Having movie nights is the quintessential pastime. Whether it’s a family bonding experience or a date night, everyone loves sitting back and watching a good movie. However, with the rising prices of movie tickets and snacks, many are opting to skip the movie theater and just staying in. Fortunately, a good movie night is still possible in the comfort of your own media room – especially if you have lush and comfortable home theater furniture.
A Worthy Investment
More and more people are investing in home entertainment systems. However, there are still some who associate the words “home theater” to “lavish” and “extremely expensive.” They think that only mansions can have a dedicated movie room right in their private property – that could not be further from the truth, especially these days when you can build home theaters no matter what budget you have; it doesn’t have to break the bank.
Also, having your own home theater is a worthy investment that may pay you back in spades. It’s the ultimate space for your family and friends to relax. And if you ever decide to put your house in the market, the value of your property can exponentially go higher with the addition of a media room, especially when it’s furnished with quality home theater furniture.
Naturally, you may feel apprehensive about the money, space, and time you are dedicating in order to build a home theater. In today’s post, we’ll talk about the pitfalls of building a home theater and how best to avoid them. We hope the information you’ll find here will make your home theater project more manageable to navigate.
Don’t Over or Under-Budget
When you build a home theater, of course, you want it to last for years to come. Those who are committed to creating the best, custom home theaters may feel compelled to put in more money and get the most expensive products on the market. However, a high cost doesn’t always mean it’s the best out there.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of going over what your intended budget is when it comes to building a home theater – especially when you are constantly exposed to varying and contradicting information out there surrounding home entertainment systems, home theater furniture, and other components of a home theater. However, spending on specific features of a home entertainment system may or may not make a significant difference in the performance of your system, specifically the audio and video quality and the comfortability of the furniture and other equipment.
Until you have a better understanding of the features that you are willing to pay for, it’s better to hold off on purchasing more expensive home theater furniture and products. When you do proper research, you will always find more affordable versions of home theater components such as receivers, cables, and other more expensive ones.
We’ve talked about the pitfalls of over-budgeting; however, the flip side of it is to not under-budget. We understand the importance of managing your expenses and not splurging. However, going for the cheapest options is not always the best decision – especially when the quality and performance of your home theater suffers.
A home theater is supposed to be an investment; while it will inevitably cost you time, money, and effort, it will all be worth it in the end if you have a finished product that you are proud of. If your home theater components start failing soon after you finish installing it, the money, time, and effort you have dedicated into the project could be for nothing. We recommend that you find a good balance between finding the best deals and spending on top-of-the-line products. Also, one more thing to remember is you may eventually want to upgrade your home theater systems; and it’s best to save up for an upgrade rather than shelling out money.
Don’t Buy Without Doing Research
It’s always tempting to walk into the nearest store and make a one-time purchase of all the components you need – especially when a store representative is convincing you. However, it’s always important to do your own research before even getting any home theater furniture or equipment.
Store clerks may not always have the most in-depth knowledge and experience with home theater systems. Also, some of them are just in it to make a sale. Plus, the performance of surround systems and televisions may be different from when you actually take them home.
Read reviews and customer testimonials, follow online articles and blogs from home theater experts, get recommendations from friends or family who are experienced with home theater systems. Whatever type of research you want to conduct, it’s always better to research first, buy later.