Would you buy a house with the plan to not have a TV on the main floor?

[boolady]

We do watch TV, so I'll start with that. DD doesn't watch tons, and we don't either, but she does watch about 1/2 hour of TV in the mornings while I'm getting ready for work. She watches that in my room while I get her and me ready to leave for the day. At present, we do not have a TV in our kitchen, so she is not accustomed to, nor do I want her to become accustomed to, watching TV while she eats. We work hard to have family meals at breakfast and dinner, given that she goes to daycare/preschool 4 days per week. Sometimes (once or twice a week?) she'll watch a Backyardigans episode on DVD or something on demand while I make dinner. It's definitely not an every night kind of thing. On weekends, we really don't watch TV, other than a bit some mornings, or a movie on a day with bad weather.

I ask because we are interested in a house that does not have a separate family room on the first floor. It's 100 years old, so it's not at all uncommon in the area. The present owners have a flat screen mounted over the fireplace in the living room, and I feel like it dominates the very charming, but not overtly large living room. We would plan on having the second floor be (1) our room; (2) DD's room; (3) a playroom. We would likely have our same small TV in our room. I guess we could have a TV in the playroom, but I really don't want to. DD will not have a TV in her bedroom. There is also a bedroom on the third floor that would be a guest bedroom/spare room. No plan for a TV in there, either.

Down the road, like 5 years from now when we hopefully have more $$, I would love to finish the basement, which is not finished at present, but is in excellent condition and is sealed and dry. We would then make that like a family room with a TV, seating area, play area, etc.

Honest opinions-- what do you think? Totally unrealistic or impractical?

[SnuggleBuggles]

So, you'd just have the one tv in our room?

I hesitate about that plan b/c it wouldn't work for our family. I'd probably have one in some common room of the house. When she is older and has friends over for sleepovers or when she is a teen- down the road things- a TV is a pretty easy gathering point and I doubt you want them all in your room. A lot of my friends with livable attics have made that their family room with TV.

Beth

[egoldber]

When she is older and has friends over for sleepovers or when she is a teen- down the road things- a TV is a pretty easy gathering point and I doubt you want them all in your room.

This was my first thought. When DDs have a friend over, they typically watch a little TV at some point or play Wii. I like that the TV is in a common area to do these things.

[boolady]

At that point, I would expect that either (1) we would have finished the basement; or (2) we would make the "playroom" on the second floor into a TV room/small sitting room. Additionally, the bedroom on the third floor is a great room, and I think by the time DD was 10 or so, we'd offer to her to move up there, if not before. There is a 1/2 bath up there, so it would make a great tween and teen room. I just don't want her up there by herself at 4.5 y/o.

Beth (egoldber...I just realized both responders are Beths), you do make a good point about Wii or something, though, in the nearer future. Hmmm. Maybe DH is right. Darn it!

[ohsara430]

That wouldn't work for us at all, but if you think you could live it then I don't think it's unrealstic. Although I think you would find times when you wanted to have a TV in a common room. Would you ever have guests who want to watch a little TV? What about when DD is a little older or is sick and you want to be able to just let her veg for a bit, that would have to be in your room then.

[MamaMolly]

I'm not a fan of TV in the bedrooms, but since it is yours and not hers I don't see a big problem with it. Why not try it and see how it works out. It isn't like you can't go buy another TV if you decide to change the plan, you know? :)

[justlearning]

We would always want to have a TV in the common area. We have friends over to watch the Super Bowl, our boys like to play the Wii or watch movies with friends, etc.

Our current floor plan has the kitchen open to the family room, which I really like. While my kids are at school in the morning, I watch TV shows while cleaning the kitchen. It makes housework more enjoyable that way.

[bubbaray]

We would always want to have a TV in the common area. We have friends over to watch the Super Bowl, our boys like to play the Wii or watch movies with friends, etc.

Our current floor plan has the kitchen open to the family room, which I really like. While my kids are at school in the morning, I watch TV shows while cleaning the kitchen. It makes housework more enjoyable that way.


:yeahthat:

We are big news watchers here and the TV is always on in the background on the news or, at the very least, satellite radio. We wouldn't consider a house that did not have a kitchen open to family room floor plan. Definitely not a house that did not have a TV on the main floor. Its just not our style. I also think that that floor plan might be difficult to sell down the road.

[BeachBum]

It wouldn't work for us, but it might be fine for you. When my kids are watching TV or playing they basically want to be where I am. If I was cooking and they were watching TV, we are still kind of chatting....or at least I'm peeking in on them.
I think the upstairs set up would be a good motivation to watch less TV.

We chose to put a much smaller TV on the bookcase to the left of the fireplace. In someways we get the best of both worlds (tv in the room, doesn't dominate the decor), but it's also a much smaller tv than is typical for a big room...so it's not great for sports and get togethers. (It's not our only TV/ living room).

