Of all the places in the house, the basement is by far the spookiest mostly due to the fact that there is an absolute lack of light. There are windows but those are boarded up and, even if there were working lights, I have a fear of turning on a light and a spark flaring up and a line of fire trailing up a wall, burning down the house (seriously, watch The Money Pit if you haven’t already).
On a recent trip to the house I was able to ascertain that there are not any human remains in the very large trunks that have been left behind so that was a relief (and if you think that thought didn’t really cross my mind you would be wrong). The entire basement would be fantastic for a Halloween party or a seance or even a virgin sacrifice if that’s what you’re into.
Why?
In the end what I really want from the basement is a full apartment that can be rented on Airbnb or a space for guests to stay in (I won’t charge family and friends the full Airbnb price but you’ll still need to bring your own linens). Renovating the basement comes with it’s own set of challenges, a lack of light being only one of those. From the outside entrance to the basement is an old coal pit and where the boiler is currently located. Saving this would not only preserve the history of the house but also add a uniqueness to the space as the current plan for it is to be a kitchen. From the old coal pit would be a bathroom, a living space, and a bedroom. Both the living space and bedroom have exposed brick walls and beams and I wonder what their use was 100 years ago. If anyone out there is an old home expert I would love your opinion!
The coal pit, where a future kitchen will be.
The future bedroom.
The future living space.
