Man caves have evolved into contemporary havens where guys of different ages seek refuge from the hustle and bustle of daily life. After all, everyone needs to be able to escape from time to time. They usually consist of things that range from gaming consoles to sports memorabilia, depending on the pursuits and hobbies you have. However, some apartments and homes do not have large spare rooms or expansive finished basements that can be used to create an enormous man cave.
The rooms that are most commonly converted into man caves are:
- A Spare Bedroom
- A Shed or Out Building
- A Garage
- A Basement or Attic
Fortunately, it is possible to convert another room into a man cave with a little elbow grease, planning, and budgeting. Ideally, a man cave should be a particular part of your home that you dedicate to your own interests, including spending quality time with your buddies or unwinding with your favorite drinks.
Setting up a budget man cave gives you a cost-effective way to surround yourself with everything you really enjoy. Whether this a fully stocked bar or a pool table, the options are limitless. There are many things you can do in your private cave. Before getting excited about the possibilities, you actually need to make one first!
One of the crucial steps towards creating the man cave of your dreams is to plan for space. Depending on your living environment’s layout, there are different rooms you can choose to use as your base. Popular choices include converting bedrooms and garages into caves. You are also free to consider the basement, a shed outside, a rarely used bathroom, or an attic. Basically, any room that you can spare has the potential to be the perfect place for relaxation and recreation.
Converting Different Rooms
Man caves are designed within various locations, a spare bedroom in your house, a shed, basement, or garage. It may cost substantially more to convert a building outside when compared to the task of changing a room that already exists in your home. Alternatively, converting an insulated garage connected to electricity and water would be an easier project for a budget man cave.
Transforming a room in your home that is already regulated and connected to everything you need typically only involves additional furniture and other items of your choice to complete your man cave, plus some decorating here and there.
Regarding this kind of conversion, the room’s functionality will primarily be based on the items, materials, and dimensions of the room that will influence your approach to the entire conversion process. Contrary to what some people think, changing a small space can be challenging because your options and decisions are limited.
Converting a basement requires even more effort and funding with tasks that range from ensuring temperature control to treating the walls for mold infestation. The basement may also need extra lighting because it is typically dark. Comparably, a shed conversion involves more adjustments to make it comfortable and, subsequently, higher costs. This is because you need to make sure it has a solid foundation and protect it from moisture and mold. Connecting it to utilities would be another factor to consider.
Potential Projects
Depending on your needs, wants, and expectations for your man cave’s space, some of the projects you could expect to need to tackle are:
- Electricity and Internet Connection
- Heating
- Weatherproofing/insulation
- Soundproofing
- Redoing Flooring
- Wiring (Adding light fixtures or outlets)
- Repainting Walls
- Drywalling (if converting an unfinished room as I did)
- Mounting a TV
- New Roofing (if converting an outbuilding or shed)
Aside from stocking the room with your essential man cave items, the purpose of your cave is important to remember. People have different lifestyles, interests, and intentions, which means that not all man caves are equal.
While some may just want to relax, others will want to capitalize on how practical their man caves are and may opt to use it as an effective home office that boosts productivity. If you want to engage in additional activities inside your man cave, this is another consideration that will determine the most suitable room for conversion.
Top Picks
A man cave is a personalized setting that should fit your lifestyle. This is why it is essential to pick a room according to your specific needs and the type of property you have. Determine where you want to set up your cave and its purpose. If you plan to convert a shed, garage, or spare room, consider consulting a professional for guidance, even if you plan to do most of the work on your own. Remember to set a clear budget before you begin the project. For a step-by-step comprehensive guide on planning and budgeting for your man cave, take a look at my article here.
Spare Bedroom
No matter what the size of a bedroom, maybe you can effectively convert it into your own retreat. From locking yourself in for hours of reading to entertaining your best friends, creating a man cave from a bedroom will provide the space needed to relax and unwind. Sometimes these rooms are small, so it will be important to make the most of the space available.
An unused bedroom is a great and manageable option for designing a small man cave in your home. Man caves offer the advantage of being ongoing projects, which means that you can continue to add and remove things according to your budget.
