Finished Basement or Roofdeck?
I am about to start on a major gut renovation of a 3 story, 2 family brownstone in Park Slope. I can afford to either finish the basement to make it a play-room for my son, or build a deck on the roof. Our views of Manhattan from the roof are great. I am leaning…
I am about to start on a major gut renovation of a 3 story, 2 family brownstone in Park Slope. I can afford to either finish the basement to make it a play-room for my son, or build a deck on the roof. Our views of Manhattan from the roof are great. I am leaning towards the roof deck, but I think there could be great value in a finished basement as well. The costs are about the same. My question for the forum is where should I put my money? Which will give me more use and enjoyment, and which will be valued more when I sell?
Thanks!
Jim
definetely the basement… you’ll get over the view pretty quickly.
I don’t think a roof garden would add more to your resale value than a finished basement, but what a lovely thing to have!
I added outdoor space (tripled existing postage stamp deck) and it’s heaven. We are out there all summer, and autumn. It would be even better with a view and unobstructed sunlight!
Of course you have to be extra careful to do it right — you want plants and water and no destruction to your structure! There was an article in the NYT a year or two ago about green roofs — planting grass and saving energy by cooling/insulation. Might be worth digging out of the NYT online archive. Also Google “green roof grass” for all sorts of interesting hits on the idea!
It really depends on what YOU like and what your family needs. For me, in the city, I like to be OUTSIDE!
We do,
but it does not have the nice view!
Finish the basement, you have a yard don’t you?