Imagine a place where you set your own rules: eat and drink what you want, watch your favourite sports with your mates, play a few games, keep all your favourite things, work on your pet projects, and here’s the clincher, safely away from your partner and kids!
Yes, we’re talking about the much-coveted man cave. If you have the space for a shipping container in your yard, you can undoubtedly have your man cave.
Here’s everything you need to know about building your own shipping container man cave.
What is a man cave?
According to some well-known psychologists of enough repute to appear on Wikipedia (I mean, anyone can edit it, so it must be reliable): “A man needs to have a place to relax and call his own. This can help reduce the stress of living in close quarters with family and friends, and some psychologists claim that it can help improve marriages.”
So there you have it, having your very own man cave is one of the secrets to a happy marriage!
Think of a Man Cave as being the part of your old bachelor pad that you have the permission to keep in your home, somewhere with relaxed rules, and blokes get to be, well – blokes.
Man caves can range in sizes depending on the space you have at hand (don’t have enough space – why not use a second-hand shipping container?) and often pop up in unused space around the house such as basements, attics, garages, and garden sheds.
The perfect man cave build
Traditionally, the ideal man cave was a shed because it’s detached from the main house—so you can get rowdy with your friends without annoying the family. But if you’re on the fence about building a shed or a shipping container man cave, consider these factors:
- Cost: A shipping container is cheaper per square foot compared to building a shed. A 12×12 shed may cost almost $30/sqft, while a 20ft container costs about $21/sqft.
- Durability: The best steel and woodshed can’t compete with a shipping container when it comes to withstanding the elements.
- Pest control: Rodents are notoriously difficult to keep out of a shed, but a shipping container has no nooks or crannies for pests to crawl through.
- Site preparation: It’s easier to install a shipping container compared to building a shed. All you need is relatively level ground, and you can set it down on the foundation of your choice.
- Security: You’ll need power tools to break into a steel shipping container, so all your cool man stuff will be perfectly safe from theft.
A shipping container man cave is your best bet for your budget, space, and security. If you need more room for your man cave, you can always stack a couple of containers and customise the design to suit your needs. Let’s now look at the practical options for converting a shipping container into the ultimate man cave.
How to turn a shipping container into a man cave
Your perfect shipping container man cave is just three steps from completion: find the right size container, install it in your backyard, and decorate it to your heart’s content.
Find the right shipping container size
Have a look at our selection of general-purpose shipping containers in 10ft, 20ft and 40ft sizes.
Install your shipping container man cave
This is the more challenging step in creating your ultimate man cave. You’ll have to think about lighting, ventilation, insulation, plumbing, and the site itself. Remember that your shipping container man cave is a living space, and it should be both practical and aesthetic.
What you will need:
- Foundations: The type of foundation you use depends on the total weight of your shipping container, the soil on-site, and the building regulations in your area. Your main foundation options are:
- Concrete slabs
- Concrete footings
- Wooden beam footings
- Steel pipe footings
- Electrical fittings for the perfect ambience: Think about lighting placement, colour and brightness.
- Custom panelling and cladding: Use plywood, plasterboard, melamine for the interior, or timber panels for the exterior.
- Insulation: You need a way to manage humidity and condensation, which ultimately protects the container and its contents from moisture damage.
- Doors and windows: Consider the climate, sun direction, security, and other location factors to determine how many doors and windows you’ll need for your man cave.
Don’t limit your imagination here because we can modify your shipping container within your budget. Bring your ultimate man cave ideas to us, and our expert team will work with you every step of the way.
Decorate your ultimate man cave
Here comes the fun part: fill up your man cave with whatever makes you relaxed and happy. Of course, there are some must-have man cave essentials that your space would be incomplete without:
-
A big screen TV or projector
Whether it’s watching your favourite movie or the Wallabies against the All Blacks, you are going to want a big screen to watch it on. In this case, newer is better, and you can now mount lightweight big-screen TVs on the wall of your man cave. Or install a High Definition media projector and project it onto the entire wall. Add a streaming media centre with the latest sports and movies (such as an Amazon Fire TV), and you’ve got your entertainment sorted.
-
A decent sound system
Forget about one of those all-in-one systems; a real man cave has a proper surround sound system. Think components, high-end speakers, a decent turntable—the sky is the limit when it comes to building a sound system.
-
The right chair
Every good man cave needs a throne for its ruler. This means a decent chair, and nothing compares to a proper recliner. You need somewhere to kick back and relax after a hard day at work, read a decent book, or simply enjoy a cold beer and watch the footy. So find yourself the best Lazyboy money can buy and install it in a prime location in the man cave.
-
A classy beer fridge
Aussie blokes drink beer, it’s a fact of life, but not everyone wants a glass of XXXX or VB out of a rusty beer fridge. Why not get yourself something far classier to go in your man cave, something that exudes some blokey sophistication? Better yet, build a whole bar. Creating your very own speakeasy has never been easier. The bar in your man cave will be the place where everyone knows your name.
-
A game table
Pool, foosball, poker, good old pinball—your man cave needs a centre of attraction. This is where you can relax, get competitive, or simply show off your gaming equipment. Focus your lighting design on your gaming area, and ensure there’s enough seating space for you and your mates.
With these man cave essentials crossed off your list, you can build the rest of the space according to your favourite themes. Do you like sports, films, video games, cars, music, hunting, gambling? Whatever means the most to you, build your ultimate man cave around it. Show off your tools, trophies, photos, memorabilia and collectibles in your man cave.
Why a professional build and install is important
You need a shipping container expert to build your ultimate man cave for several reasons:
- An accurate cost estimate for your shipping container man cave from start to finish
- A thorough inspection of your shipping container before modifications begins. A professional eye can pick out flaws you may otherwise miss, like dents, leaks and corrosion.
- Matching your shipping container man cave ideas according to the fabrication process. You’ll need to maintain the container’s structural integrity by adding doors, windows and roofing designs.
Are you inspired? Ready to construct your man cave?
Contact the second-hand shipping container experts at Gateway Container Sales & Hire. We’ll help you find the perfect container for your man cave, give you suggestions on container building, and put you in touch with local contacts with experience to create the ideal space for your manly pastimes.
Whether it’s a standard container or something more custom, we’ll find the suitable container for the right price, so what are you waiting for? Arrange a quote now!