I personally wouldn't base my house decision on TV placement. I think there are probably other creative solutions you haven't thought of yet, and it will work itself out. I mean, I get that it IS important...but I think there is another fix out there. :)

[boolady]

I personally wouldn't base my house decision on TV placement. I think there are probably other creative solutions you haven't thought of yet, and it will work itself out. I mean, I get that it IS important...but I think there is another fix out there. :)

I agree-- I don't intend to make our decision based on that, it's just been the subject of some discussion between DH and me. Perhaps I should have worded the title differently. I like the motivation of watching less TV, but you all have pointed out a number of practical reasons it would be smart to have one there. DH's answer is that we should just finish the basement right away. Umm, well, I must have missed that in addition to being a cute house, it also has a money tree in the backyard, DH...

[ijopint]

I am not a TV person myself so is DH. We have our entertainment center in our finished basement , televison and the surround sound for movie nights on weekend but no cable or satellite subscription. We have the off the air antenna for TV to pick up some local channels and PBS channel for DS shows. In the morning esp Sat/Sun when DS is the only one up ,he picks a book to read or plays on his room, TV time is only allowed after dinner or finishing his KUmon lesson. Although I do have a tiny 13" TV on my kitchen installed before they were born.. this is my TV on Sunday night when everyone is in the basement and I am in the kitchen cleaning :(

On the side note: DH finished the basement himself took him a year to do, carpet out/level &cement/tile/paint + bathroom(finishing this spring).. save us a lot of money

The fireplace sounds charming, I want that in my house too! This could your living room area .. pillows/throws on the floor books on the wall storytelling night. WHerein your basement could be your entertaining family room.. movie night. It's nice that you two separate rooms to do these things.


Goodluck to your house.

[kijip]

We did. After some short stints in the office and our bedroom, the tv landed back in the living room. Just because the previous owners have an imposing tv above e fireplace does not mean you can not get a smaller option or use a more discreet spot. We too have a small living room. It is not ideal, but it is better than a tv in our bedroom or the office.

[tarahsolazy]

How about a small one, perhaps in a cabinet, in the living room. It could be discreet and not dominate the room.

We have only one, a old 25inch tube model, and it is in our family room in the basement. We are committed to having only one in the house, so we need it to be in a room guests can be in.

I let my kids watch more TV than most people here though, probably an hour or two a day. (don't keep track, so go ahead and call CPS on me)

[cono0507]

I would. Our current house has a TV in the family room (main floor) that is rarely used. I have a TV in my bedroom that the kids watch while I shower or when DD gets her nebulizer treatment before bed. We have a finished basement and a family room set up down there where DH watches football/etc and we watch movies.
I have friends with no TV on the main floor. I think it is great. Out of sight, out of mind. :)

[wolverine2]

I would totally be ok with that. But, we don't watch much tv. We have one in the corner of our living room (the couch faces the opposite direction, so that tells you how little importance the tv is...) but as soon as we finish our basement, we're moving it down there and won't have one anywhere else. Our kids only watch tv on Saturday mornings. We do use the laptop for netflix streaming sometimes, and they can do that anywhere.

[LMPC]

LOL about the money tree in the back yard!!

We are not big TV people so this would work for us. We find if we have access to a TV, we watch it...but the times when we have not had access or chosen not to have access, we have figured things out. There are many ways of getting around not having a TV per se. And I bet in 3-5 years, it will be a whole different ballgame. If you do wireless in the house, you can just stream shows for you guys to watch. You are also much less tied to "where's the cable/satellite plug" for determining placement. If this is the house for you, I bet there are more ways than finishing off the basement to get around this issue.

[artvandalay]

It wouldn't work for us. I like to know/see what they are watching on tv. Sometimes when I am cooking dinner or something I put on a show for them, and because our house has a really open floor plan, it's easy for me to keep an eye on them from the kitchen area.

But I love older homes. My cousin has an older home (100 years) with a fireplace on each floor. It is so charming, but she had to give up some things (her kitchen is tiny) but her home is lovely.

[bostonsmama]

We're not doing any TV (or videos) for our DD, and we don't have cable so we don't watch TV either. However, we do still have a TV for the 2-3x/month we rent a movie from Redbox. Part of me wants to take the huge box TV we have in the living room out, but it's hooked up to our bluray player/surround system, so we couldn't necessarily put extra seating there, either. So, I don't see any problem with you only having a TV in your room for the 30min/day you let her watch programming. The only problem with having a TV in the bedroom is that it discourages together time as a couple at the end of the day. DH & I sleep more, have more "alone time," and aren't so stirred up by screen time at the end of the day. To get our news, we set NPR on the home stereo system and go about our day (getting ready, cleaning, making dinner--but it's off to eat).

I think you're right that by the time TV becomes the gather-point, you'll be able to have the basement fixed up.

[MommyAllison]

Our TV is in our basement playroom, and I love it. DH wishes we could have a flat screen on the wall in our main floor living room, but I really like that when we have people over, we can just talk in the living room without a huge TV right there. Part of DH's reasoning is he hates basements, and doesn't like to hang out in them. We don't watch any TV, just movies. We do sometimes watch movies on our laptops on the main floor.

[boolady]

Just because the previous owners have an imposing tv above e fireplace does not mean you can not get a smaller option or use a more discreet spot.

