Congratulations on the beginning of a new adventure!

I hope you can have some influence on HGTV/DIY to get better/expanded coverage of Home theaters done right. The shows that I have seen have left me wanting more.

I watch those channels way too much. Congrats on starting the next adventure. And, Merry Christmas.

Thanks Dave!

Bud

Congratulations on the beginning of a new adventure!

I hope you can have some influence on HGTV/DIY to get better/expanded coverage of Home theaters done right. The shows that I have seen have left me wanting more.

Thanks Big.

I agree and I'll see what I can do, although I'll be on the site development side and not on the broadcast side of the business.

Bud

Bud, you may be able to get them to help with the new theater, film it and do it right, they may even foot part of the bill.

Congrats Bud! Looks like it is a positive thing for you. I look foward to your next build, and I'm with Chiahead, you may be able to get a showcase out of it. That would be sweet especially if they foot all or part of the bill.

Heck, having Amy Matthews around for a bit would not be so bad either...

Yes, that would be nice - having them pay for part or all of it AND having Amy Matthews around the house! :p

Happy Holidays everyone!

Bud

Well, made it through my first week in Knoxville and it was great. o real time to go start house hunting, but expect that'll start in February. Should be fun!

Bud

The adventure has begun! Good luck is finding just the right spot.

Still looking for the right house. Been a little frustrated with it. Most of the basements are finished already. I found two houses that had potential theater rooms in the basement, but didn't like the rest of the house. Apartment living is no fun, although I just picked up an Apple TV to pass the time. :(

Bud

Here I am, late to the party AGAIN!

Congrats, and I'm glad it's working out for you. Hope you find something where you can create another masterpiece. Would be great to see it on TV, like Bryan's House. And you know Amy is married, right? At least you didn't swoon over the possibility of having HOH do it. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

I lived in Nashville for a year and checking out at the supermarket was a riot.

I was in Nashville for about 8 months or so and this ACTUALLY happened.

I'm second in line at a drugstore cashier. There's a guy in front of me. Like Big says, I'm waiting in line while they're chatting. Then the girl leans into the microphone and broadcasts all over the store:

"I need a price check on the 12-pack of Trojan condoms......Price check on the Trojan condoms!"

Come on Bud, DIY, build a house from scratch and make it a work expense.

Hang in there Bud, hope you find what you're looking for soon. And then the build - can you just create an empty build thread so I can pre-sub? ;)

Hang in there Bud. Maybe you can concentrate on the getting the house that you want at a good price, finished basement or not. You can always gut a part or all of it and move forward with a build. You can also find a builder and have a custom place built. It would take a while and you would have to find a rental, but prices should be good right now, so it may be worth a look.

Good luck hunting Bud.

Thanks guys. Looked at two tonight, both very nice. Both finished basements, one with a lot of potential for a theater room. Will try and get the wife to take a peek soon.

Bud

Thanks guys. Looked at two tonight, both very nice. Both finished basements, one with a lot of potential for a theater room. Will try and get the wife to take a peek soon.

Bud

Just buy one and tell her you did it because you thought she would like it. :D

Anyone recognize this theater? I may go check out this house and was curious if it was done by someone here. Looks familiar.

http://photos1.zillow.com/is/image/i0/i6/i968/ISf54xfipvj4wz.jpg?op_sharpen=1&qlt=90&hei=446&wid=596
http://photos2.zillow.com/is/image/i0/i6/i968/IS1ixk3329agyw3.jpg?op_sharpen=1&qlt=90&hei=446&wid=596

Does look familiar, they used the same carpet and color theme that Jamis selected. May look at his thread to see if the carpet came from someone there or if they took their cue from him.

Just buy one and tell her you did it because you thought she would like it. :D

Thought I had her convinced this week on the house with the potential theater room, but she hasn't bit yet. We'll keep looking. Saw enough with a general purpose room that was sorta weird, but we've got slim pickins. :(

Bud

Thought I had her convinced this week on the house with the potential theater room, but she hasn't bit yet. We'll keep looking. Saw enough with a general purpose room that was sorta weird, but we've got slim pickins. :(

Bud

Than build man, build! There are plenty of home builders that are looking for work and land should be rather cheap...AND you can get EXACTLY what you want! :rolleyes:

Good luck my friend! Great time to buy, too!

Than build man, build! There are plenty of home builders that are looking for work and land should be rather cheap...AND you can get EXACTLY what you want! :rolleyes:

Good luck my friend! Great time to buy, too!

Would love to, but with my luck the builder would go bankrupt half way through the build. ;)

Another house possibility this week, the wife is already excited about this one. The basement is finished already, but think it may work, have not seen it yet except for the pics.

Bud

No Master this year, Bud? It was a good one.

Hey Randy,

Watched most of it this year, but did not attend. Would have been nice. I put in for tickets for next year, although it may be a longer haul from Knoxville if I manage to get tickets!

Bud

Hi Bud,

Thanks for responding to my linkedin email and being empathetic to my insecurity about moving forward with my HT build without a engineering degree. I just finished all 143 pages of this thread and it still holds the record of most posts....ALL I CAN SAY IS WOW!!!!!!!!!! This is the ultimate and best thread probably on the entire internet on a personal HT build step by step. I hope the new job is going well Bud, this is the perfect time to buy a home so you will find one.

