Buying a house to fit your hi-fi

[admin_exported]

My wife and I have been in our current house for five years and we bought our hi-fi and TV to fit in the space available to it. However, we're now moving house, but every property we view we (well, I) just look at it and think "nah - can't fit a hi-fi in here - let alone the 40" telly". We are getting worried that we will either have to give up the hi fi (which is hardly intrusive, being Cyrus) or spend silly money on a house to find a property that has a lounge bigger than a shoebox!

And this is just the start of it - yesterday I viewed a lovely new-build, but I couldn't help but knock on the flimsy partition walls and anticipate boomy sound and nasty resonances. Added to that I have been wondering where to put sofas, but so that they're not in corners, not too close to backwalls, in a good listening positions, etc!

Clearly I am being a geek, but this must be a real concern for many of us when changing property. What experiences have the rest of you had? Did hi-fi have to be surrendered, with expensive changes, or did you hold out for a house with the perfect listening room and make allowances elsewhere? It would be interesting to know.

Cheers,

Phil

 

[chebby]

There is so much quality gear ranging in size from the 'bijou' to the immense that a great sound can be had in almost any sized room.

Obviously a large telly makes demands on space that a hifi won't but you can buy one just the right size for your viewing distance far more cheaply than buying a house to fit the TV.

I think the hifi is pretty low on the list of priorities when considering a home for you and your family.

 

[MattSPL]

I had to sacrefice my pmc IB1's and Krell FPB200 when we moved. Partly due to room size and partly for financial reasons.

We lived in an old 1 bed apartment back then, but it had a large living room perfect for a hifi. Solid walls and floor too.
The new house is is about 7 years old and has a living room half the size, solid walls but a wooden laminate floor which is hell for hifi.

 

[matengawhat]

i wrote off loads of houses purely on this issue - my stereo setup to me is my most expensive piece of furntiure and needs pride and place - wasn't prepared to compromise

as my system grew i took out a wall to accomodate my growing setup

 

[Big Aura]

we went "under offer" on a property last week. The home cinema was a high-priority for me, but there were bigger things to be concerned about (nearby schools, garden size and aspect, a "proper family kitchen" etc). In short - compromise is the order of the day! In the end, the place we found has a great baywindow (northfacing, so no streaming sunshine) for the screen and centre, and an alcove to the right for the kit. It's not ideal, and I know the missus isn't delighted, but it's the best we could afford and (with some decent a/v furniture) will be perfectly serviceable.

edit: I think it depends on your level of fanaticism - if you're someone who listens to music purely on the basis of how good the sound quality is, rather than how good the sound is (or in the a/v world, those people who bought Transformers 2!), then there's little point in compromise!

 

[Frank Harvey]

Whenever I look at a house, my first concern is whether the living room is connected to next doors! Ideally, I need a semi-detached with living rooms on the opposite sides - who decided that semis were better off with living rooms right next to each other?! Really I should be looking for a detached, but can't afford that, unless it's in the middle of a war zone.

Then it's room size and shape. Too slim a room and my speakers just aren't going to work properly. Not big enough and I'm going to be swamped with bass, and the speakers will take up most of it! I thought I'd be better off getting a flat above some shops whic are usually quite roomy, but with what I have I'll probably end up setting off their alarms.

 

[matengawhat]

don't get me wrong i would not buy a house in a area i didn't want to live just because it had the perfect lounge but i wouldn't buy a house in an area i wanted to live that couldn't accomodate my needs

 

[MattSPL]

FrankHarveyHiFi:

Whenever I look at a house, my first concern is whether the living room is connected to next doors! Ideally, I need a semi-detached with living rooms on the opposite sides - who decided that semis were better off with living rooms right next to each other?! Really I should be looking for a detached, but can't afford that, unless it's in the middle of a war zone.

Then it's room size and shape. Too slim a room and my speakers just aren't going to work properly. Not big enough and I'm going to be swamped with bass, and the speakers will take up most of it! I thought I'd be better off getting a flat above some shops whic are usually quite roomy, but with what I have I'll probably end up setting off their alarms.

We were lucky that our house is a semi with the Kitchen beside next door's then our living room on the gabel end, seperated by the hallway and stairs in the middle.

Only problem is, the neighbours accross the street can hear the music when its up loud. Even walking past our house with the music moderatly loud, you can hear it outside. Possibly due to windows at the front and french doors at the rear. Id love some sound proofing.

 

[Anonymous]

We moved last August and a key criteria in our hunt was room for the hifi. I agreed to make a lifestyle compromise by buying small speakers a couple of years ago but I've got to have a good place to put them. In the end it wasn't a problem for us.

 

[Alec]

MattSPL, maybe see a doctor and/or turn it down a smidgen?

 

[Anonymous]

I agree some compromise is needed, however, when a lot of money has been spent on AV kit in the last year, it is galling to consider losing some of that by selling and replacing perfectly good kit.

At the moment, it is just my wife and I - kids are not present and are not on the menu, so our prime concern is to buy a house we like being in and like being entertained in.

Like Frank Harvey says, there are some great houses, but in rubbish areas. To stay in the nice area means living in smaller/more inconvenient circumstances and perhaps not having space for equipment that I love.

In the words of Derek Zoolander, it looks like I have a lot to ponder!

 

[Anonymous]

I have been very lucky to 'negotiate' my own listening room when I bought another house. It's also quite far apart from nearby properties so the only thing that holds the volume down is the size of room.

However I pine for a bigger room to really let my system loose in! Next house will be in the middle of nowhere, and with a large listening area with a high ceiling!

 

[Anonymous]

I'm also looking for a new place that I can own, but the ones I could afford in my desired locations are too small to fit my gear and furniture. I have 2 hifi systems, and home theater separates with a 50" plasma.

I'm thinking of going further from the city, as the same money would get me a bigger place. It'd be less convenient in terms of travelling to/from work and doing basic things, however.

 

[Anonymous]

I know how you feel we have a 6ft 6,6ft bed that was hell, but keep looking somthing will turn up sooner or later

 

[True Blue]

matengawhat:
i wrote off loads of houses purely on this issue - my stereo setup to me is my most expensive piece of furntiure and needs pride and place - wasn't prepared to compromise

as my system grew i took out a wall to accomodate my growing setup

Damn right. It is right up in the top 5 on the list of "must haves"

Think I will move soon to accomodate the Bryston setup I heard awhile ago

 

[Anonymous]

I moved out of a semi as the music didn't really get on with the neighbours, or should hat be the other way around.

Went to a detatched house living by myself for just over a year, pure bliss. Then my GF asked me to nove in with her, lovely big posh house, but a teraced one. Now my music doesn't sound the same!

We have already had the conversation, that when we move, its going to be for a detached property, so that she can watch her american awful tv programs in one room, and I ca sound proof my music room, and batter the hell out of the kit I will have by then.

It sounds stupid to discount houses on the rooms for hi fi or AV, but I am sure we all think about it, as we are HIFI geeks, and those kind of things go through our minds, but not the other halfs minds.

 

[MattSPL]

al7478:MattSPL, maybe see a doctor and/or turn it down a smidgen?

Firstly, why see a doctor?

And secondly, why turn it down when live music is loud. Thats the way its supposed to be heard when at all posible.

 

[Anonymous]

love this post brings back memories im more of a movie buff but i bought a house 2 years ago just cos i could extend for a cinema room !!!! costly option but worth every penny good luck