WOW....sounds like you should move out into the country with a nice piece of land so you could have a nice one level set up with maybe a party room/office with windows overlooking all the games like Flynn had in the movie Tron.

Whatever you do think about resale value. You may not care now but you will eventually. Probably makes more $ sense to buy an existing property that someone else spent the money fixing up. As you know, the market decides what it's worth, not much else.

Another option: find a commercial property that has enough space for what you want to do. That way you could always lease it or sell it down the road when priorities change. Don't forget about airplane hangers, sometimes you can get a great deal depending on the area. Downside is the property tax. I'm not sure about WI but here in CO the commercial property taxes are about 2x the residential property tax. On the plus side you can write off a lot of expenses on your personal taxes if you can justify the space for business purposes.

Nothing like land to solve space concerns. I moved to the country on 14 acres and couldn't be happier. Want a greenhouse? Clear some trees and build it. Want a guest house, build it. Same with a game room or any other want life presents. You'll never have space concerns with the right parcel of land. I wanted a small shooting range so in a couple weekends time and I built one.image_(resized).jpeg
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The better half wanted goats, ducks and chickens so we carved out a small spot. We are always finding things to add to our little homestead. image_(resized).jpeg

when i added on to my home we did plugs every 6 feet on the walls where games go and also put each on on separate breakers to avoid
any low voltage draw situation. you may think about Ethernet ports too if you have any newer pins. i also did can lighting with dim-able led flood type bulbs and have them on separate zones. this became very useful. many ceiling fans too, get that air moving if you have a crowd over. have a chat with your electrician and plan ahead for the larger panel or panels needed and lighting.
tall ceilings and a escalara too!

I may not be considered in the "large collection group", but my last house could handle about 12 - 15 pins in the basement and I started putting them on the main floor due to the horrible trip up and down the stairs with a 90 degree turn. I built a house specifically with a walkout basement and did stuff like picking a 40" door, putting a sidewalk from the driveway to the walkout, no beams visible in the finished 1350 sq ft and double doors going to the 1200 sq ft shop. I can now set up about 28 - 30 pins at least. I felt that was about the level I could take care of reasonably. Main reason for the walkout is I am not getting any younger and after hurting my back once - I don't want to go through that again. I put 7 dedicated 20 amp circuits in which is probably too much. Only thing I would have changed is spent more time thinking about lighting placement so there would be zero glare.

If you go with the 3-story garage method (or added story on the house), make sure to think about an elevator or other easy method for moving that many machines up and down floors. Otherwise my vote when you are talking a collection that big is a single story, first floor solution. You know you will always be moving games in and out, so if you are building something from scratch anyway, might as well make it as easy as possible. We aren't getting younger and they aren't getting lighter!

Adding to others here. make sure you design it for multi-purpose meaning if you ever get out of pins the space could be easy for something else. I added a building and in the construction process added a header in the wall for garage doors so the building could be used for a garage some day if I needed wanted to go that route. Also as others have said ground floor is the best.. Design it also so you can add other things like a pool table, bar, shuffleboard, lounge with tv, things like that.

Just remember, whatever number you decide is optimum, you will always keep wanting 'one more'

This. That's why I think Hilton is being realistic about his number. Your at 40. Over the next few years you'll get to that magic number of 80.

I thought I had plenty of space. It's now full and I still want more. I just can't because i'm are out of space.

First world problems.

Rotordave too

I put on a 1000 sq ft addition and the only thing I would do different is add outlets in the floor. Unless your room is long and narrow you will want something in the middle that requires power so add them now. My electrician said he had never run so much wire. I also have each wall on a separate light switch so that I can individually turn on whatever section I want. Also added outlets near the ceiling for all those extra accessories that you have that need power. I added a disco ball in the ceiling and spots from the sides to light it. My wife loves that.

Closer to $350.

Here's the lamest Youtube video ever!

Basically, a bunch of Amish guys and I crafted it when we were adding on to the house. Used a car winch that can handle 1600 lbs, so I really couldn't overload it if I tried. (Only 2 pins/vids can fit...so I'd never reach the weight limit).

We have shared problems.

I met with my architect Tuesday of this week to rebuild the existing three car 900 sf garage to a three story 8 car garage with one floor being below grade gameroom, wine cellar, and bomb shelter. Middle floor at grade is for trucks, motorcycles and bicycles, top floor pinballs and an ADU for future skilled nurse (if we live long enough, I will want this to avoid long term care outsourced at all costs), with the basement having a full spread of pinballs. Elevator with standby generator is also planned.

Typical Arizona building materials of two by fours, chicken wire, Styrofoam and stucco are replaced with 12-inch thick reinforced concrete.... bunker style. No, not Archie Bunker...... Never moving again!!!

I recently finished my basment- all for pinball- only 15.
No carpet, I picked waterproof vinyl planks with sound deading underlayment.

I wish I would have had more lighting. I would have done two different types- one dimmable set for playing(put behind player so no glare). One bright set for fixing(directly above pins.

I put plenty of outlets, but I wish I had put them on switchs. It would have been easy. Its a pain to turn them all off at the end of a night. Some of the pins and EM arcades have pain in the ass switch locations. I would have also put the switches in a location not easily/accidently hit.

