Budget Basements

As my daughters get older (and accumulate more toys) I’d really like to fix up our basement so they can have a playroom. At the moment, their toy boxes are still in our living room and are the first thing that guests see upon entering our home.

We don’t want to spend the money to get the basement actually refinished – the cost would be high and would jack up our already sky-high property taxes.

So, after a little research, this is my plan to turn our basement from a messy storage area into a clean and fun play space.

1. Declutter: Before our basement can become a spot for the kids, I have to get rid of a lot of junk. I have started this process already, and have been donating my unwanted stuff to the Greater Goods Thrift Store in Hightstown and the Vietnam Veterans of America. I have gotten rid of stuff like old baby gates and high chairs and small furniture.

2. Organize: If it were up to me, almost everything in the basement would go. But there is a lot of stuff in the basement that I can’t get rid of (without consequence from other family members), so I am working on stacking what I can’t clear out of the space in boxes and tubs against one wall. I prefer plastic tubs to paper boxes – I think they are neater and cleaner and are less likely to harbor dust and spiders.

3. Clean: We have had spiders in our basement, so I’ve had a pest company spray it for pests, and I plan to scrub and vacuum the floors, as well as vacuum up any cobwebs that I find.

4. Beautify floors: My basement just has plain, unpainted concrete floors at the moment, so I’d like to apply Rust-Oleum basement floor coating (in gray) to it, and add the color flakes that come with the Rust-Oleum kit. I will probably try power-washing the floors before adding the Rust-Oleum epoxy coating to it. After the floor is painted, I may want to add a cheap throw rug or two to add warmth for the kids.

5. Brighten walls: I would like to lighten up our gray, concrete walls by adding a layer of paint to them. I’ve read that before painting, I should clean the walls with trisodiumphosphate (TSP). Supposedly, I can use an inexpensive latex paint on the walls, especially since there doesn’t seem to be a moisture problem in our basement (knock on wood).  

6. Add organization and storage: I would like to bring in some shelving or bins to give my daughters a place to store all their toys. Unfortunately, I haven’t decided yet what kind of storage to get, but perhaps I may get something like these plastic shelves available from the Home Depot.

7. Accessorize: My daughters are interested in having an art center and an exercise space in the basement, so I would like to bring in a desk (to draw on) and some chairs. I most likely will take the old exercise bike (that now serves as a clothes horse in the master bedroom) and bring it down there for our exercise space.