Taking a family of four out for a dinner and a movie; or to see a live sporting event is anything but economical these days. By the time you’ve paid for gas, parking, snacks, and tickets, you may be looking at upwards of a couple hundred dollars.
For most families, that’s an expense they simply can’t afford to spare very often, so they’re looking to make the most of what they’ve got at home. That’s why remodeling family rooms, or just building them from scratch, is an option a lot of households are seriously considering.
After all, you can make some pretty significant improvements for the same price as two or three nights out at the movies.
If this is something your family is looking at, here are a few ideas you might want to consider.
Building a Home Theater
Over the last decade or so, the price of home electronics like big screen televisions and home theater systems have plummeted. On the other hand, prices of things like movie tickets and season tickets for professional sports teams have gone through the roof. That price differential has made building a home theater system a pretty good deal.
This deal is especially appealing if you love watching professional sports. According to a recent study, the average cost of taking a family of four to an NFL game is right around $465. With prices like that, a pretty sweet home theater system can pay for itself after just couple seasons.
Besides the money you’ll save watching sports and movies at home, there’s also a time dividend, too. All that time you used to spend driving around looking for a parking space, or sitting in that same parking lot after the game, is now time you spend sitting comfortably on your own couch. Now that’s a pretty good deal.
Table Games
One of the best aspects of remodeling your family room is that it increases the amount of quality time your family spends together. So it makes sense that the more activities you’ve got in your family room, the more fun you’re going to have. That’s why table games like ping-pong, pool tables and air hockey are must-haves for a family room makeover.
If you’ve never been shopping for in-home table games, you might be pleasantly surprised at how affordable they are. While there are plenty used games floating around on sites like Craigslist, they’re really not that much cheaper than their brand new counterparts.
Finally
Building a really great family room is an investment that pays off in several ways. Not only do you save time and money by avoiding jam-packed stadiums and movie theaters, you’re also going to get to spend more time with your own family. And when it comes time to sell your home, a big, upgraded family room can really add to your selling price.
There’s no two ways about it, a family room upgrade offers a pretty significant return on investment.