When you think of basements, what comes to mind? For me, it is the memories of dark, dank, slightly creepy rooms accessed by rickety wooden steps and home to the washer, dryer, canned goods and perhaps a tv and couch that were slightly worse for wear. Often used for precisely that, basements first started as cellars – an underground or partially underground space that was used to store crops or store items that needed to be kept at a lower temperature before the advent of refrigeration. In the 1950s with the development of suburban homes, basements changed into larger rooms often with concrete floors and walls where the furnace, water heater, breaker panel, fuse box and yes, washer and dryer were located.
But gone are the days where a basement is strictly functional and creepy by default. Today’s basements are often finished, desirable living spaces that have a lot to offer the modern homeowner. These rooms provide added value not only monetarily, but also through flexibility of its uses. Today we’ll explore a few.
Monetarily, a finished basement adds more usable/livable square footage to a home, increasing its resale value. In some locations, those that have a kitchenette, bathroom, and exterior access (walkout basements) can be income producing as rental spaces.
Storage becomes much easier with basement spaces, finished or unfinished. Boxes of holiday decorations, childhood memorabilia and that furniture you don’t quite have room for but can’t bear to throw away can all be housed here, easily accessed, and saving money on a storage unit.
Safety is a key point here in Middle Tennessee, but also in areas that are frequented by storms and tornadoes. Your basement becomes your place of retreat when storms threaten, and you are urged to go to “the lowest level possible.” Even in a walkout basement that has glass doors and windows, you will be safer as a portion of the home will be protected by the surrounding lot. (But please continue to shelter away from glass in a storm!)
Space flexibility is probably the most popular reason for owning a basement home. From hobby room to craft room, pool room to poker room, a finished basement can be anything you need. With the addition of a bathroom, the basement now becomes an in-law, teen, or guest suite, with the benefit of added privacy and independence. With a kitchenette and access to outside you have a small apartment, with possible income earning potential. (Check with your local ordinances to ensure that is a viable option.)
Rare in the Rutherford County area due to our rocky soil, Michael’s Homes offers three basement homes in The Ridge subdivision. Lots 322, 323 and 324, finished homes, all have beautiful, finished, walkout basements complete with full bathrooms for multi-generational and flexible living. For your convenience, the garages are all on the basement level of the home, and, as an upgrade, a kitchenette can be added to the basement space. Lot 339,340,341,and 343 are currently under construction for future basement homes. Ridge Lot 343 is the only plan in this next phase to have the 3-car garage on the Basement level, while lot 339-341 will have a 2-car garage on the Main level.
To see the basement floorplans offered by Michael’s Homes, please contact us via email at [email protected] or call 615-270-3111, selecting option 2. We will be happy to help you find the right home for your family.
