Category Archives: Basements

Ever since the COVID pandemic started around March 2020, more and more people are spending time at home. Their home is truly their sanctuary.

With that in mind, do you have a basement? Is it finished? A lot of people have basements that are “bare bones” whereas they might have a furnace, water heater and some other equipment down there, and perhaps a washer-dryer combo. Then it’s pretty much piles of cardboard boxes and “stuff” that’s being stored. However, these days, it’s time to start thinking of the basement as functional space– not just unused or storage space.

Finished Basements = More Space

Can you create more functional space by finishing your basement? Definitely. You could actually make your basement so nice that you’d actually want to hang out down there. What are some uses of a finished basement? A lot of men like to create their “man cave” featuring a bar, movie screen, comfortable chairs, and a place to play video games or poker. Women might like to create a “craft room” where they can not only store their crafting supplies, but also have a well-lit table to do their work on– nice! And what about kids? Why not finish the basement and have a giant kids’ play area, complete with lots of toys and perhaps a jungle gym or pool of colorful balls to jump into? This is especially nice during a cold, snowy Syracuse winter.

Some people decide to finish their basement because their family is growing and they need more bedrooms. They might even want to add a “downstairs toilet and shower” for longtime overnight guests.

Finishing a basement helps expand a home’s square footage without having to do a room addition to the house. It can also help increase your home’s value.

Do you want to explore the idea of finishing your basement? Scott Merle Builders in Syracuse, New York, can help you figure out “the plan” and then make it a reality. Please call 315-409-4124 for more info.

Are you currently utilizing your basement or is it just “there” and not really being used? Maybe it’s time you have  your basement professionally finished…

Increase Property Value

Basements can increase the value of your property if they’re finished because they add value to the house. You can have a nice living space created in the basement, and it can be used for a variety of purposes. 

More Versatile Space

Sometimes people get their basement finished because they need another bedroom or two. It’s easier to finish the basement than it is to add on a whole other section of the house. Say you and your spouse have kids… and more kids… and you need bedrooms for them– why not use the basement? As long as the basement has two forms of egress (ways to get out safely in case of a fire), you should be good. Also, to be considered a bedroom, the room must have a closet.

In addition to bedrooms, people often want to add an additional bathroom, and they can have it in their basement! If you add a bedroom and a bathroom to your basement, these improvements significantly increase the value of your property, especially in a market where people are looking for several bedrooms and bathrooms in a house they buy. Plus, if there are zoning restrictions that don’t allow you to make certain additions to your property, you can use your basement and still gain functional space. 

A Place for Hosting

Finally, people like getting their basements finished to add space for out-of-town guests, as well as storage and/or recreation purposes. Maybe it becomes a place for kids to play and run around in, or where teens gather at a ping pong table or a pool table. Or it’s where friends stay overnight when they come to visit… 

Are you thinking of getting your basement finished? In the Syracuse area, have Scott Merle Builders do the job; call 315-409-4124 for more info.