Basement Staging

Basements and bonus rooms need a defined purpose in order to avoid confusing prospective home buyers. During Step 2. Clean, Organize and Declutter a Basement or Bonus Room you selected one defined function of the space and decluttered and organized around that function.

Now's your chance to reinforce that decision with your basement staging selections. First, we will neutralize the room so that it can appeal to a wide range of tastes. Next, we add an up-to-date and generic personality so that the room is memorable.

To reinforce your selection of a function for the space, you need to select a wall color that speaks to that mood.

• If the basement area or bonus room is to be used as a playroom or game room, we will choose a neutral color with some warmth and life to it. Chestertown Beige (Benjamin Moore) is a good choice as it has strong undertones of yellow and red. This color also warms up basements that have few windows and thus little natural light. It is lively and neutral enough for children's play areas without being gender specific.
• Treat the mouldings and doors just as you did for the rest of the house - semi-gloss white for painted trim and the same stain color for natural wood finishes. This will enable the space to feel like an integral part of the rest of the home instead of an afterthought.
• If you have chosen to use the space as entertaining space, choose a paint color that matches the living room or family room paint color. This will help you create the impression that there are a lot of entertaining spaces in the home that are pleasant and spacious - not just on the main floor.
• In a basement or bonus room space, we use accent colors that are much bolder than we do in other rooms. The boldness of the colors is more fun, more memorable and more in keeping with the very casual nature of the space. You want your prospective home buyer to remember that this bonus space/basement is separate and distinct from the other living areas of the home.
• Unless an unfinished basement already has painted walls, we will leave the walls unpainted. After a good cleaning, the walls should look acceptable without the added effort of painting during basement staging.

• Furnishings are necessary to stage the room as an entertainment space. Ample seating (a sofa and chair or a cluster of 4 chairs) will set the stage for casual entertaining. Try to avoid lining the walls with the furniture and opt instead for a floating grouping that is pushed away from the walls - your space will look bigger. Make sure the furniture grouping that you arrange while basement staging does not block any of the natural pathways through the room or to the window (if any).
• For children's spaces, storage shelves should be limited to one wall only. A game table and chairs, adult size or children's size, grounds the space and indicates to buyers that there is more than one activity that children can engage in inside this space. Make sure there is a lot of floor space that is left open - room to set up a train set or doll house.
• For a basement recreation room, a pool or ping pong table will most likely fill most of the available space. Keep the rest of the furnishings simple and relating to that activity. You don't want to line the room with too much furniture which might interfere with playing the game when you are basement staging.
• In homes where the basement is extra large and the space is already divided into different areas, you can stage each area for a different function. Be watchful that you don't throw too many functions at the buyer so that the space remains simple and memorable.








• If your basement space has a wine cellar or workout room, then you should play up the function of that space to the max when you are basement staging. Adding a tasting table and a few chairs to a wine cellar will show that the room is spacious enough to entertain a few guests and store wine. An exercise room should showcase a few pieces of equipment - enough to show that there is enough space to work out but not too many.
• Some basements and bonus rooms are reserved as craft spaces. A large work space and storage space are necessary in a craft room. Make sure that there are cabinets or shelves for storage and a good sized table or counter for crafting. Demand for craft rooms is high right now and your home will truly stand out if it has a nicely outfitted space.

Large windows are usually the exception in basements and bonus rooms. Pay particular attention during basement staging and bonus room staging to making sure that these rooms are very well lit. Recessed can lighting is a great way to fill the basement with light -- oftentimes these can be nestled between joists. Lamps are appropriate for entertaining spaces in basements and bonus rooms. There are new fixtures which simulate track lighting and consist of multiple light heads on a single rod. These are quite easy to install and will update a space with only a single overhead light fixture. Try one of the varieties with halogen bulbs for a brighter space.

You want the finished basement or bonus room to feel like it belongs to the rest of the home. Try and choose a flooring that is on par with the other flooring in the home. Carpeting in basement is always a plus. Choose a light color that will brighten the space. Berber is a good choice because of its ability to hide stains and wear and still be light. For a bonus room, choosing a floor covering that matches the covering in the family room also reminds buyers how many useful and spacious entertaining spaces the home has. If the bonus room is a play room, then you might want to choose a flooring that matches one of the bedrooms. Making these spaces more like "the rest of the house" will make a good impression on buyers.

As much as possible, we prefer to stage these rooms as regular living areas of the house with art on the walls and accessories on the tables.

• Choose wall art that will bring color and life to the room. If the furnishings are neutral (beige/tan upholstery), then it is a good idea to use art to add some accent colors. Keep the colors in the artwork warm and make sure the subject of the art is vibrant -- you want to give the impression that the space has a lot of energy.
• If possible, add a green plant to the space. We treat the basement/bonus room just as any other room in the home and plants are always lend a good feeling to spaces.
• A few well-chosen accessories will reinforce the fact that this room is an integral part of the house, not an afterthought. The accessories needn't be expensive. Choose items that are either similar in color, identical in shape or along the same theme.

Finished basement staging? Paying attention to these room makeovers will impress buyers with your thoroughness and your attention to detail. Both will indicate that yours is a well-cared-for home.

Return to Step 3. Design to Sell Fast from Basement Staging.