Unfortunately, there is really not a better spot for it...the room is angled, and the fireplace is on the angled wall, so it's hard for me to envision it being anywhere other than on that wall, which is really not much wider than the fireplace. Directly across from the fireplace, which has a sofa there now, is three bayed windows, so I won't put a TV in front of them. The front wall has a window in the middle of it, too. Nevertheless, I think you're right that it's possible that we could do it in a way that seems less imposing. I think we would likely have something smaller than this, anyway.

[Seitvonzu]

we have one tv in our house-- in the basement. this isn't because we "aren't tv people" (we are , and also let our child watch quite a bit), it's just how it practically worked out (our cable hookups are bizarre...so no tv in the bedroom, which dh prefers anyhow). our basement is finished/walkout (so pretty bright for a basement). it's also where guests stay when they sleep here-- my parents actually prefer it to our room because of the tv :) they are more "tv people" than we are :) (they like it even more since our cable company came to "fix" the cable and suddenly we have a bunch of channels we didn't have on our "basic" plan)

it works for us and i think it is nice to NOT have tv on the main level (we're in a town house) our kitchen is pretty open to the front living room...but i just can't imagine a tv in there. i certainly think that the way you described things it would work out,unless your husband is really into tv?

[Canna]

We live in a 1920s house and the only working TV is in our bedroom currently. There is a tiny sunroom/playroom where we've had a small TV working in the past, but I actually prefer having it upstairs versus in the main living space of the house. DH and I mainly watch it after the kids are asleep and then we like being upstairs, especially in cooler weather when it's warmer upstairs in the evenings. I LOVE not having a TV in our living room. Love, love, love it.

[AnnieW625]

yes! If you ever sell the house they can always put a TV there. I am not a fan of TVs over fireplaces. We have one TV in our family room and we are happy with that. DH won't allow TVs in the bedroom and why do I need a TV in the kitchen? I'd rather get an Ipad so I can have access to recipes on the web while I cook!

eta: looked at the photos, and yes I would take that tv down. It ruins the entire room. ICK!

[nmosur]

Not having a place to put the TV on the main floor was a requirement for me. DH is a serious TV addict - he will turn it on the minute he wakes up if he has access to one. And I can't stand TV - unless it is something that I really want to watch something. And if there was even a minor chance we could have a TV on the main floor, DH would nag at me till he had a TV there. Hence I found a place where there would be no TV connection or even place to put a TV on in the main floor. That said, we have two dedicated entertainment rooms - one upstairs and one in the basement with all the bells and whistles.

[justlearning]

I think the house looks adorable so if I were in your shoes, I wouldn't allow the TV placement issue to keep you from buying the house.

I think that your basement option would be a great one. The basement is where our kids play the Wii and watch movies with friends. Many people in our area will go ahead and let their kids play down in an unfinished basement--in fact, one of my best friends has put down padded play mats in her unfinished basement and has furnished it as you would any finished basement. That's where her kids' play area is as well as their Wii.

If you ended up really wanting a TV in your living room, at least the wiring is already in place to put it over the fireplace. If you were really against the idea of the TV being the focal point, perhaps you could hang it where the current artwork is hanging on the window wall.

[boolady]

Thank you, everyone, for your input! You've given me lots of options to think about.

[Neverdullwith3]

This is exactly the set up in my 80 year old house. We decided to have the TV only in the basement playroom and I love it that way. It is so much easier to limit TV watching since there's no argument to keep it on once they are 'upstairs'. My living room and first floor is also so much cleaner since there are no snack wrappers/crumbs on the furniture!

FYI, I don't watch any TV, partly because of time/work constraints but also because of this placement...not necessarily a bad thing in my mind.

[kijip]

That is a cute house. I would totally buy it barring some price or structural issues. WTH were the owners thinking wi that tv? That is appalling. Is there room for a small tv next to the fireplace to the left in what I assume in the dining room at all? Or just put it in the bedroom till later. I would do either of those until you get the basement finished. But if I was house shopping, I would love to find a small house like that. Good luck.

Also, maybe the tv above the fireplace would work for a little bit provide yours is smaller? You could drape it off when not in use.

[Uno-Mom]

We have no tv in the living room. It's in the family room, though it doesn't actually have "tv." It's just for DVDs.

Our first house didn't have space in the living room. There we learned we prefered having a tv-free main room. When people gather there, all the seating faces other people and it's obviously a place to focus on conversation, not face a screen.

I would be sad to have NO place to watch movies with a group, though. So I like having space in our family room. Next to DH's drumset... :)

[Globetrotter]

I admire people who don't watch TV regularly, but unfortunately I do :) so I would need it on the main floor with access to the kitchen. We sometimes host parties to watch the Academy Awards, kids watch TV during sleepovers, play WII (they have strict limits on screen time, but more during holidays), and we watch 95% of the time after the kids are in bed, so I like to be far away from their bedrooms due to the noise issue. We only have one TV and I don't like the idea of having it in our bedroom, but I know a lot of folks do that.

If you could make a little TV den on the main floor, that would work down the road as your kids get older. Like PP said, you could also consider an alternate location or put it in a cabinet with closed doors to hide it when not in use.