Basement Makeovers on a Budget

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Are you tired of looking at your unfinished basement? There are so many ways to update your bland basement without blowing your budget! Below, you’ll find my favorite modern transitional style basement makeovers on a budget to inspire your own renovation.

Let’s take a look at my own basement makeover as well as several others that Jim has remodeled in the last couple of years.

DIY Basement Makeover Ideas on a Budget

If your basement just isn’t living up to its full potential, it’s time for a refresh.

Your basement should do more than just store holiday decor and old sports equipment.

Imagine having a designated space for a guest bedroom, home theater, gym, or office!

Basements are full of potential, and they’re one of my favorite spaces to update because of this huge impact.

Masonite Livingston interior barn sliding door, harvest oak vinyl plank flooring, Armstrong ceiling planks — basement makeover with pantry

It’s like you gain an entirely new wing of your house!

Plus, a good basement makeover will help you increase the value of your home to help recoup your investment.

It’s a win-win!

Ceiling Planks and Recessed Lighting

Full Finished Basement Makeover

If you’re staring at a huge unfinished basement, let our own basement remodel be your inspiration.

harvest oak color Select Flooring vinyl plank flooring, masonite livingston white interior doors, basement columns, Armstrong ceiling planks — basement makeover with plank ceiling

We started with exposed posts, ductwork, and insulation and had a ton of work to do.

This basement wasn’t doing us much good, so we added a bunch of new features including:

Custom closet/storage space
New vinyl laminate flooring
Custom accent plank wall
Changed the basement ceiling (instead of a drop ceiling)
Replaced the doors
Installed recessed lighting
Added Craftsman-style trim and baseboard
Built a walk-in pantry and home office

We also had to cover lally columns, build a half wall to separate areas of the basement, revamp the stairs, and more.

driftwood planks, white plank wall, modern coastal basement family room, blue walls, seagrass baskets on walls — finished basement living space

My goal was to create distinct areas to make the basement much more useful.

It feels like a whole new wing of the house instead of a large storage space.

Click through this post, basement makeover with white ceiling planks & flooring, to see the full before and after.

Vinyl Plank Flooring

1970’s Split Level Basement Makeover

This basement makeover below at one of the split level remodels features, how we installed modern vinyl flooring.

Basement remodel with gray Rigid Core Vinyl Planking by Select Surfaces — basement remodel with inexpensive vinyl flooring

Here are the 5 features of this basement remodel:

The doors we chose (beautiful sliding barn doors)
The bathroom update
Our new favorite flooring
The sheetrock ceiling with recessed lights
The brick around the wall at the bulkhead door

Click through this post, split level house remodel before and after, to see an entire tour of this house before and after.

Best Doors for Basement Remodel

Upgrading your doors can make any space feel fresh and new, especially in a large outdated basement.

In this post, you can find the best doors for your basement and bath.

split level basement with white 2 panel solid core interior door and wood flooring — solid core prehung doors

You’ll also see how we removed the basement walls to open the space in this particular basement makeover below.

The project above was a simple basement makeover removing interior walls from 1970 and opening up the space to one large room.

Click through this post, why we love solid core interior doors, to find all the details about the doors we use in our remodels.

Basement Bedroom Makeover Idea

Jim’s Split Level House

Adding a bedroom in a basement is a great way to expand your living space or even create a private master retreat.

split level house master bedroom with fireplace in finished basement — basement bedroom with coastal decor

Jim’s previous home was a split level (above) and the master bedroom and bathroom was in the finished basement creating a private retreat.

Basement Bathroom

The basement bathroom at Jim’s split level was also a nice feature in his basement.

Click through this post, Jim’s split level house that sold for 80K over asking, for a full house tour.

Basement Laundry Room Makeover

1970’s Colonial Remodel

Our previous house (my childhood home) had several additions and remodeling projects take place over the 30 years that my parents owned the home. One being this finished basement below.

Since many of us use our basements for laundry, it can be so nice to create a cozy, functional space.

In this easy basement laundry room makeover (below), you’ll see how we upgraded this bland laundry room (really this was a closet inside of a basement bathroom) into something way more practical and useful in an inexpensive way.

diy basement laundry room in a closet — basement laundry room in a closet

Click through this post, basement laundry room makeover, to see the full before and after.

Finished Basement with In Law Apartment

Although we’ve since sold this house, you can see the big basement we converted to in in-law for grandparents.

basement kitchen with built in refrigerator — basement in-law kitchen

This basement makeover project included a large chef’s kitchen, a massive living area, and more. You can view the entire basement in the home tour.

Especially if you want to turn your basement into a rental or have a second living space, this remodel is a great example of what’s possible.

