finished basement renovation: man cave or kids playroom?

[CTyankee]

I have to clean out and do some cleanup and some renovation prior to the sale of our small colonial style home in an established neighborhood. I'm wondering if this room would have more appeal going with one way or the other. The neighborhood is mixed, age wise. We have young professionals, middle aged, and elderly (altho they, like us, are slowly downsizing and moving out. I used to think a playroom/den made sense: kids play on another floor from the adults, keeps lots of toys out of the main living areas. But I am seeing how popular man caves seem to be in my own family and wondering if there could be some happy medium, or if one is by far the more appealing to potential buyers.

Anybody here in real estate? Maybe this is a no-brainer and I just don't know it...

[ret5hd]

1. I think the smart thing to do is leave it "open"...

that is, fresh neutral paint, fresh carpet/flooring, clean clean clean, and let the potential buyers "visualize" all the really cool things they would do with that empty slate.

on edit: i'm not saying to leave a huge space empty. Put some tasteful furniture in if the place looks like a cavern.

[CTyankee]

2. that really was my original plan, then I saw some man caves and thought about it a bit more.

Yeah, I'm definitely not doing more than basic paint, carpet and very, very clean and empty. It means a huge throw out of books going back some 40 years and a massive paper clean up and old furniture dump.

[jeff47]

3. If you're doing enough renovation, put in a small fridge and sink

But don't style it "man-cave". Make it fairly generic "room".

The fridge and sink are for juiceboxes if the potential buyers have kids.
The fridge and sink are for beers if the potential buyers don't.

[CTyankee]

4. It actually has a 1950s style "bar" and is right near a water hook up. I had once considered

putting another bathroom there, but the cost was prohibitive .

When I am selling the house, I don't want to incur any extra expenses (such as a mini fridge which I wouldn't take with me). But it would be nice to showcase the niche and the water availability.

[jeff47]

5. Can always just put in the cabinet for the fridge, but not the fridge itself.

Again, if it makes budget sense - if that 1950's bar looks really dated, an inexpensive cabinet from Lowes/Home Depot could be worth the money.

[CTyankee]

6. It's really one of those half door arrangements. We'll see what it looks like after the other stuff

is done, altho it might look kinda retro. That's a good suggestion, tho...food for thought...

[Stinky The Clown]

7. You described the existing mix in your neighborhood, but who is buying?

The old people are moving away as they downsize. Are you seeing more young people with kids or more middle aged?

Our kids stopped with the playroom when they were about 10 or so. At that point they could be trusted to at least confine their personal mess to their own room and bathroom.

I'm guessing the only real difference between a real world (as opposed to the HGTV World) family room and a real world man cave is who uses the room more.

Honestly, I don't know what difference a playroom would have either, apart from furnishings.

[CTyankee]

8. Yep, you know with an old house it is what you DO with a basement isn't it?

It's not the old rec room any more.

I am seeing more kinda middle or the age spectrum moving in. We have a small 3 BR colonial. Only 1 and 1/2 bath. So it could be starter home for a young couple or a middle aged couple home whose kids have flown the coop. Or a single professional, like the doc at Yale next door. It is a mixed bag, but my guess is with the young family with a kid.

[Stinky The Clown]

9. Are you in NH or in the close-in suburbs?

While I grew up in Bridgeport, my folks moved to Hamden in the 70s.

[CTyankee]

10. The Westville section of New Haven. It has a quiet, suburban feel.

Lots of shops, services not too far away and close to an exit on the Wilbur Cross Highway. Joe Lieberman's former home is in a neighborhood adjacent to ours (in a more affluent section) and Orthodox Jews walk to shull on our street (which has an erev permitting them use of strollers). The only drawback for some might be the public schools, but people also use local parochial schools). A lot of government (state, local and even federal) workers, including my husband, now a retired city worker.).

[Stinky The Clown]

11. Wow! I know someone who lives there

We were best friends in high school.

He and his wife are from Stratford but have lived in Westville since maybe the 70s. He has a house that is from (I'm guessing) the 20s or 30s. It faces a small park/town square kind of space. I haven't been there in decades.

I do recall it had a very nice, real neighborhood sort of feel. I want to say it is near prospect street? Whaley ave? Again, not sure.

[CTyankee]

12. West Rock Park, which Whalley Ave. borders. Our little "village" is there.

Prospect Street is over in the East Rock section. The only drawback that some people perceive with Westville is that it is not close to Yale, so a lot of Yale grad students and some employees like to live in the East Rock section. But East Rock does not have the amenities that Westville has. However, you do have the downtown section with some excellent restaurants, the Shubert and the Yale Rep.

[Stinky The Clown]

13. I could be wrong on street names

He is south of the Wilbur cross, kinda near amity?

From the west he is before the tunnel.

Like I said, it has been many years since I was there

[CTyankee]

14. Yep, the area of West Rock. I live a bit further out, closer to Amity. I am 3 blocks from

the Yale Golf Course. Exit 59 off the Wilbur Cross.