What can you do with a cellar?

[Thandeka]

Just saw a property we may think about making an offer on (2bed victorian terrace). No room for a loft conversion we don't think but it does have a sizable cellar with good ceiling height.

What could be done with this "room"?

A dark dungeon is great for a tv/cinema room. I also looked at a house where I was going to put the sofa/tv/dvd in the cellar. It had a door so all the noise could be shut off from the rest of the house which meant that the upper rooms could be used for computer mumsnetting dining room/reading room.

I fugured it would then prevent much daytime tv watching and more family time.

Depends on how dry it is and what services are down there.

Ours is damp and just has rads and power/light...no water or drainage. Someone suggested we put a freezer down there as it'd be cheap to run in a cooler room.

I'd love to use the rooms down there but it's just too damp so is Ok for storage, not anything fabric though as it all goes a bit mouldy!

You could get it 'tanked' or drylined, if you can afford it...we're just renting so obv not an option.

hmm this cellar did smell a bit damp to be honest.

Had electricity not sure bout drainage.

Hmmm think it may be a non -starter- i am a big fan of light me- so spending any time in a room without windows would probably depress me no end.

Cellar? Says WINE to me

If you can find a good builder and damp proofer, then you can make it into a perfectly good extra room/kids den etc.

to me it says sex dungeon.

You could dig out a lightwell and make it into a perfectly usuable room with a window. Basements always suffer a little damp, so run a dehumidifier.

I would make a playroom with a sofa bed to double as a guestroom. I'd also try and get a loo/shower down there.

I'm looking for something similar but with a double chamber. I'm planning on setting it up as a playroom and guestroom with an ensuite. When my children are older I am going to ship them off down there so they won't stomp around the house all hours (they are currently 6 and 7 - I am planning ahead!)

At the moment our bedrooms are downstairs in the basement and it is absolutely fine. We have had a damp-proofing course done and have a dehumidifier, but that's precautionary.

hehe i work in sexual health- maybe i could claim it on my tax return.

What fox said - with a decent amount of light in the back garden, you could even make a feature of the lightwell and have steps down to it so that whoever is down there has direct access to the outside space.