-Peter

Hey Peter, thanks for the compliments, not sure if it's the best, I've learned a lot from a lot of folks here. Start a thread, post pictures and ask a lot of questions. If you build it, they will comment!

Walked through a house today. Beautiful house, love the construction, the materials, the layout, etc. It even had a "media room". Well, it was a room with potential at least. It was used as a room with a TV slapped on longwall of a rectangular room, but it was big enough to work with.

Only problem with it was the backyard backed up to a lot on another culdesac that was much higher than the lot the house was on and I'm picturing a house built eventually where the back deck is above the roof line of this house and these people are staring straight down into the backyard. Made me sad, actually that I really loved the house and then looked up from the back deck. Crap. I don't think trees could grow high enough and fast enough to fix that problem.

I am going to look at the plat maps for the boundaries and have even thought about possibly even buying the lot behind us so it can't be built on, but that may be a little crazy cost wise. Dunno.

Who knows, maybe I WILL consider building the same house (or similar) on another lot.

Bud

Bud, We had a house like that in our last house and we planted an Austree. It was 5'-6' with the root ball when we bought it. That thing shot up!!! Within about 2-3 years it was as tall as our house and was crowding out the aspen we had near it. If we drive by the house now, after about 12 years, it is the biggest beast in the area, and the trunk has to be at least 2-3 foot diameter.

Roots spread way out (one reason we wanted to move, small backyard and the tree covered most of it)

Only problem we had was most snow storms here would just bend the branches, but one storm snapped a good size limb, this made for a bit of cleanup.
It does seem to attract bees if that is an issue.

Raking was interesting, as the leaves are long and narrow, so not as easy to rake as an elm or maple.

If you trim the sides it grows up, if you trim the top, it grows out. many houses around here use it a natural fence blocking for the backyard. Definitely for a larger yard though (our last lot was just over 6000 square feet, so the back was not that big.

My wife and I are the experts at finding A+B, but not C, or A+C but not B when we want ABC. Its really frustrating.

Good hunting.

Bud, We had a house like that in our last house and we planted an Austree. It was 5'-6' with the root ball when we bought it. That thing shot up!!! Within about 2-3 years it was as tall as our house and was crowding out the aspen we had near it. If we drive by the house now, after about 12 years, it is the biggest beast in the area, and the trunk has to be at least 2-3 foot diameter.


Michael, will have to looked at it. Never heard of it. I'm thinking of another route - buying the damn lot so no one can build on it. Not sure I can afford the second lot though. Looking into it.

Bud

My wife and I are the experts at finding A+B, but not C, or A+C but not B when we want ABC. Its really frustrating.

Good hunting.

Dave,

Ain't that a bitch!:rolleyes: Welcome to the club!

Bud

Wow, look what happens when I don't check in here for a loooong while. Bud goes and moves!

That is the problem with certain areas of the country and lack of basements. Just don't get it! It is just the norm in Wisconsin.

Been to Knoxville for work before, great area. I think they are on the short list of best places to live -- not too hot, not too cold, etc. The work visits included that "huge" airport they have. :) It is one of the very few places I said "I could live here".

Be sure to not move next to the University and the infamous "body farm" or whatever it is called.

I'm sure you will find what you are looking for -- we certainly are looking forward to following the process all over again. I'm guessing building is the correct way for you to go though. It would be nice to skip some of the steps in theater building (i.e. walls, etc. -- been there, done that would be the attitude).

I seem to recall you were looking at or purchased a cabin up somewhere you guys had visited -- is that now way out of the way or am I remembering incorrectly?

Oh well -- progress... right? ;)

Best of luck to you and the family.

Hasswood,

I really like it too. We'll find the right place, sooner or later. Hopefully sooner! We do have a potential, but for some reason I missed the property tax on the house, it's a lot more than others (at least double) not sure why it's as much as it is, other comps close by are like 2K less. Might have to fight it. The other problem is the house has hail damage from the storms a couple of weeks ago and they're going to replace the roof and shutters. There are ALOT of house getting roofs replaced in the area and I don't want to make an offer until I know whats going on with that house and the roof. I don't want it rushed by some knuckle head just to get it done, then I'm responsible for it (and it leaks). I'll figure it out. Anyway, this house has a finished room in the basement I'd definitely redo.

The cabin from the house in Atlanta, is about 1.5 hours. Now it's a little less than two hours away. It's about 15 mins from the TN/NC/GA line in a town called Blue Ridge, GA.
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=safari&q=blue+ridge+ga&oe=UTF-8&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Blue+Ridge,+Fannin,+Georgia&gl=us&ll=34.621908,-84.14978&spn=1.403556,1.755066&z=9

Bud

Hey Bud,

I just got caught up on your thread here. Best of luck in moving forward. I'm grateful for the chance to see your last theater and basement, and I'm sure the next place will be awesome as well.

Enjoy the hunt, you'll find the place that's right. -Warren

Hey Bud,

I just got caught up on your thread here. Best of luck in moving forward. I'm grateful for the chance to see your last theater and basement, and I'm sure the next place will be awesome as well.

