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Finishing a basement is one of those projects that can really add a lot of usable living space to a home. It’s also one of those projects that people tend to put off for years on end because it seems too complicated or expensive. But, believe it or not, finishing off your basement is probably a lot easier than you think.

The key to making it all work is to have a good plan in place before anything else happens. Get a good sense of how much space you’re going to have when it’s all finished and what exactly you want down there. Be sure to account for every piece of  furniture and even audio visual equipment. You don’t want to finish up your project and find that your couch doesn’t fit in the corner like you thought it might.

When creating the floor plan, try to keep you expectations reasonable. You may want a wet bar, with four bar stools and a refrigerator, but your basement might not be big enough to hold all that. You may want to settle for something smaller, like a beverage refrigerator and no bar at all.

Lighting is one of the most important parts of a basement remodel. After all, basements, by their very nature, tend to be very dark, dank places. Windows that face window wells generally won’t let in much light, so you’ll have to rely on lamps and light fixtures. Recess, or can, lighting is a great way to install a lot of lights that won’t hang down and hit your head. This type of lighting is best used in conjunction with a drop ceiling that will hide the wiring.

Basements are rooms that tend stay at a pretty consistent, cool temperature if left unchecked. This is especially nice in the summer time when you’re looking for a place to escape the oppressive hear.  Basement temperature also happen to be the ideal spot for a wine cellar as wine is best stored in a cool, dry area. Even if you’re not building a full wine cellar, a couple nice wine racks make great accent pieces.

Finishing off the basement is a cost effective way to open up a lot of new living space in your home. While this type of project does add value to your home, it doesn’t add as much as most people think. In most cases, you should finish off your basement because it’s something you want to do, not to add value to your house.