by Jennifer Brister

Created on: May 28, 2008

If your dream is to set up a home theatre system, money can be a big issue standing in the way of that dream. Home theatres can be created from budgets ranging from less than great to anything goes. Follow these simple steps to set up your home theatre on a budget.

1. Choose a room for your home theatre. This can be a garage that you plan to convert or you may choose to use your family's living area. There should be plenty of room for the whole family and guests.

2. Create a floor plan for your room. Include where the components and furniture will go, as well as the placement of electrical outlets. This will save you time during the setup.

3. If your TV is smaller than 27 inches, you need a larger one. Look in your local Sunday paper for stores who are running specials on their TV's. If you don't mind a used TV, check out pawn shops or the classified ads.

4. You will also need a DVD player and several speakers. The larger the room, the more speakers you will need. Most families already own a DVD player and you can check out department stores for good deals on speaker systems.

5. You will need a way to block out the natural light in the room. Blackout shades are the best, but if you can't afford them, covering the windows with black fabric is a cheaper alternative.

6. Isolating your home theatre area is key to the enjoyment that your family will have in that area. Make your home theatre area a sanctuary by taking out any phones and silencing any doorbell speakers that are in the walls.

7. Keeping your home theatre neat and tidy will make your room seem larger and will give you an enjoyable atmosphere. Hide your cables by placing them along the baseboards of the walls. Make sure that there are not toys scattered around in the room and that you do not use the room for chores such as laundry or dinner time.

8. Double up. Many video game systems are made to also play DVD's. If you have one of these game systems, such as an XBox, hook it into your home theatre system instead purchasing a new DVD player. An added advantage is that your family can also use the setup to play video games.

9. Use what you have. Most families already have furniture that would be appropriate for home theatre seating. You can even start out using bean bag chairs for your home theatre until you can afford to purchase real furniture.

Your home theatre can be a place of fun for the whole family to enjoy. Start off with what you can afford and you can always add on fun extras later.

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