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Making Your Property Perfect for Cord Cutters

Written by Posted On Wednesday, 06 November 2019 07:28
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Creating a property that home buyers can see themselves in is key, and one of the ways to do this is to prepare it for relaxing evenings at home watching TV or movies. Remember that something as simple as paint color can make a difference of thousands of dollars in selling price. What do you think setting up a property for a more enjoyable lounging experience can do?

 

In 2018, 18- to 44-year-olds led the pack in cord-cutting. The younger generations watch dramas and documentaries more than forms of media typically found on cable, like news or reality TV, according to a recent survey about documentary-watching habits. They still enjoy lounging around on a Friday night staring at the TV; it’s just how they get media onto that TV that’s changing. 

 

With many people in these age groups now poised as first-time home buyers, making sure your property is prepared to support this paradigm shift in media viewing is a wise idea. 

Infrastructure

Cord cutters may not want to keep paying cable companies once they stop using all their services, so alternative options for getting internet are important. And with households streaming on multiple devices at once and watching 4K media, speed matters. 

 

The best to be had in internet service is fiber or 5G wireless, but these aren’t available everywhere. There’s not much you can do to make 5G wireless available, but you can contact the nearest fiber provider and ask them to install the necessary cable. Getting a few of the neighbors together who are also interested in switching to fiber will make it easier to get a company to come out for installation. 

 

If upgrading the internet service available isn’t an option, you can still make sure the property is prepared for stable and speedy streaming. At a minimum, cable jacks should be readily available in convenient locations in rooms throughout the house, and always with an outlet or two nearby. You may also choose to provide wireless devices that support full coverage of the property, such as a mesh system. Think about space design (discussed in the next section) when placing jacks and outlets. 

Space design

Some rooms, like the kitchen, benefit from bright light. And placement and number of windows is always a good consideration in choosing lighting for a home. Especially for entertainment center rooms, lighting can have a big effect on how comfortable and inviting the space is. Here, lighting is for ambiance; you need enough to see, but not so much that it is distracting or interferes with the picture.

 

When preparing a space for streaming on a larger screen, consider either overhead recessed lights or wall sconces. Overhead lighting, in particular, should be dimmable, but ideally, all lighting in the space will be. You might even consider floor lighting options, which give a cinema-like feel. If you want to go all out, install smart lighting that can be controlled from a smartphone, so someone doesn’t even have to get off the couch to turn down the lights for a movie. A smart lighting system is sure to make properties more appealing to tech natives and those increasingly integrating digital options into their lives, like cord-cutters.

 

Also, think about square footage. Did you know there are recommended viewing distances for different size screens and even different screen resolutions? Crutchfield has a comprehensive guide to setting up the optimal media room. For property owners, this information is important when deciding what space to prepare for an entertainment center. Is there the right distance from the wall where the TV will live to the location of the couch? What about windows—are they right across from the TV wall? This is less than ideal, even though curtains can be drawn. Know the best setup for media viewing ahead of time so it can inform things like where you put the cable jack. 

Tech

While most newer TVs offer a great picture these days, the most appealing setup for cord-cutters who are streaming the latest media formats is probably a smart system complete with a networked TV and surround sound speakers. 

 

Smart TVs can be either hardwired or connected wirelessly, and each way has its own advantages. The important thing is to have a TV with both options for flexibility. Size also matters for the best viewing experience, as discussed above. If you’re equipping the property with a TV, make sure you take measurements and fit it to the space. 

 

Most living room spaces will be able to accommodate a TV between 50 to 75 inches. You may opt to mount this on a wall so it’s more flexible. Many LED or LCD TVs are best viewed straight-on; picture quality suffers when viewed from the side. A mounted TV is one solution, but if there will be a few people sitting around it regularly, choose an OLED TV, which offers good picture quality at up to a 70-degree angle. 

 

Smart speaker systems can really emphasize the appeal of a well-designed home. Multiroom options do more than just set someone up for pleasurable movie watching; they help turn the entire home into an entertainment space. If you’re building a new home or renovating, consider in-wall or ceiling options that be wired with hidden hardware. Even for existing properties, wireless systems can provide great sound. Sonos is generally considered to have the best wireless systems, and some of their speakers are compatible with Google, Amazon, and Apple smart home products. 

 

As you can see, some attention to the infrastructure, design, and equipment in a home goes a long way in upping its appeal. Cord cutters embrace tech and want to maximize their viewing experience, so whatever you can do to make a property tech-friendly and thoughtfully designed will enhance the space. 

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Hilary Thompson

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