Reinventing the Basement
Wine cellars, game rooms and home gyms popular alternatives
By Carrie Oleynik
Originally Published in The Daily Record's Maryland Distinctive Properties Magazine, August/September 2007
Starting from the ground up with a finished basement may prove to be a gold mine come selling time. Experts say that remodeling a basement can mean an asking price of an additional 25 percent when trying to flip a house.
And, when it comes to remodeling a basement, the possibilities are endless. From hair salons to wine cellars to an Olympic-sized ping pong room, over the 17 years that real estate guru Margaret Rome has been selling homes around Baltimore, she's seen it all.
"The more interesting you can make your house and the more features you have in your home, the easier it's going to be to sell," Rome said.
Sometimes basement makeovers turn into the ideal location for a children's playroom: From cork or chalkboard walls to extra storage space, the room can become a special space for kids to express their creativity. If children are home-schooled, the room can be used like a classroom. According to Rome, many families also choose to build an au-pair, in-law or visitor's suite with a separate bedroom, bathroom and outside recreation area.
"The area is built so you still have privacy in the home when people visit," Rome explained. "That extra space is so special to have."
For wine collectors, remodeling a basement can provide a climate-controlled location to store bottles before drinking or selling.
Devoted dog owners may choose to build a spot for pets to play while the family is not at home. After all, remodeling a special space for a dog with an all-access pass to a caged-in area outside of the house can turn today's accident into yesterday's distant memory.
On the entertainment end of basement remodeling, building your own private country club may serve to be the perfect retreat. Rome said that when it came time to sell a house featuring a basement with marble floors, glass block, a bocce ball table and pool table, the house wasn't on the market for long. Other high-end items like a home gym or office may find the perfect fit in unused basement space. Rather than renting out an office, remodeling a basement may not only be a convenient location but a tax write-off if the space is being solely used for business purposes.
Depending on the project's details, remodeling a basement can take anywhere from 30 to 100 days, regardless of its intended use, said Ross Ehudin, owner of G&E Contractors. G&E Contractors has been upgrading basements for the past 60 years. Ehudin said that today's homeowners are spending up to $30,000 in makeovers.
Before working with contractors, he recommends that homeowners visit stores like Expo or surf on the Web so they can bring their own ideas into the planning from the very beginning.
"They really want it to be special," Ehudin said. "There are only so many ways that you can lay out a basement.
"It really comes down to getting a good contractor that you can trust."
By Carrie Oleynik
Originally Published in The Daily Record's Maryland Distinctive Properties Magazine, August/September 2007
Starting from the ground up with a finished basement may prove to be a gold mine come selling time. Experts say that remodeling a basement can mean an asking price of an additional 25 percent when trying to flip a house.
And, when it comes to remodeling a basement, the possibilities are endless. From hair salons to wine cellars to an Olympic-sized ping pong room, over the 17 years that real estate guru Margaret Rome has been selling homes around Baltimore, she's seen it all.
"The more interesting you can make your house and the more features you have in your home, the easier it's going to be to sell," Rome said.
Sometimes basement makeovers turn into the ideal location for a children's playroom: From cork or chalkboard walls to extra storage space, the room can become a special space for kids to express their creativity. If children are home-schooled, the room can be used like a classroom. According to Rome, many families also choose to build an au-pair, in-law or visitor's suite with a separate bedroom, bathroom and outside recreation area.
"The area is built so you still have privacy in the home when people visit," Rome explained. "That extra space is so special to have."
For wine collectors, remodeling a basement can provide a climate-controlled location to store bottles before drinking or selling.
Devoted dog owners may choose to build a spot for pets to play while the family is not at home. After all, remodeling a special space for a dog with an all-access pass to a caged-in area outside of the house can turn today's accident into yesterday's distant memory.
On the entertainment end of basement remodeling, building your own private country club may serve to be the perfect retreat. Rome said that when it came time to sell a house featuring a basement with marble floors, glass block, a bocce ball table and pool table, the house wasn't on the market for long. Other high-end items like a home gym or office may find the perfect fit in unused basement space. Rather than renting out an office, remodeling a basement may not only be a convenient location but a tax write-off if the space is being solely used for business purposes.
Depending on the project's details, remodeling a basement can take anywhere from 30 to 100 days, regardless of its intended use, said Ross Ehudin, owner of G&E Contractors. G&E Contractors has been upgrading basements for the past 60 years. Ehudin said that today's homeowners are spending up to $30,000 in makeovers.
Before working with contractors, he recommends that homeowners visit stores like Expo or surf on the Web so they can bring their own ideas into the planning from the very beginning.
"They really want it to be special," Ehudin said. "There are only so many ways that you can lay out a basement.
"It really comes down to getting a good contractor that you can trust."
