I would make one large space for the entertainment room. More impressive. 15 X 11 is not large enough! You could define separate areas with rugs. Also, I would recommend a drop ceiling so you can access electrical and plumbing.

Thanks! Appreciate the input. Since it is half the basement it is a long, narrow space. Smaller house, 1760 sq ft so the basements are not big. Family neighborhood so we were thinking some would want a playing room or quiet office (11 x 10).

Thanks again!

ask a local realtor what gets best bang for your buck in your neighborhood

Thanks, suzy and jck!

Suzy, the unfinished half will have laundry, work/tool room, and lots of storage space. It's important.

Yes i am checking with a realtor, one that wont pressure us to list because it'll be at least 3 years.

Thank you! We may change direction from 2 to one, esp if the realtors agree.

And a half bath would be great too or a small full bath.

A bath, however small, is out of the budget unfortunately. But we are putting a new floor, a partial wall with a cabinet, and a new utility tub/cabinet in the laundry room. It needs to be at least a little pleasant, cleaned up, useful, and updated, if not totally finished. Thank you both for your input.

and, as another update, I have talked to a couple local realtors and they agree that a finished basement is a plus -- not that it will add direct value to the selling price necessarily, but it will definitely draw in more interested buyers in our area.
And all things being somewhat equal, it will help boost our asking price. We have updated everything in the house so we are confident of a higher asking price for our area.
So we are proceeding with finishing half the basement. We're working with an experienced, skilled contractor, have selected wall color, flooring, ceiling and made some layout changes. Construction will start in a few weeks. I'll definitely post photos when done, or half-done. Thanks for responses.

PPS: We're not planning to sell for at least 3 years so we will get to use and enjoy our basement for a couple years anyway. :)

Bigger is better, storage is king and convenience reigns!.

Finish the whole area so your family can enjoy it now. Remember no matter how nice the basement is, you only get half the square foot values for a sub room even if it is termed Walk Out....but finish it for you, three to five years is a long time away, so enjoy it now.

I would also consult with your local AHJ to determine the code requirements for various uses of the new basement rooms. It looks like you have good headroom (usually the finished ceiling must be at least 80 inches high), but don't have egress windows. This means it can probably be used as a basement family room or office, but not be a bedroom (that requires an egress window or door).

In most areas you will be required to pull a permit, and comply with applicable codes to finish a basement. If you want to make your life as simple as possible, list the use as basement storage, which has the simplest code requirements. For example, most AHJs now require AFCI circuit breakers for receptacles in all living areas, but may only require GFCI for a basement.

When they inspected my basement "storage area" and found it had 14 receptacles, prewire for TV and audio in two locations, and in-wall wiring for 5.1 speakers, it was not a problem. They first looked at all the framing and insulation, and later at the A/C wiring/receptacles just to make sure the receptacles were wiring correctly. The only side comment was "lots of wiring for just a storage area."

Bruce

Thanks! We are in the process of having the remodeling done by a contractor. They have pulled permits and we are having electrical + plumbing done. It is in good hands and they are complying with the local codes and doing a great job. Very excited to have some usable living space (not a bedroom or bathroom) in our basement, just a relaxing family entertainment area (plus laundry, workroom and storage) All in progress and going well.

@CEE Jay I would love to see photos of the finished basement! I have a very similar space and am currently going through the same thought process as you.