We’ve got lots of basement renovation projects under our belt at TLC Inc. And I was thinking about that a bit today. I was reflecting back upon the many projects we’ve completed, and considering all of the benefits that those families have received from their renovated basements.
They’ve all added a great deal to the resale value of their homes. Even if they never sell, I’m sure that the knowledge that their homes are now worth far more than they were before the basement renovation is a comfort to them. Like having an emergency reserve of money in the bank; you may never need it, but it’s great to know that it’s there.
Another big benefit of a basement renovation is the vast amount of usable space it can add to your home. Depending upon the style of your home, and whether your home is two-story or single-story, a basement can account for as much as nearly 50% of the available square footage of your home.
For unfinished basements, that doesn’t really mean much. There’s not really much you can do with all that space when it’s a dank, dark, spidery place. But once it’s renovated into a warm, inviting, comfortable space, then all of that square footage is useable for just about any purpose you might imagine. So in one fell swoop, a family might go from being terribly cramped to having a luxurious amount of space thanks to a basement renovation.
But There’s a Less Tangible Benefit…
While I was reflecting back on the basement renovations we’ve performed, the thought struck me: the benefits of basement remodeling that we typically talk about, like those above, might not really be the greatest benefit.
I think that the greatest benefit, in fact, might be one that can’t really be measured in any tangible sense. You can’t put an economic, dollars-and-cents value to it. But I think that it might truly be the single greatest benefit of a basement renovation.
That Benefit is Family Unity
I’ve seen it so many times: A family renovates their basement in a way that makes it the center of family life. That’s because renovated basements typically include features such as home theaters, family playrooms, and super-sized, super-comfy living room spaces – features that are a draw to every member of the family.
So what happens, then, when the renovation project is completed? The family starts spending most of their leisure time in that basement – together. Before the basement renovation, they were all squirreled away in their own rooms – maybe watching TV, maybe playing games. Whatever each member of the family was doing, more often than not they were doing it separate from other family members. (Sound familiar?)
But now that renovated basement acts as a magnet, drawing the family together to enjoy the benefits of their basement. Time once spent apart becomes time spent together, as a family, enjoying family activities.
No, you can’t place any kind of tangible value to that benefit. But I’m just about convinced that that’s the single greatest benefit that a basement renovation offers to most families.