Adding a Home Theater

Like everything in real estate, the first thing to consider is location. You want a room without windows, blank walls and a rectangular shape (for optimal sound quality). Finished basements are ideal. If you have to put your theater in a room that has windows, set your TV screen next to the window to cut down on glare.

To do justice to your home theater, purchase a 40-inch or larger High Definition (HD) television. Most likely, you’ll pick between a Plasma or LCD (liquid crystal display). Plasma TVs contain gases that produce pixels to create an image, while LCD TVs rely on liquid crystals to create a picture.

Both are sleek and relatively lightweight compared to the older models. Picture and sound quality are superb in either Plasma or LCD sets; however, price does differ a bit.

You will also want to get a high-definition disc player. They offer far superior picture and sound quality than a standard DVD player. A set of powerful speakers are also vital—half-a-dozen or so strategically placed around your room will provide cinematic surround sound that will dazzle your friends and family. 

When you shop for these, bring the room dimensions to the retailer and ask for advice about the speaker configuration.  Let you budget be your guide.

The furniture you chose for your home theater will have a direct bearing on the mood and ambience of the room. The best HD TV in the world and a ton of speakers mean nothing if your guests have to sit on uncomfortable seats for 2 hours. Reclining chairs and comfy couches are common.

Place your seats directly in front of the TV screen (just like at a real theatre). Hint: for best viewing position, take the width of your television set, multiply by three and then place your seats that distance from your TV.

Lighting can enhance—or take away from—your home theater experience. Track lighting or at the very least, a dimmer switch, is a must. Sconce lighting would make an interesting addition to your home theater. These are light fixtures attached to a wall that direct their illuminating beam straight upwards. You can see them in real movie theaters and they add a nice touch of class to your home theater.

For people who want to go all out, you can buy popcorn machines, movie posters, even real movie theater-style seats (complete with foldable arms and cup-holders). Home theater projectors and screens are also available, for the well-heeled movie buff.

Setting up a home theater takes work, but once you’ve done it, you can kick back and enjoy a night at the movies without leaving the comfort of your home. If you build a custom room, you may also have a unique feature on your hands that will enhance homebuyer interest later on.