Add value by sprucing up your unfinished basement

Your unfinished basement holds a lot of potential. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing and spice up this under-utilized area in no time to add appeal.

Add a pop of color. Give your basement a whole new look without a big renovation by adding some color to the space. Consider painting and sealing the floors, lightening up the room by painting the ceiling joists white, or creating a bold accent wall.

1. Divide the space. Want to make your basement a multi-use area? Partition off the space by installing an inexpensive curtain system.
2. Add foam mats. Whether you’d like to use the basement as a home gym to get a quick workout in or a place for the kids to play and rough house, adding some foam mats into the mix is a great and easy solution.
3. Use a large rug. As an alternative to adding mats, find a large, eye-catching rug to be used as a focal point, and furnish the area around it.
4. Add lighting. Basements often offer very little built-in lighting and few outlets around the room. Consider stringing café lighting across space from the rafters to give a nice ambiance and glow without any difficult electrical work.