CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

CZ Eddie · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1601 Location: Austin, TX

I just bought my firstest ever house. It's a nine year old former rental home and needs lots of work. Looks like I'll be busy for the next six months without any real home theater.

Should I sell off all my pre-HDMI stuff while market prices are still almost good... then buy new junk in six months?
Or keep it all in a storage room somewhere?

arghh. A new hobby has formed! It's called "remodel the freakin house!".

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 1:46 am Post subject:

Congrats! I huffed and puffed and I couldn't blow the damnplace down!.. Wink

Yep, 'tis a fact that when you buy a house, there's a LOT of work to do.

But big congrats! Pay that sucka down as fast as you can, the mind boggles how much you pay in interest as compared to the mortgage...

BUT IT'S YOURS, ALL YOURS!

I'd sell your CRT stuff, keep your one set. The market is changing, and there's a LOT more high end stuff out there than there used to be.

mack1 · Joined: 21 Mar 2006 Posts: 494 Location: SARNIA

Congrats on the new home.If it was me I'd keep it (the HT equipment)for a while.Once you settle in you may find you have the time/money to do your room the way you want to --then you will have the equipment.You can always sell it off down the road...........Good luck Thumbs Up

zaphod · Joined: 16 Jun 2006 Posts: 2002 Location: Cloverdale

that's a really big rollup door on your home theatre room.
Smile

when i bought my house i went over to my pusher, errr audio dealer, and said he wouln't be seeing me as much as i now had a mortgage. he laughed and told me that i'd be needed kit for the house.

he was right Smile

i bought some of my best stuff tricking out my listening room.

so congratulations - but don't sell the kit until you are sure that you don't want it.

Ridebreck · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 2:54 am Post subject:

Eddie, congrats! First thing I would do is grab a notepad and pen and make a trip to Home Depot or Lowes. Head to the lawn care area and start making a shopping list. Unless you're going to pay a lawn service, you're going to have to get a lawnmower and weed trimmer. Might also want to buy a machette and hack away at that palm that's blocking half of the front entry (joking). Then there's all the miscellaneous junk that eventually takes up residence in your home like shovels, rakes, grills, garden hoses, fertilizer spreaders, etc. If you've never really bought this stuff before, you may as well get familiar with them now that the weather is starting to cool off. I think the weeds start popping up around March down there.

innof · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 193

Congratulations Sir! Do enjoy all of the benefits of home ownership and make sure all of your wires are duly passed before closing up any of the walls otherwise you'll be wasting lots of time like me Smile

jask · Joined: 17 Mar 2006 Posts: 10187 Location: kamloops BC

Congrats!! I can tell you this, 6 months isn't enough!! they never end Very Happy

Having shared that bit of good cheer...
Did you plan on upgrading for the next install? then blow it out.
spend it on paint or pay an extra thousand on the mortgage and do the math (like Curt said) you will see how much that "little now" saves a "lot then"...or you could just say screw it and start the renos with the HT Thumbs Up

Mark_A_W · Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2007 4:49 am Post subject:

Hey Eddie - where does your property end and the neighbours begin?

It's kinda hard to tell...if it was my place it would be where the nice mown lawn turns to weeds (my guinea pig powered lawnmower can't keep up with the grass, need more guinea pigs...or a goat).

cbe317 · Joined: 14 Apr 2006 Posts: 214 Location: Thunderbolt, GA

Congrats CZ! Thumbs Up

I must say that you have a fine looking spread there.

Ridebrick is correct. Having the right maintenance stuff makes home ownership a lot easier. And like Jask said, since your not going to have a theater for a while, why not blow out your stuff now and use the extra cash for the house. Then, when your ready to get your HT going, you can start with a clean slate.

Also, I see you have what looks to be a power transformer in the corner of your lot. Considering the house is only nine years old, you should have nice clean power with such a short service cable. It also looks like there is a phone trunk or cableTV head right next to it. Short underground runs are big pluses in my book.

Good luck,

C.

CZ Eddie · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1601 Location: Austin, TX

Thanks for the advice, guys! I haven't decided yet what to do.

But I have been keeping busy with the house. Got all the carpeting already ripped out. Today I worked on removing the fireplace so I could put a screen up in it's place. I may just move the fireplace to the outside of the house though, and make it flush with the wall. Not sure yet.

Before (that's my game face 8) ):

Whoever built this, did a pretty solid job.

During:

Almost done. I got stuck with the concrete base. I'll have to buy a sledghammer and chisel tomorrow. Plus some sockets to dissasemble the tubing.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2007 3:54 pm Post subject:

Well, it WAS a nice house.. Wink

Good work! For the life of me I could never get motivated to do that kinds of stuff. Better me keep repairing projectors and hire pros to do that.

Phil Smith · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 7717

Nice house Eddie!

I think you have your priorities backwards. Complete your HT, THEN work on the rest of the house. After a hard day of working on the house, there's nothing like kicking back and watching a movie. Thumbs Up

rabies_70 · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 2:04 am Post subject:

Dude, that looks like South Austin....did you buy south of the river??? Thumbs Up

CZ Eddie · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 1601 Location: Austin, TX

Thanks guys. I'm a proud papa of a house now. Feels so good!
And tiring!

I want to do this right. So I'm going to take my time and research things. Being single has it's advantages. I decided to go ahead and sell my home theater though. Better to take the money and put it into a six month CD I think.

Shoot. Sad

Ray, it's actually Round Rock. Smile

dbaisey · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:07 am Post subject:

Looks like a lot of work just to hang a Plasma but you can put backing in now and run cables / power. I'm guessing scraping the popcorn ceiling is going to be next before carpet? Doug

rabies_70 · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:32 am Post subject:

Sweet I love Round Rock...I used to fly with Medivac (Scott&White Temple) out of Taylor and we would land in Round Rock all the time. I miss Austin sometimes...except for the exwife thing...Congrats on the house.... put in an infinite baffle..you'll love it

Maurizio Prandi · Posted: Mon Oct 08, 2007 8:50 am Post subject:

Congratulazioni Edoardo!

It is a bit scary to see you with those power tools, free to mess around the house. Wink

I am happy for you mate! It reminds me when I bought my first apartment and had to design interiors and foresee a layout for the HT system.
My advice to you is to layout and prep the HT system while you are working at the house.
You can even foresee an electric pre-tensioned screen coming down from the ceiling.
CRT PJ coming out from the ceiling while the screen is being unrolled by an electric motor.
You can install in-wall speakers and the whole HT system won't be even noticed if not used.

I think you have a good chance to do your HT system pretty much as you like it since you are re-doing interiors anyway.

Nice grab Eddie! Thumbs Up

Ridebreck · Posted: Tue Oct 09, 2007 1:20 pm Post subject:

Keep in mind that if you move the fireplace outside of the wall, it's probably going to be permit and inspection time.

So I guess you're planning to make that room into the HT?

KSY · Joined: 22 Feb 2007 Posts: 8

Great to see you in fighting trim. The house looks like a big job though, take care. Thumbs Up

Z-Photo · Posted: Fri Oct 12, 2007 6:28 pm Post subject:

Watchout - it gets cold (ish) in winter............

fat girlfriend = winter

skinny girlfriend = summer

man I love summer time....