One of our more interesting projects is to knock down a wall in the back hallway, cover the basement stairs with a folding hatch, and turn it into a mudroom. So far:

• Build a hatch
• Take down plaster in back hallway
• Knock down wall between basement and hall
• Remove all plaster from walls/ceiling
• Install hatch
• Install vapor barrier in exterior wall
• Jack wall up and support it with columns from the basement.
• Drywall/finish walls
• Insulate under floor of back hall (COLD in winter!)
• Install lighting in mudroom, new lighting on back porch
• Install window(s) in exterior wall and between mudroom and kitchen