Once upon a time, a lot of homes were constructed with basements. It was an easy way to manage a (lack of) space.

Then, new-build properties tended to avoid them like the plague. An old-fashioned basement can be ravaged with problems, including:

• There’s no natural light
• Dampness (this can be huge)
• Radon issues

It meant that in newly build homes, they almost died a death.

However, they have started to make a dramatic resurgence. Particularly in densely populated cities, where space becomes at a premium, a basement can be one way to increase the floorplan of a home without having to fork out huge sums to buy more (probably unavailable) land.

While technology has meant that the dampness issues can be eradicated relatively easily, they still have that old stigma attached to them. They are still dark, dingy and for a lot of people, unattractive. Today is all about showing the quick tips on how you can get around these issues.

We are going to start on the topic of flowers. Now, we are by no means suggesting that a structurally unsound basement is going to be given the gift of life thanks to a bouquet of flowers – but they can make a difference. Firstly, the scent of them can take the mind away from any humidity that may have crept in, while there is also the fresh factor. In other words, in a room void of much natural light, flowers can show that nature still exists in the setting.

Of course, we’re not the experts in flowers – we’ll leave you with Avas Flowers for this. Avas Flowers have some really good inspiration on the most seasonal bouquets to choose and this is key. After all, you’re trying to bring the outside in (a task that is almost impossible in most basements). There are some good Avas Flowers vouchers here for anyone interested.

We have just touched on the topic of natural light, but there is more. Rather than carve out a lightwell, which used to be the first thing that most basement owners did, technology is coming to a lot of people’s assistance. There are now solar tubes which are based on the roof and effectively reflect light down a tube and into the room of your choice. The beauty about these tubes is that they output entirely natural light, meaning that the effect in a basement is unrivalled.

Finally, for a long time there were often health concerns about basements – primarily because the mold potential. This meant that they were almost never considered for a bedroom. As we have already covered, technology has entered the scene and made basement construction much more robust from a waterproofing perspective, but what about those existing basements out there?

Fortunately, technology has caught up with these constructions as well. It is now possible to waterproof existing buildings “from the inside”. Granted, some solutions involving sump pumps can be expensive, but there are also cheaper rendering options for less severe cases. Ultimately, a basement can house any type of room you wish for – whether it’s a bedroom, or one of the classic games rooms or gyms which seem to be becoming more common!