Enjoy the hunt, you'll find the place that's right. -Warren

Hey Warren, thanks for checking in. The "transition" period is the worst for me, looking forward to getting over this and getting back into a routine. Looking forward to building something new, too.

Bud

You should just move a little more to the east. ;)

Yes, speaking on behalf of the NoVA HT Community, we would love to add you to our ranks! :D

Hope you find the right place soon. I'm ready for your next build thread!

Yes, speaking on behalf of the NoVA HT Community, we would love to add you to our ranks! :D
...

You NoVA guys are already too powerful! ;) :)

He should come to Chicago.

AVS Mafia!

You should just move a little more to the east. ;)

Are you talking Greenville, SC? Driven through it a million times I think...

Bud

Yes, speaking on behalf of the NoVA HT Community, we would love to add you to our ranks! :D

Hope you find the right place soon. I'm ready for your next build thread!

Hmm, need to look at a map, you guys aren't that far way anymore. :p Especially with my trips to Chevy Chase and Reston recently...

Bud

You NoVA guys are already too powerful! ;) :)

He should come to Chicago.

Funny, being a BEARS fan and all, I actually told my wife I was working my way up to Chicago a little bit at a time. My neighbor is now moving and heading up to Chicago in the next couple of weeks. Now I have another house for sale to contend with on my street (and his company will buy it after 90 days).

Bud

Wife and kids were up over the week, BTW and saw a few places, one that I had seen before (wasn't in love with the lot house). She says she loves that house. I discovered that it has both city and county property taxes (versus just county in the next sub), so I was made that the taxes are double and based on 2007 prices. More than I'm paying now by a couple of grand. I could probably get them reassessed though. The other factor is with all the real bad weather that came through a couple of weeks back, there are a ton of roof problems and sure enough, this roof needs to be replaced. I don't want to make an offer and then have some Yahoo put on teh roof just to sell the house, so I'm feeling that out too. Stay tuned.

Bud

DA BEARS! Name my hero....

DA BEARS! Name my hero....

#54, Urlacher, of course! Nice pic. Another Bears fans from the ATL. The Bears play the Falcons in Chicago this year, assuming they play at all. Would love to go up for the weekend and take in the game.

Bud

I actually tried to convince my wife that we needed to go to that game... It's actually the season opener! We went to both of the games they had here in Atlanta, even though we couldn't squeak out a win, we still had a great time. I somehow even convinced my wife (an Atlanta native) to wear a Bears jersey...

Heck, even my dog's named Payton! (check the logo on his name tag)

I actually tried to convince my wife that we needed to go to that game... It's actually the season opener! We went to both of the games they had here in Atlanta, even though we couldn't squeak out a win, we still had a great time. I somehow even convinced my wife (an Atlanta native) to wear a Bears jersey...

Heck, even my dog's named Payton! (check the logo on his name tag)

Too funny. I was up there in April of last year with the kids. Had a great time (even though there was no game).

http://images9.fotki.com/v131/photos/3/649633/8621252/DSC02294-vi.jpg
http://images58.fotki.com/v156/photos/3/649633/8621252/DSC02263-vi.jpg

Bud

You NoVA guys are already too powerful! ;) :)

He should come to Chicago.

We see how you guys roll. One of the more popular threads on this board was the RASTER thread! He made Chicago look...livable. :D

Hmm, need to look at a map, you guys aren't that far way anymore. :p Especially with my trips to Chevy Chase and Reston recently...

Bud

HAHAHAHAHA...Reston is near the epicenter of the NoVA crew! Let us know when you will be up this way again. We'll see if we can't pull together a meet at a local forum member's place and get the crew together!

CJ

We see how you guys roll. One of the more popular threads on this board was the RASTER thread! He made Chicago look...livable. :D

Yeah, if life here was like his, no one would leave! Instead we get crappy weather most of the year, horrid traffic all of the year, high taxes, overwhelming state debt, and corn. Maybe I should volunteer for the local tourism board. ;)

Warren,

But it's a cool city to visit! I plan on coming back when I can!

Bud

#54, Urlacher, of course! Nice pic. Another Bears fans from the ATL. The Bears play the Falcons in Chicago this year, assuming they play at all. Would love to go up for the weekend and take in the game.

Bud

Urlacher was in the photo? Where?

NEWS!

After several (5) counter offers, we've got a house. :p It's the one a mentioned before, the one with the media room, higher taxes and the yard I'm not completely crazy about. Did I settle? I don't think so. We made a pretty low offer on a house that was probably already pretty undervalued and managed to get them down a bunch. If it hadn't worked out, I was OK with walking away. Turns out the roof was being replaced by the original builder and I have the insurance claim information so we're good. I had spoken to the builder, the tax accessor, everyone and their brother, so I'm finally comfortable with it. Always really liked the house, but wanted the wife to make her decision. Scheduled to close on 7/15. YES, that's five weeks away. I'm going to be busy. Understatement. :eek:

That being said, I won't likely do any theater work until I sell my other house. Two mortgages will do that to you. I can however set the stage.....