Click through this post, our multigenerational house is for sale, to see a full tour of our previous home.

More Basement On A Budget Ideas

Need a little more design inspiration?

These creative tips for basement makeovers on a budget will help freshen up any basement space.

Add paint

A fresh coat of paint can really change a space and make it feel lighter or brighter.

The basement picture below features Sherwin Williams Lullaby paint color on the walls creating a light coastal look.

Plus, it’s relatively low cost even if you have a large area to paint.

If you are a looking for simple finished basement ideas, you will be amazed what painting the walls (even if they are cement) and the floor (mix in a sand additive to prevent slipping) for a space.

Click through to this link, our favorite paint colors, to find “all things paint!”

Update basement stairs

Updating your basement stairs is as easy as painting the stair treads or something a bit more elaborate like we did by cutting out the wall and adding balusters to create a custom look.

basement stairs with iron balusters, harvest oak vinyl plank flooring, blue walls — updated basement stairs with metal balusters

Here is another basement stair makeover that we remodeled at the newly remodeled ranch house last year.

The original basement staircase was one of the scariest parts of the house so be sure to click through to this post, to see how we cut out the middle of the wall and opened up the stairway to create a modern open feel.

Add an accent wall

This is such a great tip for making an inviting space! You can even install flooring on the wall to really draw in the eye and transform the space.

white plank wall, grey couch, blue medallion pillow, seagrass wall accent, coastal wall art — finished basement plank accent wall

You’ll see this basement wall idea below featuring my white-painted accent wall in our basement remodel that adds texture without too much detail.

Change the basement flooring

Although this can add up, you can upgrade your flooring in an affordable way.

We love using vinyl plank flooring in our basement makeovers. Carpet tiles are another great option.

Cheap basement flooring ideas like paint or stenciling the concrete floors for a tiled look. Speaking of tiles, these peel and stick floor tiles are beautiful!

Cheap basement ceiling ideas

Drop ceilings are traditionally inexpensive but glue on tiles (under 1.50 sf!) are an even cheaper way to cover a ceiling.

Invest in area rugs

Rugs can ground your space and tie together design elements that don’t always seem like they fit. Plus, a decent quality large rug usually costs $500-1,000.

Upgrade your lighting fixtures

Outdated track lighting will make your entire basement look old and dingy.

Add recessed lighting and/or invest in a few statement light fixtures to highlight prominent spaces in your basement.

Emphasize natural light

Whether you have windows or not, you can give the feeling of natural light by installing daylight bulbs.

If you have windows, remove any dark coverings and add sheer curtains or covers for privacy.

Update your furniture

Instead of sending all your old furniture to the basement, consider adding new pieces or updating the ones you already have. Paint that coffee table, swap out the couch, etc.

Add design details

white plank wall, grey couch, blue medallion pillow, seagrass wall accent, coastal wall art, blue walls — basement with coastal decor and wall art

Your basement will look much more inviting if you add soft touches like blankets, candles, baskets, soft rugs, and more.

Define separate spaces

This really can’t be understated.

I recommend thinking through the different ways you want to use the basement.

open concept basement makeover with white ceiling and driftwood floor planks — finished basement with 1/2 wall

It might be worth the money to frame some walls and make separate rooms if you can transform your basement into a practical space.

We installed half walls (above) to add a visual interest and to separate the living space from the gym area.

What’s a reasonable budget for a basement makeover?

Like any home project, a basement makeover can drain your budget quickly. Setting a budget is important, but what’s a realistic figure?

According to Angi, the average cost of finishing an unfinished basement is $8,800 – $34,500 (on average $18,400).

Depending on where you live, pricing will be different. In the area where we live, you’ll typically spend $65 to $135 per square foot on your basement remodel project depending on finishes ect.

Of course, smaller basements usually cost less, and large basements can add up quickly. Massachusetts, New York and California are three of the highest states for remodeling costs.

One of the most significant expenses is flooring, so if you already have decent carpet or hardwood flooring, you may just need to spring for a fresh coat of paint and some new lighting. Tile floor is also an option but in my opinion, is cold for a basement.

Meanwhile, if you’re starting with studs and a concrete floor, you’ll have a lot more work to do and that quickly adds up.

Whether you are looking for small basement ideas on a budget or something larger to encompass a game room, most of these home improvement projects will not only increase your living space but add value to your home.

Especially if you plan on staying in your home for a long time, it’s worth the additional cost to make your basement practical.

Finished basement remodels are one of Jim’s favorite projects so if you are local, consider hiring us to design and remodel your space.

9 Basement Makeovers On A Budget