Do Home Theaters Increase The Value Of Your Home?
When renovating your home, there are certain upgrades that are almost guaranteed to increase your property's value. For instance, remodeling your kitchen or bathroom to be safer and more practical. Or, you could add a bedroom, which is sure to give your home some extra attention from potential buyers. Any of these upgrades will most likely appeal to a wide variety of homebuyers. However, there are also upgrades you could complete that aren't strictly necessary, such as adding a home theater.
According to Livewire, a home theater comes with a number of benefits. It creates a fun cinema-like experience in the comfort of your own home and is a great place to entertain guests. Further, this space can be completely customized to your design — you can choose the chairs you find most comfortable, use the lighting you prefer, and keep the volume set to a level you most enjoy. However, while these are great benefits, you may be wondering if a home theater will also increase the value of your home.
The answer is subjective
Most agree that a home theater could add value to your home, but it's not guaranteed. Because a home theater is not a necessary renovation, it will only appeal to a select group of people. Therefore, Smartasset says that this is a relative upgrade, and the amount it will increase your home's value for (if at all) is very subjective. Additionally, the more personalized your room is, the fewer people it will appeal to. Therefore, home theaters that have a more generalized design may provide you with a higher return on your investment.
Projector Screen explains that this addition definitely won't increase your home's value as much as say a remodeled bathroom or kitchen or an extra room would. And, you probably won't get back the total amount of money you put into a home theater, which, according to Home Advisor, can be as much as $17,500. However, at the same time, it could be a fun element that sets your home apart from others.
Deciding if you should add a home theater
According to SmartAsset, the deciding factor on whether or not you should install a home theater should not be the possible return on investment. Rather, you should only consider a theater if you know that you and your family will enjoy it. However, there's another scenario where a home theater could greatly benefit you, per Projector Screen. If you live in a luxurious neighborhood where a home theater is common, you should include this feature, because not having one may make your home look less appealing than the properties around you.
If you're set on adding a home theater, Cinema Sound Unlimited has some great advice. They explain that it is important for the theater to match the rest of your home so that it doesn't feel out of place. Also, you should ensure you keep up with the latest technology so that your home doesn't feel outdated. They also recommend only adding this feature to an unused area that couldn't be better used as something else, like another bedroom. Finally, make sure you invest enough money to include some of the highest quality pieces so that the design doesn't feel cheap.