The current media room is 12Wx18Lx9H, which is about a foot shorter than what I had before. They must have had a flat screen on one of the long walls and a couch opposite. It has sconces all around the room. No soffits. No cans. The walls are paint a darkish red-ish purple-ish (yuck) with brown carpets (I think, they're different than the rest of the basement). The entrance is from hallow double doors in the back, centered on the back wall. As you walk in, (love this), there is a door in the corner. Closet, maybe? To my surprise, there is about an 8 foot wide by 18 foot long room - all concrete. Panic or tornado room probably. I have not pulled the insulation off the ceiling, but I believe it's under the front porch and that's also concrete. Perfect for an equipment closet/concession area/ media storage/panic room/whatever room.

I'll probably have some demolition to do, I might have to tear out some drywall to figure out the existing LV and HV wiring. I thinking figuring out the platform will be the tricky part. Either leave the doors and step up immediately to the platform, move the door to one side and have an aisle on one side, etc. I'll have to see how my Berks are going to work out changing the configuration (I have a row of 4 and 2, with a love seat including one armless section). Plenty of time to think about it.

Have not looked at equipment and it'll change by the time I'm back in the market, but definitely want to go scope and perf, likely SmX (Ruben, will be beating on your door), assuming I have the room. Equipment TBD, but will do something similar to what I have now.

Before anyone asks for pics (you know who you are), I'll have some soon. I have to have the inspection done in the next 10 days, so I'll make sure I get them.

Bud

Congrats Bud.

I'm sure you will make good the space you have.... and Knoxville could be a potential road trip for us NoVa builders..... so hurry up as your rival is Logan and were all growing old waiting :)

Rock on. Glad you got the house lined up. I am sure you will do better than me at getting version 2 going. Good luck with the sale. I'll be curious to see your impressions of the theater's impact on your sale.

CONGRATULATIONS! That is great news all around! You get a new crib, you get to do HT II, and we get to come along for the ride!

WINNER, WINNER, CHICKEN DINNER!

New build thread! Any specultion on what Bud will call his new theater from those following this thread? Its not like Bud is listening or anything.

No idea yet. I don't like the name of the street, so that's no play of words there. The TN Theater is in Knoxville....

http://www.rocoxinc.com/TennesseeTheatre1.jpg

Bud

Tennesee Stud! (Doc Watson)

Congrats! I'm looking forward to the next build thread as well. Good times! :)

Well this has my attention... Congrats!

Thanks all. Let the fun begin - the purchasing, mortgaging and moving fun, that is. Should be in the house by 7/20.

Bud

Inspection today ... just got the results. For the most part, pretty typical stuff. New roof went on and boy, they did a sloppy job with flashing (or lack there of) and frickin' silicon caulk all over the place - really unprofessional. I guess they'll be doing it again.

Bud

Photos of the basement and future HT room (assuming they fix the roof):

Outside the room.
http://images58.fotki.com/v85/photos/3/649633/9810698/IMG_0740-vi.jpg

Walking in.
http://images108.fotki.com/v105/photos/3/649633/9810698/IMG_0741-vi.jpg

Left side back corner to the panic room (equipment room, concession area)
http://images110.fotki.com/v630/photos/3/649633/9810698/IMG_0742-vi.jpg

Panic room:
http://images107.fotki.com/v159/photos/3/649633/9810698/IMG_0744-vi.jpg

Kitchen/bar area.
http://images12.fotki.com/v155/photos/3/649633/9810698/IMG_0745-vi.jpg

Rest of the basement.
http://images108.fotki.com/v105/photos/3/649633/9810698/IMG_0746-vi.jpg

Huge closet on right side. Workshop entrance and storage on the left.
http://images15.fotki.com/v246/photos/3/649633/9810698/IMG_0747-vi.jpg

Bathroom straight ahead and bedroom on the left.
http://images17.fotki.com/v147/photos/3/649633/9810698/IMG_0748-vi.jpg

Bud

WOW, nice digs!

Hope it works out!

WOW, nice digs!

Hope it works out!

Thank you sir. Needs a little of Bud's touch, but we'll get there. Thinking about redoing the bar too.

Bud

Congrats bud, hope the next set of pics has some power tools strewn about =)

She looks to have good bones!

Have fun with the move. My least favorite thing.

Glad to hear the cabin is still a reasonable drive. Good deal.

I was in Nashville and Memphis a couple weeks ago -- TN is great.

Thanks guys. Looking forward to getting the move behind me, selling the house and starting up the new theater.

Bud

Countdown to closing ..... 11 days. Lots to do still. Happy 4th everyone!

Bud

Happy Fourth, Bud! Can't wait for the new build thread!

Looks like great space Bud! Good luck with the move...

I like the new space, looking forward to seeing what you do with it.

Congrats to you and your family.

Best of luck with the move.

Orlando

Thanks, fellas.

LOTS to do still. Not sure I'll get everything I want done before the moves start packing us. Plan on leaving the equipment and I'm thinking about leaving the seats - sort of an incentive - having the room complete. Thoughts?

I've had the exterior repainted and the back yard re-sodded. Looks like a damn park now, had to leave it. I plan on spending a good 4-5 days inside doing touch up work, cleaning, getting the rugs cleaned and polishing up the hardwoods. The house should look pretty much new when I get it on the market.

