Make an asset of that unfinished basement

That unfinished basement may be dimly lit and a little rough on the eyes, but that just means it has a lot of potential.

With a little love and the help of the following ideas, you can spice it up in no time, get some great use out of the space and turn it into an asset when it comes time to sell your home.

Add a pop of color

Give your basement a whole different look without a big renovation by adding some color to space. Consider painting and sealing the floors, opening up the room by painting the rafters white or a light color, or creating a bold accent wall.

Divide the space

Want to make your basement a multi-use room? Partition out the area by installing an inexpensive curtain system. This can be done either with a curtain track or a simple wire, some hooks, and curtains will suffice.

Add foam mats

Whether you’d like to use the basement as a home gym to get a quick workout in or a place for the kids to play and rough house, adding some foam mats into the mix is a great and easy solution. They come in various colors and can quickly be picked up and tucked away if need be.

Use a large rug

As an alternative to adding mats, find a large, eye-catching rug to be used as a focal point, and furnish the area around it.

Add lighting

Basements often offer very little built-in lighting and few outlets around the room. Consider stringing café lighting across space from the rafters to give a nice ambiance and glow without any difficult electrical work.