All opinions are always 100% honest and my own. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I also participate in: CJ Affiliate; eBay Partner Network; Rakuten Affiliate Network; ShareASale; Walmart Affiliate Program; independent affiliate networks.

When we built the house in Eagle Mountain, we intentionally left most of the basement unfinished. We finished the laundry room, my office, and the homeschool room (except the cement floors, which we intended to stain, eventually). But the theater, guest room, guest bath, and large recreation room were stud walls and cement.

I walked through the unfinished part of the basement every day on the way to my office. I didn't bother me a bit. My office was gorgeous, with a beautiful bay window and custom, built-in furniture. And the laundry room was a dream. (So dreamy that guests—literally!—sneaked into my basement to see it.)

But every single time Sam stepped foot down to the bottom level, he felt pressure. The unfinished space made him feel like he had a huge project waiting on him.

In our new home, every square inch is finished. Realizing the stress the old basement caused him made it well worth the expense. Not to mention that it's actually a very nice living space instead of just a dungeon.

If you have a gaping black hole in your basement, calling out to you and causing you stress, consider hiring a local contractor to finish the space.

Once you've found some local contractors, get bids from the most promising and, perhaps most important, ask for personal references.

Do you have a tip for finding great contractors to finish home projects?

Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.