Basements

Homeowners who have full or partial basements that can be transformed into living space are essentially sitting on a goldmine. Realtor surveys show that finishing a basement ranks just behind kitchen and bathroom renovations in maximizing the return on the homeowner's investment, with the payback sometimes exceeding the remodeling expenditure. What's more, expanding the living space into the basement is often much more economical than adding another room or floor onto an existing home. So when prospecting this subterranean goldmine, why do many homeowners bury one of its most valuable nuggets—the concrete floor? Why do they assume that hiding the concrete under carpeting or other floor coverings is the best way to strike it rich in terms of value and resale potential?