Turning the Basement Into More Living Space

If your home had an unfinished basement when you bought it, you may have looked at the basement and saw tons of possibilities — a home theater, a family room, a rec room, and more. If you’re finally ready to get started on your basement project this summer, EZ Storage® in Detroit can help you find a self-storage unit that fits your needs. Contact one of our metro-area locations today to get started!

Home Theater

Instead of using the basement solely for storage, you might want to transform it into a state-of-the-art home theater. You’ve already designed the space in your head, and now you want to start putting it all together. You have the new flat screen TV picked out, you know which surround sound system you want, and you have the perfect seating options in mind.

Before you get started, however, it’s important to make sure that the basement is properly wired and soundproofed for optimal picture and audio. You may need to install new carpet and add sound-dampening panels on the walls to get the right acoustics. You can also make sure you have outlets in the right spots for the TV, the stereo receiver, and more. This might require hiring an electrician or a home theater technician to install new cables and outlets.

Family Room

If you have kids, you might feel that no matter how big your home is, there’s never enough space for everyone. Turning the basement into a cozy family room can give you that extra space, and you can use the room for whatever you need — family game night, movie watching, etc. With new carpet, furniture, and decor, you can create a new living space that’s comfortable for everyone, and it will definitely get used quite a bit as the kids get older.

Before laying new carpet and moving new furniture into the basement, it can be a good idea to have the foundation and walls checked for any issues, as you don’t want water getting inside and damaging the carpet or furniture. You should also have the basement walls insulated, if they aren’t already, so that the temperature stays consistent in the family room throughout the year. If you don’t have ductwork in what will become your family room space, it can be beneficial to have a professional give you a quote on what it would cost to add heating and air conditioning to the room.

Rec Room

The one idea that’s at the top of many homeowners’ minds when it comes to the basement is turning it into a game or rec room. You might have memories of playing pool or ping pong in your basement as a kid, and you want to take that unfinished space and transform it into a room where you and your family can have hours of fun. You might have plans to add a pinball machine or vintage arcade cabinet as well, bringing in things from your childhood.

When setting up your rec room, as with a home theater, you’ll have to think about power sources. You’ll need to plug in the pinball and arcade machines, and while a pool table doesn’t need power, you will need a light above the table. This might require some new wiring, but once everything is in place, you’ll have a rec room that is everything you’ve always wanted.

Find Storage Today

While turning your unfinished basement into a home theater, family room, or rec room sounds like a lot of fun, it will also take time to complete these projects. If you’re using your basement for storage at the moment, those boxes, extra pieces of furniture, and other items will need to be stored somewhere as you or anyone you hire works on the space. At EZ Storage®, we pride ourselves on offering convenient and affordable self-storage units that help take the stress out of keeping your belongings safe.

If you’re taking some time this summer to turn your basement into something new, visit one of our locations in the greater Detroit area to see how we can help you. Our staff will gladly answer any questions you have, and can show you which units are currently available.

We look forward to seeing you soon!