That is why it is worth keeping up with yourself, not the Joneses. When we go to a house with a separate home theatre, it is separate from the rest of the house, which makes it less fun. |
Back in the nineties they were hot. The problem is most people preferred space that had very comfortable seating plus areas to do other things while watching the large screen. Other things include: space for kids to play, playing pool, serving area for drinks/food, etc. You can always turn out the lights in that space. I've been to houses where everyone watched a TV in such a room and no one sat in the home theatre room with it's designated chair spaces. |
A 1.3 million house could be pretty big, but if it's close in it's nothing special, not a lot of square footage to devote to a special use like a home theater.
So I think it depends on the size of the house it's part of. If the house is small to medium size many buyers would be thinking about how to repurpose the space for broader use. |
Ha ha. When I was growing up my dad actually turned our unfinished basement into a roller skating rink. He spray painted the walls in awesome neon colors and all the other kids in the neighborhood would come over to skate. We'd crank up A-ha and have a blast. I actually joke all the time about ripping out our finished basement TV room and turning it into a skating rink, but instead I just have to settle for the occasional 80's themed grown-up party. |
Thanks, that's helpful. In your link the houses near me have sold for $1.1-1.7 million. Our house was appraised last year for $1.4m. Yes, we have a small basement. The houses in our hood are generally built into hills so it changes the set up a bit. The garage is under the first floor, rather than a separate structure, and another portion of the first floor has a crawl space but not a finished basement underneath. So the upper floor footprints are much larger than the basement footprint. Plus, what I actually said is that we'd have to give up the entire basement family room, not the entire basement. That still leaves the laundry room, utility room, full bath, and wine storage area. I prefer the family room concept (ours has a large TV, Bose speakers, and comfortable seating and is actually quite a nice space for watching movies) to a home theater because it is more multi purpose. But I suppose someone could convert the space if they wanted - I don't think it would add any value at all though, and if I were the buyer it would detract from the value for me. The whole point of my post was that if you have a huge house then giving up space for a home theater is okay. If you don't then I think it's more questionable. In this area $1.3 million does not always translate to huge. |
My DH had a "football room" in his last house - media room + football paraphernalia. He and his friends LOVED it. But, yeah, that didn't move over to our new house together. |
Thread shows that value of a home theater is at best mixed and depends greatly on the buyer.
I spent $5K building a home gym - which is relatively low end as far as good home gyms go, since one good cardio machine alone will set you back $2k. Some people think I am nuts, while others think it's the best thing ever because of the convenience. |
Seems the takeaway here is to build the system if you will enjoy it and be glad you spent that money, regardless of resale, because there's no guarantee you'll get a buyer willing to pay a premium for it. |
+3...however, my swimming pool is non-negotiable. I could not buy a house without one. |
I'm pretty sure most homes with home theaters are not lacking in usable space elsewhere in the house. My house is 5000 sf. My theater in the basement is 20x20, so 400sf. We can "get by" with the other 4600 sf of "usable space." |
How could anyone say no-no to a nice HT such as:
http://www.houzz.com/photos/media-room |
Convey, lol lol |
Yeah, home theaters came to be during the 2000s heyday with luxury everything becoming mainstream (granite counters, high-end appliances, hardwood floors). It was also a time when flat screen TVs and projectors were just coming around and suddenly it was a time when everyone could own a large-screen TV. You didn't have the pay $2000 for the 40" rear projection monstrosity like in the 90s.
Today, with everyone watching their own thing on their own devices, home theaters are kind of out. Yes, people still use them, but I'd be no more than a couple of times per month (more during football season). Now people still have the big TV in the basement, but it's not in a separate room. It's just part of an overall large family room that might have a pool table, play area, etc. Fewer people are plopping themselves down to watch a 3 hour movie in a solid block without anything else going on. |
Old thread but I had to inject my take on this discussion. Opinions are like bholes. Everyone has one. Those who talk crap about dedicated home theaters probably can't afford to build one. So don't be a hater. I have a dedicated theater (no windows and not in a basement) and I love it. Two rows of seating with a Dolby Atmos Reference system. Current use is six to 10 hours per week. Home theaters came to be during the 2000's? Are you serious? Projectors at that time were not even HDTV capable. I would not consider a house if there was no space for a theater room. Actually, I'm contemplating turning down a promotion (move to another state) because I don't want to leave my house. So don't be an antagonistic hater and envious of others who like and can have a theater room. |
If you own a time machine to 2006 maybe. |