January 08, 9:48 AM
What’s best in an apartment…hanging the flat-screen on the wall or putting it on a stand? Either way looks great when you are watching it, but they both have some hidden issues that should be weighed before the decision is made.
Mounting a television to your wall will inevitably leave a few holes in your drywall when you take the TV down or want to move your furniture around. If you don't repair the holes, they will stick around and look bad even after you move out. Some communities do consider this normal “wear tear,” but some don’t and you may end up paying a fee or losing some of your deposit to cover the damage.
Also, even though you’re saving space putting on your wall, you’ll still need a DVD, stereo, PS3 or other component which have lots of cables that will run down your wall. If you don't cover them up somehow, they'll just dangle and make your living area look kind of ugly. You could try hiding the pesky cables a tall plant or a dresser, but then you wouldn’t saving much floor space, would ya? Sort of defeats the purpose.
There are a number of very, very cool stands and entertainment centers available that will work really well in your apartment. Most of them aren't very big, have places to store your components, and are fashionable. Best of all, they don't leave any damage to your apartment.
As an apartment-ite, the choice seems obvious...go with a stand. Don’t agree? We’d like to hear from you! Leave a comment and tell us how you would store your television.