Bud

I don't recall that you have put your place on the market yet, but I could be wrong. I'd recommend that you be very clear on what you are taking and what stays. I'll add my $0.02 here on leaving stuff behind. On the equipment, I'd leave it behind only if it is listed in the sales contract. I'd be very clear that the high dollar equipment (if you had any) would be left only for a negotiated change. If you have something that you really want to move to a new setup, swap it out for lower quality stuff and take it with you (but do this before you put your place on the market if you can). Of course, you could look at this as an opportunity to upgrade :D

Good luck! This part has to be a really hard part...leaving the space that you worked so hard to build! :(

I am pretty sure I listed my equip and seats as negotiable for separate sale. I wound up doing a separate P&S for a very fair price as a side deal. I had the pixar animation shorts running during any showing (family friendly).

Good luck.

how big is that new theater room, perception can be deceptive

I don't recall that you have put your place on the market yet, but I could be wrong. I'd recommend that you be very clear on what you are taking and what stays. I'll add my $0.02 here on leaving stuff behind. On the equipment, I'd leave it behind only if it is listed in the sales contract. I'd be very clear that the high dollar equipment (if you had any) would be left only for a negotiated change. If you have something that you really want to move to a new setup, swap it out for lower quality stuff and take it with you (but do this before you put your place on the market if you can). Of course, you could look at this as an opportunity to upgrade :D

Good luck! This part has to be a really hard part...leaving the space that you worked so hard to build! :(

I was thinking that technology changes so fast, it may be worth the upgrade by the time I'm ready to finish out the equipment. Everything I have now is several models old, except for the AE3000. The Yamaha only supports 1080i, so that would definitely be upgraded.

I'm sort of banking on someone (the husband) walking downstairs and going "Holy ..." and that'll help seal the deal. The house is not on the market, so all those decorations are coming with me. Everything except the poster boxes. It won't be have the same impact while showing it empty as it is now, but that's the price we're paying for convenience. Leaving the seats will help the matter. I'd rather have the extra incentives for a quick sale than have the house sit on the market for a year.

Bud

We had the same idea when selling. To me, it basically was like having a swimming pool in my backyard. We had feedback anywhere from "love the theater" to "this room would be better suited as a guest room". People either loved it or hated it.

In the end, we sold to a couple where the guy went nuts over the theater. I met both of them at the walkthrough to answer some questions and it was obvious that he was the driving force. They came in with a full price offer and wanted everything in the theater, which we countered. In the end, we left the screen and seats and took everything else.

I am pretty sure I listed my equip and seats as negotiable for separate sale. I wound up doing a separate P&S for a very fair price as a side deal. I had the pixar animation shorts running during any showing (family friendly).

Good luck.

Would love to have everything running while people are checking the house, although I'll be long out of the house when that happens, unfortunately. I could get an open house scheduled and be there for that.

Bud

how big is that new theater room, perception can be deceptive

I think it's 18Lx12Wx9H. About the same size as before, a little shorter.

Bud

We had the same idea when selling. To me, it basically was like having a swimming pool in my backyard. We had feedback anywhere from "love the theater" to "this room would be better suited as a guest room". People either loved it or hated it.

In the end, we sold to a couple where the guy went nuts over the theater. I met both of them at the walkthrough to answer some questions and it was obvious that he was the driving force. They came in with a full price offer and wanted everything in the theater, which we countered. In the end, we left the screen and seats and took everything else.

I expect the same sort of reaction, honestly. Although we have 5 bedrooms AND a bonus room, so I don't think we'll run into the guest room issue. :p Got my fingers cross that some sports/movie nut will gush over it. It's a tough, tough market here in Atlanta.

Bud

Tomorrow is the closing!

Side note. I can't BELIEVE how expensive that aluminum fencing is. I got a quote this week and nearly fell out of my chair. Brick columns in the corners are about 800.00 each. For what I'm going to the fence I could do the new home theater.

Bud

Well, it's official. Let the fun begin. NOT.

Bud

Congrats Bud

Congratulations!

Thanks guys.

Most of the stuff they packed, they're loading the truck today and tomorrow. They put down flat boxes down the steps from the second floor and are sliding all the boxes down the steps like a water slide.

Nothing like 95 degrees out on a moving day, either.

Bud

Good luck Bud!

For those keeping score, move is complete, chaos ensued, organization went by the wayside and settling has FINALLY started. Work trips to NYC and Reston immediately after the move just complicates things. Finally getting a breather.

Previous house is on the market about three weeks now, getting some traffic, which is great, and have all my digits crossed. :) Wish me luck!

Bud

Congrats Bud! My sister and her family live in Knoxville... it's a great area. Once you get settled, start looking for someone who can hook you up with Tennessee moonshine. It's really, really good !

Hey Bud -

Was at the new Public Market in Farragut over the weekend and saw the Moonshine, but I didn't try it. Will have to make the effort.

Love the area and the 4 mile commute!

Bud

PS (And wow! post 5000 for me!)

Bud, Reston is at the Epicenter of the NoVA HT building crowd. You should let us know if you have any free evenings when in town.

Bud, Reston is at the Epicenter of the NoVA HT building crowd. You should let us know if you have any free evenings when in town.

