If you’re dying to have your own man cave, but don’t have much space in your house, it’s time to turn to the backyard. If you have a shed in your garden, you have the perfect place to build your new man cave.
It already has everything you need to build one – that is, it has four walls and a roof. Converting these simple elements into a man cave is quite an undertaking, but it’s much easier than you might think.
Read on to learn how to turn your shed into your own man cave.
How to Turn a Shed Into a Man Cave
Step 1: Clean it Out
Sheds are dirty areas by nature. The floor is always covered in dirt, the walls are untreated and splintered, and the roof is constantly covered in cobwebs. Storage areas like this become a haven for dirt and dust, especially when you don’t have to clean them very frequently. However, you need to start making your shed livable if you want to convert it into a sanctuary.
Start by sanding down any splinters that might be on the walls and floor, and clear away any insects that may have made your shed their home. Empty out anything stored there, and if you live in the South, watch out for ants, wasps, scorpions, black widow spiders, and other scary insects.
Food-grade diatomaceous earth can take care of many threats while keeping your pets and kids safe. Now would also be a great time to think about selling some of the stuff you had stored in there that hasn’t been touched for at least a year. That way, you’ll have a nice bonus to your budget.
Step 2: Get to Renovating
Consider all of the things that you want your man cave to have, and where you want them to be. Large structures like tables, bars, walls, and platforms should all be contracted before you begin adding utilities and furniture to the cave.
You’re going to need to think about where your entertainment setup, furniture, utilities, and lighting will go so that you have enough room for everything. You don’t want to build everything only to realize that you really need to include a bathroom somewhere once it’s all done!
Remember that more windows are always better, and your shed should have a minimum of two exits.
Step 3: The Utilities
This is perhaps the most challenging step of your man-cave-conversion project. Wiring and plumbing both require experts to make sure that you don’t spend a small fortune fixing things down the line. With that, electricity can be particularly dangerous if you have no experience with it.
For this reason, we strongly suggest hiring specialists and not being stingy by hiring amateurs who don’t know what they are doing. Air conditioning is much more beginner-friendly, so you’ll probably be able to do that yourself, but it might also be safer to get a contractor for that.
If you’re going to be using cable in your man cave, there are a couple of options available to you. You can use a hefty wire to connect it to your home, call your cable company to layout some wires to the shed, or use a satellite extender to create a more stable connection. If you plan on selling your house in the future, calling a cable company will work best, but it’s going to cost you more.
Step 4: Redesigning
Now that you’ve made your shed into a livable space, you’re going to want to make it presentable as well. At this part of the process, decide on what you want to do with the walls, floor, and ceiling. Add some drywall if that suits you, carpets if you need them, and a good lighting setup on the ceiling if you think that would look good.
This is one of the more expensive areas of improvement, so try to be clever with your budget here.
Step 5: Securing the Cave
Now that all of your utilities have been installed, you’ll want to make sure that your shed is secure before you install any valuables. You can purchase a lock and key from your local hardware store. Combination locks really just don’t cut it when they can easily be cracked or cut open.
You should also put blinds and locks on all of the windows, and if you have a sliding door, place a bar in it along with a standard lock. Now that everything is secure, you can really get to converting this living space into an all-out man cave.
Step 6: Furnishing and Decorating
Try to settle on one theme to make your man cave look cohesive. Some of the essentials include a recliner, a couch, video game consoles, a large TV, glasses, and a fridge for your drinks. Posters, signs, collections, figurines, and even plants help fill up the room and make it a little cozier.
Think about the things that you personally like to surround yourself with. If you enjoy woodworking, you could keep some wood carving knives around to work on small carving projects during commercial breaks. If you play the guitar, you can keep your acoustic on a guitar stand somewhere in your room to jam with whenever you want.
The possibilities are really endless, and with a little imagination, you can take your new man cave to fantastic heights.