You want to give your basement a makeover. How can you do it all on your own? That’s easy! Here are four DIY projects that you can do to improve your basement.

1. Spruce Up the Stairs

Does your staircase leading to the basement look a little rough? You should give it some extra love and attention. Scrub it down, give it a fresh coat of paint or wood stain, and then add a new stair runner down the middle. A stair runner will do more than add some flair — it will increase the grip of your staircase so that no one slips and falls down it.

2. Insulate the Pipes

Another simple DIY that’s safe for you to do is insulating your water pipes with flexible foam pipe wrap. You will only need to do this to the exposed water pipes in the basement and along with any crawlspaces that you have.

Why is this so important? Adding insulation to your pipes will stop them from freezing or bursting when the weather gets cold. It can also stop the pipes from sweating and reduce the moisture levels in your basement.

3. Add a Coat of Paint

One of the easiest ways to make your basement look better is to grab a brush and add some colour to the walls. Try not to pick dark, intense shades of paint — this will only amplify the dimmer lighting in this level of the house. Use lighter colours to make the space look brighter and bigger.

4. Add Vertical Storage

So many basements end up turning into messy storage units instead of beautiful living spaces. Don’t let yours turn into a cluttered mess! Add more vertical storage to keep your belongings organized and out of the way.

These are some ways that you can accomplish this:

• Put up a pegboard to organize small tools.
• Install floating shelves on the wall to organize photo albums, potted plants and assorted knick-knacks.
• Install floor-to-ceiling shelves to organize larger items like books, board games and electronics.

The Basement Projects You Can’t DIY

When it comes to DIY, it’s good to know your limits. Getting too confident about your renovating skills can come back to bite you. With some projects, you’ll just have to skip the DIY and call in the professionals to do them for you.

What kind of projects? Well, one type of project that you should never try as an amateur is foundation work. If you want to redo your foundation floor or lower it to increase the height of your basement ceiling, then you should call up the best underpinning contractors Toronto has to offer. They’ll have the equipment and the expertise to do the basement fix effectively and safely. Attempting these projects on your own will lead to sloppy work that could put the integrity of your entire home at risk.

These are some other types of renovation projects that you should hire experts to do for you:

• Electrical work
• Plumbing
• Basement waterproofing
• HVAC repair

So, if you’re feeling the urge to indulge in some home improvement therapy, you should try to stick to projects that are safe and easy for someone at your experience level.

Try these four DIYs and make your basement look good as new!