As our families grow, it soon becomes apparent that the house you bought 15 years ago is no longer big enough. The problem is that you may really like where you are living or can't afford all the stress and costs associated with moving home. This is why people are looking for ways to make their homes more usable. Some people convert their lofts or build an extension, whilst others convert their basements. Some people aren't keen on using their basement for a room because they are underground and often get very little, if any, natural day light.



However there are some rooms that can work exceptionally well in a basement. Here are some ideas for you:-

1. Music or Theatre Room: These sorts of rooms are becoming more and more popular. Music and TV systems are becoming cheaper and more sophisticated so people are looking to create dedicated rooms. If you plan on going ahead you'll probably want to have acoustic lining installed onto the ceiling and walls. Because the majority of basements don't get much light, this makes them the ideal space for home cinemas.

2. Games Room: This is a room which the whole family can enjoy; not just the kids. There are so many games you can have down there such as darts, pool or maybe have your own cocktail bar. For parties you can have loud music playing and not worry too much about the neighbors because of the natural soundproofing. A party atmosphere can be created with some paint, nice flooring and some ambient lighting.

3. Workshop: Because workshops are pretty dirty and messy places anyway, you won't have to spend too much money converting your basement for this purpose. The only thing you should be aware of is access to the basement. If you are crafting large items such as wardrobes you need to be sure that you can get them out of the door OK.

4. Home Gym: Everyone wants to get fit these days so having your own home gym will save you time and money going to a members only gym. If you drop any of your equipment it doesn't matter so much, especially if you have rubber flooring installed. Good ventilation is essential so that you get a good supply of air. This is very important when exercising.

How much money and effort you spend on decorating your basement depends entirely on what you plan on doing with it. Even if you plan on moving home in the near future, decorating your basement will be a really good selling point.