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Imagine this: It’s the first 80-something-degree day of the year and you’re touring a house that’s for sale. You spot a swimming pool in the backyard and, suddenly, nothing else about the listing matters—you’re sold. Our mind can play tricks on us in these ways, and that’s the very reason houses with pools unsurprisingly close for an average $34,000 more in the spring versus the winter, according to a new report released by Opendoor. Similarly, homes on one or more acres close at about 5.3 percent higher in the spring, and places with three or more bedrooms are not far behind.
But there is one feature in particular that will boost a home’s value almost as much as a swimming pool: a roomy basement. Opendoor also found that homes with basements over 1,000 square feet close for $32,000 more than expected in March, April, and May. The usable square footage is a bonus, no doubt, especially if the space is completely finished, but we also suspect many see the basement as a cooling escape from the sun. If your basement is your selling point this month, or if you’re planning on buying a house with a lot of basement to offer, here are three ways to make the most of a spacious lower level.
Beautify Your Chore Zone
EyeSwoon’s Athena Calderone no longer dreads the trek downstairs when she needs to toss in a load of laundry. There are happy green cabinets (sourced from Wayfair!) and terrazzo checkerboard floor tiles that keep her company as she washes and folds.
Welcome Guests, But Only When Necessary
San Francisco–based designer Alison Damonte’s clients tasked her with transforming their unfinished basement into the ultimate flex zone, somewhere their teens can hang and guests can sleep. A wall bed was a necessity, but this one from Resource Furniture is more than that: When the mattress is tucked away, it offers open shelves for displaying objects.
Go Beyond the Basic Playroom
There’s so much more to a great play area than foam floor mats and toddler-size craft tables. In this basement reno, the dead space underneath the stairs was used to provide storage for Legos, board games, and blankets as well as a built-in reading alcove that the homeowner attests can comfortably fit their whole family at the same time.