You’ve just gotten home after a hard day at work. All you want to do is relax in front of the TV but your kids are watching cartoons right now and your wife is home and making noise in the kitchen. There are too many distractions for you to concentrate on winding down.

That’s why you need to build your own man cave. A place where you can escape after a long day and chill. That sounds good but you’re not sure how to build a man cave.

Where do you begin? We have a few ideas.

Check out this guide to learn more about building your cave

Finding Your Space

Before you can start building your man cave, you have to find a space for it. Whatever you choose needs to be away from everything and free from distraction. Here are a few popular space choices.

Basement

A basement makes a classic man cave space. It’s away from everything, the temperatures don’t get too bad, and it’s sound insulated. There’s only one issue with using your basement as your space of choice.

It has to be finished which is a lot of work and not always cheap. You have to add in insulation, wiring, drywall, floor coverings, and more.

Spare Room

If there’s a spare room in your house that nobody else is using, that will be the perfect area for your man cave. It’s already finished so there’s less work and money involved in setting it up.

The only thing you may have to do is install some kind of sound-proofing such as a second layer of drywall. If you don’t, that loud surround sound system you have in the cave may disrupt your family.

Garage

The main struggle of converting your garage into a man cave is that you have to find a different place to park your car. It may also bring the value of your house down if you decide to sell it later. Buyers aren’t going to want to pay to have the cave demolished.

If none of that bothers you then garages make wonderful man caves. They already have all the finishing that you need. The only thing you may have to install is a better-looking floor.

The best thing about garages is that you can open the door and let in the natural sunlight when it’s nice out.

Walk-In Closet

Walk-in closets have one obvious disadvantage. They’re super small. Tiny isn’t always a bad thing though.

It means you’ll use up fewer materials when building your ultimate man cave. Fewer materials mean that your renovations won’t cost too much so you’ll have more cash to spend on higher-quality stuff.

Attic

It’ll be easy for you to find a company to help you do your basement finishing. You won’t get so lucky when searching for someone to do attic finishing because it’s not an easy task.

In order for your attic to accommodate the weight of the stuff in your cave, subflooring has to be built on joists and the joists are going to need support as well.

Kneewalls will also need to be built to counteract the slanted walls. It’s a lot of work but that doesn’t mean you can’t build your man cave up there if your heart desires it.

Looking over the Space

Once you’ve found your space, you’ll need to take a look around to make sure it’s big enough to accommodate your furniture needs. You don’t want to buy a huge pool table and not be able to get it through the door.

After you’ve determined that the room will fit your space needs, you’ll need to check the wiring and outlets. You may need to make a few upgrades.

Electricity and Plumbing

If the bathroom and kitchen are right down the hall, your man cave may not need any plumbing. That is unless you’re going for a full bar set up. You’ll need access to running water.

You will have to get wiring and outlets set up if your chosen man cave doesn’t already have them or doesn’t have enough. If you don’t have experience with electricity or plumbing, call in a professional to do it for you.

Have a Central Game Table

Got a nice game table that you’re proud of? Make it the focal point of the room and put it in the middle.

Install a spotlight over it so everyone can see what they’re doing when they’re playing a round.

Media

One thing any man cave build can’t go without is a nice full-screen TV. Get whatever sized television you want but make sure you allow for enough seating space so you appreciate every pixel without straining your neck.

Many people tend to want to use a projector instead of a TV. If you’re one of these people, that’s fine but you’ll have to consider distance, wiring, and installation.

Bar Area

Create a bar section with a refrigerator and seating. While you can just keep your drinks and snacks in the kitchen, depending on how far away that is you won’t want to have to leave the cave to get refreshments.

Not sure what kind of fridge to get? You can go here to weigh your options.

Arcade

Arcade sections are a fun and popular addition to many man caves. It won’t be too hard to find and set up your favorite old school games. You only have to know where to look.

How to Build a Man Cave You’ve Been Dreaming of

Everybody needs a room where they can escape for a little while. For men, this is their man cave. Choosing a space and deciding what you want to do with it is half the battle.

We hope you can use this guide on how to build a man cave for the rest. Get the relaxation you deserve.

Building a man cave isn’t the only home renovation your place needs. Check out the home improvement section of our blog daily for more ideas.