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Home Theater Remodeling

Ideas, costs, tips and plans - the information you need for a successful Home Theater Remodeling project

February 2011

Homeowners have many important questions about their Home Theater Remodeling Project. How much will it cost? How long will it take? What problem areas do I need to watch out for? Can I recover my Home Theater Remodeling investment when I sell? Can I do some of the work myself? What can I do to make sure that the work is done right?

Costs, materials and best practices for the example Home Theater Remodeling project will help you answer these questions. Use this information to develop a budget, bid requirements, hiring contracts and a project plan.

Use the following information to understand your options, make good decisions and get quality work at a fair price.

Home Theater Remodeling - Project Overview

The approximate costs and value of a typical Home Theater Remodeling project are summarized below. Use higher estimates for larger metropolitan areas and the lower estimates where home prices are below the national average. Adjust costs for substitutions or refinements in the last section. For size differences of up to 25%, scale total costs in direct proportion to the size of your project. Use the adjusted costs as a basis for setting a material budget and for comparing contractor bids (if you choose to have a professional perform the work).

Project description	Update existing home theater. Replace media center components, built-in speakers, ceiling mounted projection system. Upgrade electral system. Install black out draperies. Paint and re-carpet.
Project size	220 square foot room
Material and labor cost	$11,579 - $13,508
Material cost	$8,321 - $9,707
Do-it-yourself assessment	The typical Home Theater Remodeling project involves tasks that are best performed by experienced professionals. Good quality Home Theater Remodeling requires considerable experience, skill and attention to detail. Do it yourself mistakes are noticeable, may be difficulty to remedy and may actually reduce the market value of the project and your home.
First year Return on Investment - ROI	Returns vary widely and are affected by the range of home prices in your neighborhood, the overall condition of your home and sensible design choices. A high quality Home Theater Remodeling project in an appropriate neighborhood can return as much as 77% - 91% of its initial cost.
Long term Return on Investment - ROI	Actual returns vary widely and are affected by the range of home prices in your neighborhood, the overall condition of your home and sensible design choices. A good quality Home Theater Remodeling project in the right neighborhoods can return 61% - 72% of its initial cost.
Green rating	Home Theater Remodeling projects can incorporate renewable or sustainable resources and environmentally friendly materials.

Home Theater Remodeling - Proven Ideas and Project Tips

Review these tips, design suggestions, options and lessons learned before finalizing your Home Theater Remodeling project plan.

To maximize return on the Home Theater Remodeling project, limit cost to no more than 1.5% of home's total, post project value
For best home resale value, follow a consistent design and decorating theme throughout the home
Perform major Home Theater Remodeling work with permits to help protect value at resale time
Install electrical receptacles inside cabinet where electrical devices are stored
Understand how your project will change property taxes (assessed value) and home insurance - before the project begins
Recess speakers into walls or ceiling to share media system access and create room ambiance
Install a built-in media hub to centralize storage and access of audio, video, media, internet
Use low voltage interior lighting to illuminate pathways used at night

Home Theater Remodeling - Project Plan and Details

The following list includes major work tasks commonly performed during Home Theater Remodeling. Use this list to understand the timing and sequence of different steps in the Home Theater Remodeling project. Click any Task name for a complete written specifications, FAQs and quality checklist for the task - this essential information will help you control Home Theater Remodeling project cost and quality.

Task

Service Provider

Duration

Do-it-yourself difficulty

Target cost

Develop Project Budget

General Contractor

2 to 15 d

Level 2 - Challenging

$140 - $234

Specify Materials

Interior Designer