The last trip was unexpected due to some project issues. I found out the day before heading up there. I will however try and get up there at some point in the next couple of weeks, so will let you guys know.

Bud

The last trip was unexpected due to some project issues. I found out the day before heading up there. I will however try and get up there at some point in the next couple of weeks, so will let you guys know.

Bud

COOL! MiniMeet somewhere for a meet and greet?

Maybe we could have "working meet" at my place? I'm sure Bud would be MORE than happy to give a hand!

So it's unlikely I'll have a vehicle and I'll be at the Hyatt, so gonna have to come and get me!

Bud

So it's unlikely I'll have a vehicle and I'll be at the Hyatt, so gonna have to come and get me!

Bud

Hyatt in Reston? That's only a few miles from a world class theater (the owner will chime in if he wishes). I can just smell a meet and greet!

Heck, if no one gets anything going, I'll have dinner with you at Big Bowl in the Town Center!

I can see the Hyatt from my house if I were to climb on my roof, but I'm not going up there, even for Bud!

Big Bowl? Jackson's is the spot.

I can see the Hyatt from my house if I were to climb on my roof, but I'm not going up there, even for Bud!

Big Bowl? Jackson's is the spot.

Very good choice! I have an affinity for BB, but I like Jackson's too!

IF I could climb up on my roof, I could at least see the Accenture building. Not sure about the Hyatt. But count me in! I like food.

Maybe the week of Labor Day, trying to get people organized and get a decision made.

Bud

Not a good week for me.

I'll be around.

could you tell me where can i order the wood letter like you? and do you have a sketch for the ticket window that you had please, i want to build the one like you, look so great
thank you

could you tell me where can i order the wood letter like you? and do you have a sketch for the ticket window that you had please, i want to build the one like you, look so great
thank you

Not sure where the letters came from at this point, will try to dig through my email for an order confirmation. Looks like fotki (photo hosting) changed some URLs on me and I'll have to go back through the whole thread and update links. In the meantime, here is an album with shots: Ticket window and Poster Boxes (http://public.fotki.com/bketterl/early_construction/blazing_ridge_cinema-1/ticket_window_and/).

Bud

Update on trip - looks to be a video conference next week. We'll see what happens with the trip after that.

Bud

We have video here in Northern Virginia. We're not WEST Virginia, you know.

We have video here in Northern Virginia. We're not WEST Virginia, you know.

LOL. OK, got it and I'm sure it's HD, too. :)

Bud

We have real live actors playin'....West Virginia 3-D....! BTW we won, we knew when to bail on you southerners.

Hope you make it to Reston Bud..... Be good to see you again....... Just no Hooters there.

I know where there's a Hooters.

Yea, I have Hootdar too.

Was told by the realtor that we should have an offer on the house today. Not sure how good that offer will be obviously. We actually have two people interested really, one is a realtor. Got my fingers crossed. Starting to think about a design for the new space, but have not been able to focus. To fast path, maybe I'll explore the DE route.

Bud

Good luck on the house. Hope it works out for you.

Good luck on the house. Hope it works out for you.
Thanks Tom!

Bud

Got the first offer today on the house today and they're off a bunch, so we countered with a final offer and we'll see how serious they are. Not bad really, considering this market, and the first offer came after 52 days.

We're supposed to have another offer looming, by a realtor no less, I'm expecting that'll be worse or more realistic. Dunno. Apparently, they came back a few times, checked out the schools, the community golf course, pools, club house and they were asking about property lines, trees and neighborhood kids.

Bud

Hey Bud!

An offer after 52 days in this area is impressive. However, beyond the theater, you have a really great lot (probably the most private in the SD). I suspect you'll get what you want out of it.

I'm going all-in on my theater build in a few months. Just waiting for this lawsuit from my $%^*!@# neighbors in Blue Ridge to be over.

Let me know if you need any help at your former residence or want to grab a beer when in town.

Ben

Hey Ben, thanks for the response. Whats going on with you in Blue Ridge? Sounds, well, not good. We're good, the house has been empty since the beginning of August and of course, I took care of everything and the house looks brand new. Of course it hasn't been inspected, and I expect them to find 'something', but not worried at this point.

We're now under contract, wrapping this up at the end of October. Fingers crossed.

Bud

COOL! Hope it works out!

Woohoo! The old house appraised enough this week for the finance company to allow the buys to move forward. Looks like we're on for 10/31 - assuming the inspection goes well, but not worried about that.

Bud

That's great news! Congrats.

Congrats. Must be a HUGE load off your mind. Good luck on closing!

Thanks guys! Another monkey off my back! (No wife jokes please! :p)

Bud

Latest....

Inspection came back, nothing they want me to fix. I'm not sure if there was anything the inspector found or not.

BUT, finance company now wants a second appraisal. Not sure what that's about. That makes me nervous.

Bud

Started a new thread for the new build:

Chinadog's Tennessee Theater! (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1366619)

Latest....

Inspection came back, nothing they want me to fix. I'm not sure if there was anything the inspector found or not.

BUT, finance company now wants a second appraisal. Not sure what that's about. That makes me nervous.

