I don't know about your market, but media rooms like that are only in high end, luxury homes here. I would keep it and feature it in the realtor listing!

Talk to your realtor, maybe even visit some open houses in the same price range. We're house hunting and a dark media room would be a turn-off for us.

Is there another family room by the kitchen area for regular TV watching or is this the only family room? If its the only family room by the kitchen I'd convert it back with lighter paint and show off the windows; if its up in an attic or basement and there are other rooms for non-movie family activities then its OK to leave it. If you expect multiple offers within a few days probably doesn't matter and can leave it.

It wouldn't be a plus to me as a buyer but I may not be the typical buyer.

Can you at least paint it a light color, maybe the ubiquitous gray, especially if it is THE family room, as opposed to an extra media room?

Depends on where it is. Basement? Leave it. In an odd place that others would likely use the room for something else? Convert it back.

For me it would only be a plus if it was a 3rd bonus living space and not the real living room or family room.

It's the basement. Finished basement with 2 bedrooms and another bathroom.

We have a regular living/family room on the main level by the kitchen.

It was a "family room" that we never used and built a media room down there.

This is similar to what we have. Our is full of boxes heading to storage so I can't photograph it.

oh my -- keep that!

Russ - I too have a home theater that I am debating leaving. I see one major problem with the above home theater (I know it is not yours, but hopefully you can avoid the problem if you know about it)

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It is playing Titanic...

Titanic. :)

I had a nice photo while playing Lord of the Rings. Can't find it.

--Russ

Russ, since it's in the basement and you have another family room, I see it as a positive. Especially for a family with children! Keep it and feature it.

I'd be inclined to leave it.

If you leave it, will you also leave the equipment? We did tour a house with a media room, but they had stripped it of the screen, projector and chairs. Then it felt like an odd room that would be expensive to furnish.

Even if you do plan on taking the equipment and furniture with you, leave it up for the showings.

We would leave the equipment, screen etc. and seating.

New house we are building will have all new media room.

The AV stuff is nice also. 3D projector 7.1 sound.

--Russ

I am in a similar situation, I will be upgrading the screen a bit in the new home and I will have more space for seating so I am fine with leaving my home theater. Unlike yours I designed the home theater room to be removable in anticipation of moving. We used black ceiling tiles like this, and both the platform and stage are not affixed to finished surfaces so they can be removed, walls are actually white walls covered by thick velvet curtains that are permanently affixed at the wainscoting so they don't bunch up. When we leave we will have to patch small nail holes and paint but will leave a room with dark wainscoting on the lower half and some extra wall plates but otherwise a normal room.

Our dilemma is with the sound system. I am running a 7.1 Paradigm system in there and I have no intention of leaving the speakers. I am buying a less expensive speaker system to show the house, but I am throwing money away if the new buyers don't want the home theater.