Want to plan a man cave for my fiance

I hadn't heard of a man cave until I became engaged, but I would love to plan and save for a man cave for my fiance. I was thinking about buying a portable shed and using that. That is as far as I've gotten, are there any other ideas? I know he wants a tv and to have his computer set up in there so he can play games with his friends. What are the steps and about how much do I need to save?

rae1008,

Your fiance is one lucky guy to have someone like you! Keep in mind a Man Cave is always a work in progress. The hardest part is finding the space. I have seen some premade storage units turned into caves. This only works if power is included in the planning. Keep in mind, just a room of the house/apt can do nicely. A place where he can put his stuff and maybe have the guys over. Girls are allowed in Man Caves, they just aren't allowed to decorate! Although this room can be his Man Cave it can also function as an entertainment area as well.

Start out small. Comfortable chair(s), TV, Game system and maybe a mini frig. You'll find he will be please with that. He can add as he feels the need. Trust me, he will be thrilled that you are even allowing him to have his own space.

Hope this helps and congratulations!

Cave On!

Mike

We cannot afford to lose any space in our house, it's not terribly big, and the only space available is being converted into my craft room. I don't feel bad about this because my fiance wants a place where his friends can smoke and that will not be in the house.
I did not even think about electricity.
I am letting Jared actually plan the man cave, I just need to know what I need to save money wise. That's my job.

Rae1008, well done young lady, well done! Sounds like the Mr. has a great future wife!

Anyway, one of the best things about the cave is it can go anywhere your imagination lets it. By virtue of your option to put a shed in, should mean you're on your own property. Make sure local code allows it, if so, some places even require a permit! BTW that's another word used that means tax. Do you have a garage space? That's where mine is since losing control over every room in the house save the half bath.

Mine is a triple use space, double car garage, woodworking shop, and man cave depending on the time of day. I have to keep all 3 in mind when planning or adding. It's been complete in it's first version since Christmas 08 and it's become our primary social space.

Keep in touch and it'll get done.

Yes, we are on our own land. We do not have a garage, we do want one and that is another option that we've considered. The only problem is that we don't plan to live here permanently. Though a garage would raise the resale value of our house, but it is expensive and we're trying to avoid another loan. The sheds we were looking at were a couple thousand dollars and then we have to get electricity set up which means a contractor, just have to get an estimate on that. How much does it usually cost for this kind of labor? Maybe a garage would be cheaper, but then there would be a lot more labor involved than a shed.

I have done some research on permits and in my city we will definitely have to get one for the size that my fiance wants. He wants it to double as a garage/showroom for his motorcycle, a place to tinker with his computers and a social gathering place. That means a television and a fridge, seating,and lots of storage for his electronic toys. He doesn't do any usual male things like working on cars or woodworking, so I am guessing that will save some space, and if he wants to take on any extra hobbies he can make space for it.

I'm not sure that this is such a sacrifice on my part, Jared gets to have his friends over and they get to have fun in their own environment without having to worry about upsetting me or breaking a rule. Though to defend myself, I don't have many rules, I just don't allow smoking. The smell of alcohol makes me sick, so Jared's friends are kind enough not to drink when I'm in the house, but that's not a rule. Also, I get to test my new recipes on more than one person. So, I think Jared having his space is as good for me as it is for him and his friends.

Looks like we have two jobs here.

1) Figure out how to get Jared a man cave space, preferably one that can serve more than one need, like mine.

2) Find a vice for you!

Rae1008,
This may be a wee bit late, but I really like what you are doing!

Personally, I would say (as a person that tinkers with a lot of electronic and electrical things) the best thing that you can have is a decent work-bench and lots of light (wether natural or by fluorescent lighting).
One other thing I would stipulate, is don't skimp on the electricity supply to the man-cave, you can never have enough lights and receptacles (I know this, because I'm always adding extra sockets in garages for my mates)

Aside from that, as long as the place is comfortable, dry (moisture-wise ) and free of draughts and has a reasonable amount of room to it, I don't see how you can go wrong really.

Best of luck, I say.