Home equity loan can fund entertainment and value

Add a theater to your home and watch the value increase

Back in the 1950’s and early 1960’s, most families spent their evenings gathered around a small, badly tuned, black and white television set that probably didn’t measure more than 19 inches across. They had two or three channels to choose from, and the living room setting used by most families met their needs at the time. This went on for several decades, with the only change being the increased popularity of color televisions in late 1960’s. 

Fast forward a few decades, and things have changed tremendously. Widescreen TVs, flat screen plasma TVs and video projectors are all the rage, along with five, six and seven speaker surround sound systems. It’s no longer enough to have a TV in the living room; what everyone wants and needs now is a home theater. How to fund one? With a home equity loan or line of credit. The family room or living room TV viewing experience is over. The trend now is to have a dedicated room designed for the ultimate audio/video experience. There’s only one problem with that - few homes have a suitable room. The ideal room will have a large wall for the TV or screen and few, if any windows. Fireplaces, poorly placed doors and stairways can get in the way, too. For many homeowners, the only way to obtain a proper home theater is to build one.

This is a good time to do some add-on construction. Home equity loans and lines of credit are still affordable. The interest is tax deductible, and the additional square footage will actually increase the value of your home. By building a dedicated theater you can make sure that you have everything you need - the proper lighting, the wiring hidden in the walls where it can’t be seen and the proper power outlets where you need them. Many contractors have experience constructing home theaters; you can probably find one in the Yellow Pages or by contacting a local home theater or audio/video store.

With increased interest in large-screen televisions, surround sound systems and DVD players, the addition of a home theater will not only increase your enjoyment of your home, but it will also be a valuable asset should you want or need to sell your house. Many people would be delighted to purchase a house that already had a room dedicated to movie or large-screen sports viewing, so an investment in additional space for TV viewing makes sense.

If you are unsure about what you need to do to add a theater, consult a local seller of video equipment. They often work with particular contractors to build and install theater systems, and they will be able to help you make decisions regarding exactly what you need to suit your budget. By using the equity in your house to fund the construction, you are letting your property work for you. It provides something fun for you to do and it adds value to the house itself. For many Americans, adding a theater to their house is a win-win situation.