Bud

I'm sure it's nothing. Try not to sweat it.

I was a nervous wreck for weeks while we were selling our last house. :eek:

I'm sure it's nothing. Try not to sweat it.

I was a nervous wreck for weeks while we were selling our last house. :eek:
I'm OK, just annoyed over something I have no control over. Damn banks got us all into this mess and continue to damper the economy. Just need to be patient for two more weeks.

Bud

Woohoo! Appraisal number two was high enough to get the buyers the finance. Eleven more days before I'm free. :)

Bud

Well let's get this party started.
You've had Sketchup for days now, you can use it on your laptop while your at the baseball game :)

Well let's get this party started.
You've had Sketchup for days now, you can use it on your laptop while your at the baseball game :)

Ha! Is there a version for the iPhone too?

Bud

Ok Bud, now that you are signed and sealed, any comments on the topic of what impact the theater had on the sale?

For those folks keeping track, I FINALLY got the house closed on Monday after several delays. Done deal. Big sigh.

Dave, to answer your question, here are my comments:

I think the theater had a big impact on the sale of the house. Granted, its a great house on great lot to start with, but the theater and the basement was the icing on the cake. The fact that I left all the equipment and the seats was a selling point - it was a complete theater - turnkey and I think that really helps with the sale. I did not ask for additional funding for the equipment - after all it's now 3-4 years old. If I had pulled the equipment, then it would have been a pain for them to figure out the wiring and somewhat of a chore to get things up and running for them. I took the safe route in this market and I think the theater had a huge impact on moving the house quickly. After all, in the ATL market, which is horrible at this point, the house was on the market for 52 days. It was also one of the highest selling house in the subdivision in recent years (1800 homes in the subdivision - but different price points AND these people that purchased the house were already residents of the subdivision). Overall, i think it was a combination of factors that sold the house - but when I decided to actually build that house on that lot, I always had in mind resale and I knew it was going to go quickly. The theater was certainly a factor.

Bud

Good stuff Bud and congrats on closing. Its nice to move forward with life.

Based on my sale, if nothing else it made it go faster in a tough market. I think I was 32 days on market. When I checked a year later, some of my competing units were still on the market.

Good luck clearing the list of other priorities. I have been stuck in that limbo for ah, 3 years now. But I'll get there.

Just a quick Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all you AVSers. May there be many electronic goodies in your near future!

Bud

have a merry christmas Bud. congratulations on the sale of the house!

Bud: Did you drywall over your windows. I saw you were considering it but didn't see if you had. Wondered what your wall assembly at the window was like and if you had any issues. I'm in the same climate (Nashville)

Bud: Did you drywall over your windows. I saw you were considering it but didn't see if you had. Wondered what your wall assembly at the window was like and if you had any issues. I'm in the same climate (Nashville)

Here's where I start with painting the drywall and shortly after that I do the install. http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?p=6602647#post6602647

No issues really, the question is whether you want to do something permanant or something more like a plug that can be more easily removed if required. I wasn't sure how it would go over once I tried to sell the house, if the inspector would have an issue with it or not. Just in case I took a bunch of measurements in case I had to cut back through the fabric and open it up. Honestly though, the inspector probably had no clue that the windows were there though. :)

Bud

Thanks. Looks a lot like what I planned. I'm dealing with a 2x4 wall inside a 2x6 exterior wall so I have some more depth to work with. Anyway, mine would be what I'd call semi-permanent. I was going to do plugs but for all the trouble I've about decided it won't be worth it since I won't be removing them for any reason other than a catastrophic event (e.g. broken window).

The "easy button" is to simply add some furring strips to the window perimeter (jamb) of the wall-in-wall where I had the windows left open when I drywalled. Add 2 layers of drywall to plug the holes. Attach layer 1 with a few screws to hold in place. Then caulk layer 1 with acoustic caulk, and when it sets remove the screws. Add the second layer of drwywall and screw it in. New mud the crack but don't tape. The mud should "grow" a hairline crack where the joint isn't taped. I'd make an effort to not mud the screws. This way, I get a flat joint, same material as a wall, a hairline indicator of where the thing really is in case I (or a future owner) wants to remove it. All one would have to do is remove screws, maybe hit the perimeter with a MultiMaster vibrating cutter, pull the drywall out, voila, ready to case and trim.

Maybe skip the mud altogether and just cauld with acoustic sealant.

Just fretting about what to put behind the drywall. Thinking I'll have window, then a blind or something to make Mrs. happy, then insulation, then vapor barrier (or not), then drywall.

Thanks,
Scott

Just fretting about what to put behind the drywall. Thinking I'll have window, then a blind or something to make Mrs. happy, then insulation, then vapor barrier (or not), then drywall.

Several people have done the blind thing, I went with the painted drywall. One day I was outside working in the side yard and I was foolishly trying to look in the window, forgetting completely that it was the window I covered. It just looks like its a dark room or the window is tinted, you just can't see anything. Looks fine from the outside.

