Article: Basements in top form; Entertainment, kitchens big for lower levels.(News)(high-tech home theater equipment)

Byline: DEANNA BOTTAR

I was a lot simpler 20 or 30 years ago when all you needed to "finish'' your basement were indoor/outdoor carpeting, wood paneling for the walls and a few friends to help you maneuver a ping-pong table down the stairs.

By today's standards, such basements are anything but finished.

In fact, even the word "basement,'' which conjures images of a humming dehumidifier, a washer/dryer set and dad's old workbench, is out of vogue. It's now "lower level,'' thank you very much.

"I think the tendency we're seeing is people are willing to invest bigger dollars into their basement,'' said Jim Orr of Bennett/ Dover Home ...

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