants rarely ever venture down there for fear of the dust, cobwebs, and clutter.

If you are selling your home and looking for professional Kelowna home staging to increase your selling success, the basement is not an area of the house you can just leave out of the equation. Potential buyers will be sure to look at the basement during showings, and if they see all the junk and clutter, it can have a bad effect on how they assess your home as a whole. If staged properly, on the other hand, a functional basement that blends beautifully with the rest of the house will increase your property's marketability.

Where to start

Start with a general clean-up of your basement. Leave no stone unturned when it comes to cleanliness; start with the door and stairs leading to the basement, and move on down to the entire basement. Depending on how much non-maintenance your basement has endured over a period of time, this can take a whole day or even a week, but the results will be worth it.

During the clean-up, get rid of things and furniture items that you no longer have use for. Furniture and other stuff that are still in decent condition but have outgrown their use for you can be sold at a yard sale, and you can use what money you get from the sales for other basement staging projects. Another option would be to donate some of your old belongings to a local charity; many charitable organizations accept donations of old furniture, which they can restore and use again.

Get a theme going

Depending on the size and layout of your basement, you can showcase its strongest points and highlight how the next owners can maximize the space. Is it big enough for a pool table, a family den, or a home gym? If it is already being used by your family for recreation or entertainment, simply highlighting the potential would be enough to communicate to the potential buyer that it is an essential part of the rest of the house, and not just an unused area.

One thing most basements lack is natural lighting, so invest in contemporary, energy-efficient layers of lighting that can transform the basement into a warm, welcoming space. As much as possible, the flooring should also be in line with what the rest of the house has. For instance, if your living room is carpeted, area rugs for the basement add continuity while also providing warmth and insulation to the cold basement floor.

Small touch-ups matter a lot

Strategically placed flowers and plants make your basement look alive and less cold. Other little updates such as the right window treatments will make clients want to stay in the basement longer. Most likely, the basement does not have a view; if the only view outside the window is half of the street above or the pavement, add drapes or blinds that make the basement more homey. In addition, a few pieces of sculpture or art work add a dash of sophistication and luxury to the basement, so keep these details in mind in basement home staging.