Bud

Mold needs three things to grow - air, moisture and a food source. Take any one of these away and mold cannot grow. If I could proffer an opinion - close it off with materials that are not a food source - such as closing off the window with concrete board and not drywall. If you are to use drywall, use the fiberglass-faced drywall called DensArmour plus which has no paper. Seal the gaps with a high-quality exterior grade antimicrobial caulking, insulate and apply a vapor barrier. Seal the vapor barrier edges with a permanently pliable acoustic sealant. Now you have not offered any food source, have stopped air movement, and have tried to effectively keep the dew point (difference between interior and exterior temperatures with relative humidity) on the outside of the wall.

Or you could take one of two completely different approaches. 1. A nice dedicated home theater / media room is something that adds a lot of resale value to a home, especially if done well. So there is little chance of someone buying a home to convert the space back to a "normal" room unless they really, really needed to. So from this perspective why not just permanently close up the window and reside/brick the exterior as if the window never existed? 2. The other alternative would be to keep the window and install a motorized blackout shade. You could even have a secondary shade made with fabric that could mimic your acoustic treatment colors. Not the most ideal for sound control, but as someone else pointed out, it could be a readily available second point of egress.

Just my .02.

Mold needs three things to grow - air, moisture and a food source. Take any one of these away and mold cannot grow. If I could proffer an opinion - close it off with materials that are not a food source - such as closing off the window with concrete board and not drywall. If you are to use drywall, use the fiberglass-faced drywall called DensArmour plus which has no paper. Seal the gaps with a high-quality exterior grade caulking, insulate and apply a vapor barrier. Seal the vapor barrier edges with a permanently pliable acoustic sealant. Not you have not offered any food source, have stopped air movement, and have tried to effectively keep the dew point (difference between interior and exterior temperatures with relative humidity) on the outside of the wall. An excellent recommendation.

Or you could take one of two completely different approaches. 1. A nice dedicated home theater / media room is something that adds a lot of resale value to a home, especially if done well. So there is little chance of someone buying a home to convert the space back to a "normal" room unless they really, really needed to. So from this perspective why not just permanently close up the window and reside/brick the exterior as if the window never existed? 2. The other alternative would be to keep the window and install a motorized blackout shade. You could even have a secondary shade made with fabric that could mimic your acoustic treatment colors. Not the most ideal for sound control, but as someone else pointed out, it could be a readily available second point of egress.

Just my .02.Not sure it adds lots of resale value - most realtors will tell you its just finished space. It does help sell the house, IMO, if done well and you get the right buyer. I think it played into the sale of my home, but not entirely.

Bud

OK, maybe not a lot of resale value, but value for sure.

To help sell the value of the theater to those who may not be familiar with its benefits and how enjoyable a family / entertainment activity a home theater could be, I programmed a special "demo" button on my AMX control system with a laminated note taped to the door, inviting people to come in, press the one button labeled "demo" and sit back to enjoy the 4 minute 37 second demo of the system.

The feedback I received from all but 7 people (out of 62) that viewed my home before it sold was extremely positive and specifically mentioned the theater. Let's face it, most people have a TV area in the basement, this is just an extreme TV area! One other point of note - I specifically mentioned that the equipment and seating was not part of the sale but could be negotiable. As it turned out, the couple I sold the home to purchased all of the equipment at my fair market value asking price and just viewed it as getting "free" installation, setup and programming. And when we were leaving the house, my wife and I left them a nice gift basket of some wine, 3 DVDs, some microwave popcorn and a few movie-theater sized boxes of candy. We received a thank you card the next week saying that they ended up staying up until 3AM their first night in the house watching all three DVDs because they enjoyed it so much and this was from a couple who had never seen a front projection setup in a residential setting. I've even gotten a few calls from the guy in recent years asking about different upgrade paths for certain equipment, so it has been a nice connection. Ironically, I still haven't made it a point to go back and see it even though he has offered...although being 600 miles away from this house hasn't helped!

OK, maybe not a lot of resale value, but value for sure.

To help sell the value of the theater to those who may not be familiar with its benefits and how enjoyable a family / entertainment activity a home theater could be, I programmed a special "demo" button on my AMX control system with a laminated note taped to the door, inviting people to come in, press the one button labeled "demo" and sit back to enjoy the 4 minute 37 second demo of the system.

The feedback I received from all but 7 people (out of 62) that viewed my home before it sold was extremely positive and specifically mentioned the theater. Let's face it, most people have a TV area in the basement, this is just an extreme TV area! One other point of note - I specifically mentioned that the equipment and seating was not part of the sale but could be negotiable. As it turned out, the couple I sold the home to purchased all of the equipment at my fair market value asking price and just viewed it as getting "free" installation, setup and programming. And when we were leaving the house, my wife and I left them a nice gift basket of some wine, 3 DVDs, some microwave popcorn and a few movie-theater sized boxes of candy. We received a thank you card the next week saying that they ended up staying up until 3AM their first night in the house watching all three DVDs because they enjoyed it so much and this was from a couple who had never seen a front projection setup in a residential setting. I've even gotten a few calls from the guy in recent years asking about different upgrade paths for certain equipment, so it has been a nice connection. Ironically, I still haven't made it a point to go back and see it even though he has offered...although being 600 miles away from this house hasn't helped!

Just saw this. Excellent plan. I think if done right (like you) that buyers wanted a turn key theater room that this puts it over the top and can really influence the sale.

Bud