A comment in my last post, which is a series about setting up a home theatre, lead me to put together this quick primer about home theatre equipment and some suggestions on showing value of a home with such a system. 

Along with your stager, home inspector, attorney, and mortgage professional, you need to find a home theatre consultant to help evaluate the value of a particular home theatre system.  No, this isn’t the high school kid at Best Buy.  This is a CEDIA certified professional who can help you and often the appraiser, understand what a home may have to offer.  A good place to find a home theatre consultant is at your local home theatre store.  As of today, I think Tweeter is offering this service as well.  This person is invaluable since, like the meaning of “full service” has been bastardized, so has home theatre. 

A home theatre typically a room dedicated to watching tv.  A true home theatre, at a minimum has custom furniture, sound deadening, quality theatre components (brands by names you probably never heard of but are top of the line), and may have cost upwards of $100,000 in construction and components alone.  Many agents have taken this term and watered it down to simply refer to surround sound speaker wiring in one particular room.  This is home a home theatre.  This is surround sound. 

Some components that you need to be aware of are:

• The Receiver: this is the device that acts as the central interface for all of the audio and video.  It connects the TV to the DVD, Satellite, and Video Consoles (which is commonly referred to as a source).  It also is used to power the speakers in that particular room, however many advanced receivers have the ability to power speakers in multiple locations.  This is very important to note and I’ll get more into this later

• The Source: Cable Set top box, DVD Player, Video Game Console, Computer, CD Player, DVR, Radio, Directv Receiver.  These are all the sources of media for a home theatre system. 
• Amplifiers: These receive audio from the receiver and are used to power speakers in a home theatre, just surround sound, or even in multi-zone audio
• Multi-Zone Audio: This is the ability to have 1 receiver powering speakers in different rooms or areas of a house.  A very simple system may be one where the owner has placed some simple audio knobs in line of the receiver and the speakers. 
• A more complex system, like that made by Niles Audio, Sonance, and others the ability to have individual touchpads that control the source and volume in each room.  For example, if you had a 4 zone system, you could listen to Jazz radio in the kitchen, the football game in the living room, a Christmas CD in the library, and Sirius’s NASCAR coverage on the back deck…all from the built in speakers around your home and all from the same receiver.  If you were having a party, you could swtch all your zones to the same source.  Ask your seller to explain to you the type of system they have the house or consult with your home theatre consultant if you are unsure. 
• Home Automation: Meet the Jetsons!  Yes, more and more homes are becoming automated and its important that if you list or show a home that is, you know what you’re looking at.  An automated house will feature touch screens around the home, similar those found with a smart multi-zone audio system, but they will be able to control lighting, security, audio, play video, operate CCTV, check email, and even control the HVAC.  Crestron is one of the main players in this game so visit their site to see some examples.  Also, be advised that a truly automated home system can run upwards of $50,000. 
• Smart Wiring / Home Run: Smart wired, otherwise known as a home run, is when a home has telephone, cable tv, and even network cable run to most of rooms in the house.  The wires are then all tied into a central box, usually in a closet, basement, or garage.  Home runs are great because adding a component like Directv is simple since all the cables for the entire house are inside and in one location.  Older homes may have insufficent wiring to support today’s modern television, cable internet, networks, etc.  Unfortunately, you may not discover through your ordinary inspection.  However, if you are ever in a home that has cable, for instance, and the reception is poor, that home may have old television cable wiring.  Your home theatre consultant can help you figure this out if you’re truly concerned. 

If you’re listing a home that has any number of the previous components, ask the owner how the system works and let them demonstrate it for you.  Also, as you’re walking around the property gathering info, here are some questions you should ask the seller.

1. Does the home have a multi zone audio system?
2. Are there any built-in speakers around the home?  If yes, ask the seller to point them out.  My advice is always to have them leave them in place!  If they try to remove the speakers, there will be a 8″+ hole in the ceiling or wall that is unsightly.  Make sure you have the seller on board with this.  Plus, they can use the move as an opportunity to upgrade! 
3. If the home has built-in speaker wire, is it the standard, clear jacket copper wire or is it UL rated?  NUMBER 1 NO-NO IS WHEN THE SELLER EITHER HIRED AN AMATEUR OR INSTALLED SPEAKER WIRE NOT IN-WALL RATED! Clear jacket copper wire can catch fire and is not recommended for inwall use.  I would recommend the seller remove all this wire or, at a minimum, cut the speaker wire so i can’t be used and to remove any attached speakers. 
4. If there are outdoor speakers, are they outdoor speakers and are they under warranty?  Not all speakers with brackets are suitable for outdoors.  All recommend that they are removed during the winter time to prevent damage to the cone.  Bose, Niles Audio, and B&W are just a few names that make extremely good outdoor speakers. 
5. Was the work done by the seller or professionally?  If professionally, get the name and number of the installer or installing shop.  A quality home theatre store will stand behind their work and will send out an installer to show the buyers how to use the system.  This gives them the opportunity to get a new client. 

Hopefully this should help you get over the hurdle of understanding some home theatre components.  Every home is different however in most cases, it is better to have the seller leave at least any built-in components, such as speakers, tv’s, wiring, multizone systems since what is left is useless without it.  Plus, your home threatre consultant can help you by pointing out the benefits and the value of the system.  Don’t rely on the customers receipts seeing as new technology dates components very quickly and the cost could be inflated by construction.  Wiring inside existing walls generally runs 2x more expensive than in a new construction or non-drywall area.  If your listing has a true theatre room with specialized furniture, wall art, sound deadening, projector with separate screen, etc., all of the “personal property” should stay since it is more valuable together than torn apart. 

Sincerely;
Jonathan Osman
The Charlotte House Hunter
Charlotte NC Homes, Charlotte Real Estate