Planning or finishing up a man cave? If you’re afraid you missed something, here is a checklist to see if you’ve got everything you need. It would be a shame if you open up your man cave to your friends for the first time and you miss something essential that you should have thought of.
No worries, I’ve got you covered. Here is a checklist of all the things you need to think about, do and buy for your man cave.
There are ten steps to go from nothing to your perfect man cave.
- A plan
- A space
- A budget
- A reality check
- Remodel
- Furniture
- Decorations
- Appliances
- Accessories
- Enjoy!
Keep reading for more details.
Table of Contents
1. A plan
I love it when a plan comes together….
For a plan to work, you have to actually start with a plan. If you don’t know what you want to do and have in your man cave, you might run into some problems down the road.
What should you plan for?
- What do you want to do in your man cave?
- Which items would you like to have?
- How many people should it house?
- Which style do you like?
Once you know the answers to these questions, you will have a much clearer picture of what has to happen.
Don’t be afraid to be creative. This is going to be your space alone so you can decide what it’s going to be like.
Dream a little and find out what kind of man cave you would be happy with.
If you need some help, here are some man cave floor plans for different spaces.
2. A space
The next important thing is to have a space where you can realize your plans. If you don’t have a choice and can only use one room, make the most of it.
If you’ve got a choice, check out this article on what’s the best room in the house for your specific man cave.
Steps
- Decide which room is best/available
- Measure the space so you know what you’ve got to work with.
Also read these articles about converting your basement and garage into a man cave
How to convert your basement into a man cave.
How to build a man cave in your garage.
Maybe you’ve room in the house but you’ve got a big garden? Maybe a man shed is for you.
3. A budget
Although you can do a lot of things for cheap or even free, you need some kind of budget. What that budget is, obviously depends on your personal situation.
How much you can/want to spend dictates obviously depends on your financial situation.
How much you have to spend depends on several other things;
- How much you have to spend depends on your expectation and wishes.
- How much you can DIY
- How much you need to remodel your man cave. Remodeling is one of the largest parts of the budget.
Check out this article for more budget information. It covers everything you need to know.
4. Reality check
Daydreaming about what you want to do is fun. And dreaming is not a bad thing, it gives you goals to aim for.
Dreams don’t always come true however. So now it’s time for a reality check.
Ask yourself two important questions;
- Does what I have planned actually fit in the space I’ve got?
- Is my budget realistic?/ Do I want to spend this amount of money on a man cave?
If the answer to these questions is a clear “yes”, great!! Go to the next step.
If it’s a “no” or “maybe not”, adjust your plans, space or budget. While it’s good to dream, and set high targets, don’t get yourself into trouble.
5. Remodel
Are all your plans realistic and you’re aching to start? Great, there’s probably plenty of work to be done. The preparations are important but this is where we actually get into the good part: creating your man cave.
The first step is to remodel your space.
Levels of difficulty
For some people this is going to be very simple since their plans are quite simple or the space is already in the shape they like it to be.
For others it’ll be a sizable project that will take up quite a bit of time and resources.
For most people it’ll be somewhere in between those two extreme.
While it’s a bit difficult to make a checklist for a remodeling since they’re all different, here are some general things you should keep in mind.
Steps
Just skip the steps that don’t apply to you.
- First, clean out all the crap that has probably accumulated in this unused room.
- Demolition is next up. If anything structural has to go, now is the time.
- Clean again. You’re going to build up from here. You can’t build on trash and dirt.
- Construction work. Changing walls, wiring, plumbing, etc.
- Need to paint? Now is the time. Pick some colors that will help you create the man cave you want.
- For certain décor styles you might want to cover (part of) the walls/floor/ceiling with a different material. Maybe you want a wooden floor/ceiling or some bamboo on the wall for that tiki bar look? Don’t forget the lighting if you’re doing the ceiling.
- If you need more details, take a look at this site.
6. Furniture
After you’re done remodeling it’s time to start filling up that empty space. Placing some furniture is the first step.
Depending on your budget, you might not have the luxury of being able to choose whatever you like.
First off, any furniture is better than no furniture. If it isn’t in a color you like, why not pain it? Not possible to paint? Maybe you can cover it up with something or you just accept it.
Also check out this article on furniture under $100.
If you have a little more room in your budget, look back at your plan. Which style are you going for? Modern? Rustic? Contemporary? Whatever it is, get some furniture that fits this style.
Pieces or furniture you might need
- Bar
- Bar stools
- Sofa
- Coffee table
- Armchair
- Storage space
7. Decorations
Unless you like a completely sterile space, you need some decorations. There are tons of options for every taste and budget. That’s both a good and a bad thing. It means you’ve got a lot of choice but you also have to make a lot of decisions.
Categories of decorations
Click the links for more information and suggestions about that type of decoration.
- Posters
- Prints
- Sports memorabilia
- Vintage signs
- Neon signs
- Wall maps
8. Appliances
Depending on what your plans are you might need one or more appliances. Here’s a list of commonly used appliances in a man cave;
You might not need all or even any of these. It’s also pretty easy to add most of these later if you discover you need something. Just make sure you’ve got the space to put it somewhere.
9. Accessories
Accessories are the finishing touches of a man cave. There are a few accessories that are almost mandatory to have. Other accessories are just fun to have.
- Bottle opener
- Beer brewing kit
- Vacuum robot
- Humidor
- Ashtray
- Glasses
- Coasters
Check out this list of 5 high tech man cave gadgets.
Don’t like high tech? Then maybe these 12 cool man cave bar gadgets are for you.
10. Enjoy
All this work will be for nothing if you don’t use and enjoy your newly built man cave.
Don’t waste your money and time and take some time to do what you planned to do.
Invite some friends over and do what you want to do. Relax, open a cold beer and enjoy yourself.
Hi there. I’m BetterDaily. I’m a man in his early thirties that likes to travel, ride motorcycles, work out and write. Usually I write about men, things related to masculinity and things men like. Teacher by day, blogger by night.
