Planning a home theater and the budget to do so often leads to an important choice. Constructing a home theater is a daunting task for many, as most are not skilled carpenters or audio visual technicians. If you have the skills to design, build and install a home theater, the overall cost of set up could be low. If you are not skilled enough to handle the build-out, plan for the added cost of professional installation.

It's good to think about the scope of your project before you set out to install your own home theater. Will you want the complete look that includes a snack bar, movie posters or other decorations? Do you basically want a mini movie theater? Or are just looking for a basic set up in a family room and aren't overly particular about details as long as you have a quality sound and picture? After deciding on that overall scope, the very first thing to do when creating your home theater is to design a floor plan. It doesn't have to be fancy or sophisticated. Just take a piece of paper and draw where each piece of furniture and equipment will go. This will save you time so that you don't have to physically move furniture from place to place as you change your mind.