Follow this simple guide to design and build your own DIY TV Lift Cabinet! But first, learn what you are getting into and why it might not make as much sense as you think.
The Takeaway
So you’ve decided you would like a TV Lift Cabinet in your home, now comes the question: should you DIY or buy? With a simple search online, you’ll find a plethora of DIY TV Lift Cabinet tutorials and guides to walk you through building your own TV lift cabinet. After you do 10 seconds of research, you’ll find that all of these guides were written by TV lift mechanism manufacturers trying to rope you into buying their mechanism over their competitors’.
You may find these guides are helpful and building a DIY TV lift cabinet is well within your skillset. If you are the king or queen of DIY, the truth is that a very basic TV lift cabinet is not tremendously difficult. It might surprise you to learn that the benefits of building your own still might not add up. We’re talking DIY, so obviously cost is a big factor but time, and quality should also be considered when looking to build vs. buy a TV lift cabinet. First we can discuss the drawbacks to building your own TV lift cabinet. Then, for those of you who are unwavering, we’ll outline the steps to do it.
Find and customize a TV lift cabinet you’ll love
See why customers love our stylish real wood TV lift cabinets.
Find and customize a TV lift cabinet you’ll love
See why customers love our stylish real wood TV lift cabinets.
First things first, let’s discuss what you’re getting yourself into and what some of the potential downsides might be.
Trust me, as a serial DIYer, I know the math that is running through your head. You’re likely thinking if you skip the TV lift cabinet manufacturer and just buy the mechanism and build it yourself, you’ll save big. You are banking on the principle of “sweat equity” where you save money by providing your own labor. After all, when you buy retail you are mainly just paying a markup, right? Yes and no. Sometimes it’s a little more complicated than that. Let’s take this hypothetical situation for example.
Deluxe TV Lift Mechanism
If you were to call a good TV lift mechanism manufacturer and ask to purchase one mechanism, they would charge you somewhere between $700 and $2,500. That range is for a decent-to-great mechanism that will hold the average 55-inch TV at full retail. And, for the sake of our story, let’s say you go with a mechanism that costs $1,000. After the manufacturer processes your measly little order, the next job in their queue is for their biggest customer, “ACME TV Lift Cabinet”, who placed an order for 3 full pallets of mechanisms . Want to guess how much ACME is paying per mechanism? Probably somewhere in the ballpark of $200-$500. Yikes. Your sweat equity just became a little less valuable. But, you’re still on top! You’re only out $1,000, 1/3 the cost of the average TV lift cabinet, so you are well on your way to saving big. Right?
Before you start celebrating, remember that you still have lumber, finishing materials, and electronics to consider. There goes another $1,000 for the most basic TV lift cabinet. Assuming everything goes according to plan and you don’t have to rebuild any pieces or purchase any new equipment. Best case scenario: you save around $700-$1,000.
How long does it take to build a TV lift cabinet? Lucky for you, we have built hundreds of TV beds and TV lift cabinets and we can tell you exactly how long it takes. If you know your way around a wood shop but this is your first TV lift cabinet, expect it to take you 15-20 man hours to build. If you are fairly new to both, expect 20-25 hours. Even for experienced cabinet builders, the first time you integrate with new mechanisms there is a steep learning curve. Especially when planning for the nuances of various TV mounting patterns and positions. When you’re planning on your DIY TV lift cabinet, don’t forget to consider the investment in your time.
You don’t have to do DIY projects for long before you realize that professionals oftentimes do a better job. It’s not your fault! While you’re at work as an accountant, salesperson, teacher, etc. TV lift manufacturers have been honing their craft, learning to build the perfect TV lift cabinets. Because of where you spend your time, you are at a disadvantage. For example, at Wildwood TV Lift Furniture, we have reiterated our products at least a dozen times each. You will be starting with TV Lift Cabinet version 1.0. While it’s not terribly important for it to be perfect, you don’t want an eyesore in your home. Nothing is worse than a project you have made with glaring imperfections you have to look at every day.
If you dabble in the fine art of woodworking, you know that quality from manufacturers varies wildly. Most these days use subpar building techniques with inferior construction materials. If you buy from a manufacturer do your due diligence! Make sure they are using good materials and good techniques. For example, at Wildwood, we won’t go near particleboard with a 10-foot pole. If you use a good manufacturer, who has a good warranty, you can trust the quality. If the prices seem too good to be true, do a little more digging and find out what corners are getting cut to reduce cost.
One final note before getting into the steps to build a DIY TV lift cabinet, if you decide to do some shopping for cabinets, be sure to go with a wholesale manufacturer and not a retailer. As we mentioned before, wholesalers can give much better prices than retailers. So, a great way to cut cost without sacrificing quality or signing up for an enormous DIY project is to buy direct from the manufacturer. This way, you cut out the middle man and cut out the retail mark-up.
