Basement Apartment Tips

As the economy takes a tumble, many people are investing in their homes and creating income generating basement apartments. While there are many articles like this one educating people on how to create the best space, and usage for potential renters, the other realism to investigate is making that space as maintenance-free as possible for you as a landlord. Purchasing appliances for a small space like a basement apartment that are well built, durable and stylish is a priority. 

Not everyone has the space to put in full size appliances into a basement without sacrificing much desired living space, or even an extra bedroom that can help drive rental values up. The good news is Danby has a full suite of products built and designed for small space living. As the article above mentions, dishwashers and laundry are great at attracting young professionals and small families to your space. It’s all about maximizing space and ensuring the essentials are covered when measuring out for appliances in the apartment kitchen. 

If you are going for a high-end look, using stainless steel appliances is always eye catching and appealing to potential tenants. They are easy to clean, timeless, durable and add dimension to a small space. Again, keeping in mind priorities, if a standard 24” dishwasher isn’t going to fit, try an 18” stainless steel dishwasher like this one. The stainless steel helps it look full size and gives tenants the ability to put up to 8 place settings in for cleaning! 

Cooking is always a key feature in any kitchen, whether for warming up some take out, cooking family dinners, or just a one pot stove top meal, feeding a young professional or small family is priority number one. If space permits, a full sized 30” inch electric range is the best option, depending on your permits, hookups, etc, gas is usually not the most popular or safest bet. If a full size range is not fitting in the budget, or the space, there are smaller versions available on the market. Danby offers several options of 24” electric ranges (gas too if the need is there) for basement apartments. They can slide right in for a high end look that fits up against whatever countertop you install. Coiled elements are the standard, for a higher end look, ceramic tops are also great for easy cleaning/maintenance are something to consider when making your purchase. 

Fridges can be overwhelming when looking online. The first thing to determine is size- height and width! Then you can work on your capacity, or Cubic Feet (Cu. Ft.) of space inside your fridge. Then, and only then can you start with the “bells and whistles” of features. The trick is to think of the needs of your tenant’s day to day life and make a list of “must haves” and then nice to haves. Running a water line to your fridge for ice making capabilities may not be something you are inclined to do, or have added to the price tag for example. Armed with this list, you can refine your search parameters. Stainless steel, top mount freezer, French door, single door, water, ice, oh my! Danby offers a wide variety of fridges for small spaces. Popular sizes for basement apartments run anywhere from 17-22 Cu.Ft. these are sold at all major appliance retail outlets as well as big box, and clubs. 

Laundry in the apartment is a real luxury if the space permits. If you can offer that, it will be a key renting feature for many prospects. Venting out can sometimes be an issue, and an additional cost, but there are options available on them market that don’t require a venting system. If space is limited, but you do want to have laundry as an option, consider a combo unit. Very popular in Europe, combo units are a great way to save space, offer the luxury of laundry in a rental and not have to worry about venting. The combo unit by Danby is great for small loads, and specialty items that harsh laundry mat machines could ruin. 

This completes your appliance suite “must-haves”, and things to take into consideration. When designing and building your basement rental unit, absolutely look to the professionals, like an HGTV pro, but also look at leaders in the small space appliance industry like Danby for help on how to select your kitchen suite!  

 

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