Batcave Makeover

On Monday I decided to finally buy a basement window for the batcave. I’ve had enough off there being no ventilation in that place, and it was time to change. I used my Lowes gift card that had over $430 on it from when I returned that battery operated lawnmower, which stopped working after only six weeks. New technology, eh? Anyway, I walked around Lowes for a good while before I got hit with yet another revelation. Sort of...

I looked at the bathroom section and wondered, “Why the hell should I spend 20K-30K on an attic apartment when I can finish the batcave for a fraction of that price?!” Most of the plumbing is already there. The electric is mostly done. All I have to do is buy some materials to give the place walls, a ceiling, and more windows for ventilation and the apartment is done! Now, I say this is a “sort of” revelation because I’ve known this for years, as Sha has constantly told me this fact. But looking at the materials in front of me is what actually brought the realization on. Just look:

The current wooden beams of the batcave "ceiling". The picture doesn't capture the true nastiness I've had to look at for the last 7 years.

The beams can look like this if sanded and painted correctly. Much better.

The current walls of the batcave: chipped, dirty, and depressing

This is paneling, known as Gaslight Brick Panel. Very expensive per sheet, but just an example of how I can make the walls look much better.

The current cement floor.

I can easily put carpet tile over the cement floor to make it look nice. Finally, it'll no longer be mandatory to wear slippers in the batcave.

The current bathtub, standard and uncomfortable

This will probably be the most expensive item: a jacuzzi tub. There's enough room for one, and most of the plumbing is already there.

See? Material costs will run me between $2500- $3500, and the labor won’t cost much because I plan to do most of it myself. I know I'm mildly retarded, but I can certainly lay down carpet tile, replace a few windows, and put up some paneling on my own. The only labor I’ll have to pay for is installing the tub and painting the wooden beams. The batcave can be an apartment just like that. And, it’s not as if I’m gonna live there forever. I need to be there long enough to retire and set up my office in Smalltown. There’s a certain number I’d like to reach before I can comfortably afford a place to live on my own, and that number is probably $150k annually. That’s $30,000 for the assistant and $12,000 a year for a condo. That will leave enough money for repair costs and office rent, while saving at least $60,000 a year for property purchases.

Of course, if I had a preference I would rather live in an attic apartment . I like not having to hear footsteps above me all the time, and I've never enjoyed hearing toilets flush and "stuff" coming down the drain to the basement. I'm the landlord. Shouldn't I be the one taking a dump on tenants? But, until I can safely afford an actual apartment, I feel that giving the batcave a makeover is my best (and cheapest) option. I refuse to lose money by living in one of my units. It’ll suck being stuck in the same neighborhood for the next 3-4 years, but I’ll get over it. The main point is that I’d like to have a better living environment, and I can finally see how it can happen without spending too much money. I’m gonna be living in the batcave for the next few years… I might as well be comfortable, right?