Turn Your Basement into the Ultimate Man Cave
(From the October 2011, Home Front Newsletter. See the rest of the newsletter, click here)
More than half of home buyers say they want a finished basement, according to a survey by the National Association of Home Builders. Real estate experts agree that adding square footage to your living space will deliver the dollars when it comes time to sell. Create the sanctuary of your dreams and enhance your home value at the same time by renovating your basement into the ultimate guy retreat.(pciture at right by Wendy Piersall)
Here are the top 10 things you’ll need to turn your basement into the ultimate man cave:
1. Finish it: First, finish those cinderblock walls and concrete floor
2. Get wired: You have to have a big screen TV and music. Getting wired can be as easy as connecting cable to your portable TV and strategically placing a boom box, or as grand as a wall-mounted, high-def, flat screen TV with surround sound.
3. Go wireless: A laptop or desktop is a man-cave must for work and play. But you don’t want wires cluttering up your kingdom. If you haven’t already done so, install wireless connectivity on the primary computer on the main floor of the house. That way, you can use the Internet in the basement without the expense and inconvenience of a lot of wires.
4. Get “guy” with the décor: Nothing says “This space belongs to a guy” like sports décor. Frame and hang your old high school or college jersey. Mount that foul ball you caught in the bottom of the ninth. Put up a wallpaper mural of your favorite sport.
5. Cheers: A wet bar is every guy’s dream, but you can also cool off effectively and economically with a small refrigerator or even a portable wine keeper.
6. Snack attack: The guys are going to work up appetites playing friendly poker and it could get ugly if you don’t have any snacks on hand. Be sure to include space for snack storage in your design, whether it’s a pantry or some cabinets.
7. Sit on it: You’ll need the armchair of your dreams in order to be an armchair warrior. Make sure there’s some comfy, durable seating for your buddies.
8. Work it out: Portable treadmills and exercise bikes are better than ever and easy to store. Set aside a corner of your man room for the manliest activity of all – exercise.
9. Work on it: If you’re a doer rather than an observer, you’ll want a well-equipped workbench.
10. Sit on it: It’s the ultimate man room upgrade – your own private bath.
We hope those ideas help when thinking about creating your man cave! Short on time or want the job done right the first time? Be sure to hire a professional area remodel contractor.
For help on how to hire a remodel company for your next project, check out our GUIDE, “Seven Questions to Ask When Choosing a Remodeler in the Indianapolis Area”.
