An Exercise room in your home

The best bonus about putting an exercise room in your basement is not the money you save on gym memberships or the time you save on trips to the health club. Fitness expert Stephanie Oakes of the Discovery Health Channel says it's that you'll really find time to work out: "For some reason, when people say 'I'm going to put in a gym,' as opposed to a treadmill in the bedroom, they actually use it."

To put in a gym with fairly modest equipment (two pieces of cardio equipment plus a weight bench and dumbbells), you need at least 120 square feet of space and a seven- or eight-foot ceiling. Richard Miller, president of Gym Source, a New York-based seller of home gyms, suggests covering the concrete floor with rubber at least three-eighths of an inch thick. At $1.40 to $5 a square foot, it's considerably cheaper and offers more protection than carpet; it's maintenance-free (you clean it with a damp cloth), and it helps to even out floors that aren't quite smooth.

Unless you have a window, a television or stereo system is a must to stave off boredom. Finally, it's best to mirror at least one wall, preferably two, at a 90 degree angle to create the illusion of space.