Spare bedrooms are the easiest rooms to convert because of their accessibility. Key considerations include soundproofing, painting, furniture, and lighting. Since the structure is already in place, you can make adjustments affordably and relatively quickly.
The main costs of converting a bedroom in good condition will primarily include the price of installing tech and furniture of your choice and redecorating (flooring and wall decorations), which can all amount to $5,000.
Shed or Out Building
Another common choice for conversions is the shed. This may involve building it from scratch or making a few changes to transform it into a comfortable and functional getaway. Since it is situated outside in the yard, it offers the ideal refuge away from the activities of the main house. For those of you in colder climates, this may only be a 3 season building.
Some of the costs associated with using a shed include security for costly equipment inside the space, electricity and internet connection, roof repair or replacement, soundproofing, flooring, insulation, and heating and waterproofing. These structural renovations will, of course, drive up the price of your project.
Other expenses when building a man cave will be based on the theme and purpose of the cave. If you are trying to cut costs as much as possible, a little innovation goes a long way. All you really need to start with is paint, a couple of quality seats, a TV and music system in the beginning at a total cost of approximately $5,000. You can expect a full-fledged shed conversion project to cost between $6,000 and $20,000.
Garage
Garages are among the frequently transformed rooms because they usually have extra space that allows you to experiment with a range of man cave ideas. Additionally, if they are unattached and located away from the main property, this amplifies the experience and allows you to truly feel like you are hiding away.
The main challenge that arises when converting a garage into a man cave is the floors and walls since they are not typically designed for comfortable living. While sealed concrete is a viable option, switching to wooden boards guarantees a drastic improvement that will make your budding cave a place you look forward to retreating to repeatedly. Flooring prices can vary wildly, so check out this article where I review the most viable options.
Upgrading the walls is essential for regulating the temperatures in your space. Investing in quality insulation will yield benefits for years to come. This may also be another DIY project that will allow you to save even more money.
A garage is a good option for a gaming room, bar, workshop, or gym. The main factors to keep in mind are making sure that it is connected to water and electricity, has good floors, is appropriately insulated and waterproofed. Converting a garage into a cave generally costs between $5,000 and $7,000, which goes towards repurposing elements already in the room, TV, gadgets, furniture, decoration, and utilities.
Basement or Attic
Converting an unfinished basement or attic is one of the more difficult renovations you can make. But sometimes the difficulty is worth it.
I used my unfinished attic as the space for my man cave. As you can imagine, starting from just the skeleton of a room means more work for you. But by the time I finished my man cave, it added almost $30,000 onto my home’s value.
Sure I spent close to $12,000 in materials for drywall, insulation, flooring, paint, wood for the bar, and furniture, but it was worth it. I was able to turn that man cave into the exact space I wanted, it is more private than something like a spare bedroom, and it was basically an investment!
Converting an unfinished space into something livable will be difficult, but be sure to consider the benefits. If you are up to put the work in, you will have a finished room that is ultimately a representation of the authentic you, and it will be an investment!
Key Cost Considerations
It is essential to know what your goals for your man cave are before choosing the room you will be converting. Your budget limitations will also dictate your options.
A man cave can cost anywhere from $5,000 to upwards of $20,000, but there are various ways to cut costs if you are working with a tight budget for your man cave. The price is mainly determined by the square footage of the space and type of room you want to convert, creating the man cave for and your preferred theme.
Unsurprisingly, a sparsely furnished cave will be more affordable than one filled with the latest gadgets and up-to-date technology. It is important to note that individual costs will be based on the theme and how you plan to be using your man cave.
With these factors in mind, you can make adjustments to suit your needs. Providing a specific cost for everything is tricky because the prices are influenced by numerous factors, including structure, access to facilities, and the room’s general condition. But a spare bedroom will likely be your cheapest option, and a shed or outbuilding will probably be the most expensive option.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, any room can be converted into a room that you can enjoy as your man cave. But each room comes with its own potential upside and limitations/pitfalls.
Before choosing the room, you will be converting, take the time to figure out the limitations of your time and budget. If you have the DIY experience, taking on a larger project will pay dividends for you down the road. At the end of the day, I hope you end up creating the room that suits all of your needs. Where there is the most work, there is also the most benefit. The quick outline in this article should give you some options to consider and give you a starting point to move forward from.