Of all the basement ideas, using the basement for storage is probably the most popular. In most houses the basement is the last place to be finished and most people never even get that far and just use it to store things.
Items such as Christmas decorations, old toys, unused clothes, sporting equipment, and all other such items usually find their way to the basement. It is important to make sure your basement is water proof and damp proof otherwise many of those items may end up ruined.
Installing basement shelves will greatly increase the amount of storage space you can use and make it easier to get to all your items. If you pack everything in boxes and then stack the boxes, it is near impossible to remember what you have and where things are when you need them. A good system of basement shelving will solve that problem.
There are several kinds of plastic and metal pre-made shelves you can buy at places such as Home Depot. These are great to put up quickly and they will work well in any basement corner or against a basement concrete wall. They are relatively inexpensive and should last a lifetime. Something like this is the choise of most people.
If you are more adventurous and want something you can build yourself, you might build a stacked vertical shelving system. With this you will get a generous amount of horizontal space to store your things while using up very little floor space. This might be one of the best basement storage ideas if you don't have a lot of building experience but wish to do something yourself.
BASEMENT STORAGE IDEAS
BASEMENT REMODELING IDEAS
If you are going to do a basement remodel, you are probably looking for some basement pictures to give you lots of basement ideas. Basement Planner by Better Homes and Gardens is a book that will help you think out of the box a bit on your basement plans. It is a great book to help you visualize what you want to do.
Basement Planner 
-Get more square footage by finishing and customizing your below-ground spaces
-Explore the latest finish and decorating options for floors, walls, and ceilings.
-Solve common layout and structural problems with floor plans, design ideas, and expert advice.
-Find answers to your basement remodeling questions.
If you want to get this book about basement remodeling, you can often find it at stores like Home Depot for $14.95. If you want to get it for a much cheaper price and delivered to your door you can purchase it here - Basement Planner 