For fun I allways thought it would be cool to have the whole collection behind a hidden wall or bookcase entrance.

Good luck

Have you contacted El Chapo Excavation. I think they are out of Cross Plains, but they started south of there. LOL.

Absolutely.

This was the layout of my basement before we added on:
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And this was the plan for the future:
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The room was roughly 16x65...but you lose some of that to drywall, trim, and other building material. With this size, you can easily get the glasses off of games, and have a walkway at a party even with people playing. (They aren't butt to butt).

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No matter what size you have, you'll find a way to fill it up, and then some. I've long since filled up the "big" room, and pins have nearly taken over the "old" area of the arcade. It's just how it works.

We did finally update the "old" area of the basement with fancy carpet. That area always looked out of place when compared to the main pinball room. Now, it works a lot better.

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Well, when we added on...the big selling point for Julie was that we'd be able to move the laundry room out of the basement, and onto the main floor. This opened up a large room for my workshop, and keeps it "hidden" from the main arcade areas.

Here are a couple of pics. I didn't want "fancy" carpet at the workbench (harder to find things you drop), so we re-used the old carpet in that area.
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Man, not a lot of complaints on this end. I was handed a blank canvas, and accomplished most of what I wanted. I guess I'd probably push the wall to 17 or 18 feet instead of 16 (since the cost would be pretty dang close to the same)....but that's nitpicky at this point.

It does get REALLY hot down there if I throw a big party in the summer. The air conditioning just can't keep up...but I don't have a good solution. Here I am sweating my fanny off at a party last year:
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Pretty much everything. We didn't skimp on electrical. I love how the ceiling turned out. I love the elevator. The room height is perfect (toppers fit!). It's a good sized room, and works well.

I also plan on building next year, but I have realized;
I don't want to live out in the country and have to maintain the property
I will never have large meets, not enough local pinhheads
There is such a thing as too many games

I will build a games room that will comfortably fit 16-20 machines. I can manage looking after that many while working on restoring my other clasics

I'd like to see costs of this stuff as well. Gives an idea of what to budget.

Ok so maybe I'm in left field here, but -- if you're going to have that many games, why not get a more retail style space and do a "CP Pinball" style thing where you open it on certain days to help cover the costs? Too much bother with licensing and what not? Even if it's a 'members' style club?

It's all about the power..... when I designed my gameroom (which would be the 2nd floor of a new garage), my main priority was power. I have 20+ outlets on walls, the floor, high up for tv's, etc. Each outlet is its own line...no more drains to cause Williams games to reset. All the outlets were placed specifically to handle different layouts in the room, this included an island of pinballs. I also added floor outlets to the location of the tv area for coffee table phone/laptop charging. Extra power for a wetbar, etc. To brighten up the place, I choose track lighting.... you can angle the light heads anyway you want, so they minimize glare on the playfield glass. The steps and doorway in are extra wide...no more close calls and jammed fingers. Bathroom added...no more directing people to the bathroom inside the house. Climate control.... hot and cold with ceiling fans to circulate the air. Windows... kept to a minimum as I don't want to block them with games. Flooring ... carpet (wish I choose a darker color) with thick/bouncy Nike padding under it so everyone's feet won't hurt while playing for long periods of time. I-beams keep the floor sturdy and safe. Downstairs in the main garage is my workbench area for fixing and storage of parts..out of the way yet close by for quick emergency fixes.

I can't stress enough though on power.... the locations and quantity are the #1 thing that will make or break a gameroom. My basement had extension cords everywhere...now, all the plugs are neatly done with no surge protectors either (built into the system). Downfall of all of this.... the electrical cost a massive chunk in the budget, but well worth it.

Overall the gameroom (minus the bowling alley, pool table, and poker table) can hold close to 50 pins with plenty of space between.... I keep it around 15-17pins with a few vids

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Here was my initial thinking before the build

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You are way high. I installed a 4 stop elevator (basement/ 1st fl/ 2nd fl/ 3rd floor)in a home i built last year. 28,000. It had a nice Oak raised panel interior with beveled mirror on one side wall. The customer had a handicapped family member and the 3rd floor was a 1200 sf bar/game room.

I envy you guys wth basements and/or live in rural areas where you can easily expand without a ton of permits and neighbors to object. In LA, I'm lucky just to get a small spare bedroom that can hold 3 or 4 games comfortably. No basements in LA and adding on is prohibitive.

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I'll snap a couple pics tomorrow morning for you

Doing some chores. Actually, doing up a Congo I just scored.

Some thoughts.

A/ Build single level. What's up with you guys and your basements?

B/ Think ahead for the future. When you sell (and one day you will), odds on there won't be another twit with 100 pinball machines who wants to buy it. What can you use the room for? Mine is designed so if/when I sell the house, the room can be used for either a big home office (eg Accountants, Lawyer, lots of companies want to work from home now) or for a big car collection, or split up and used for another lounge, more bedrooms, another separate granny flat, whatever. Its a blank canvas for someone.

C/ Get as close to town as you can. I am 3 minutes from the main street here. I used to be 10 minutes out .. doesn't sound like much but it makes a BIG difference if you travel it 5x every day.

ummm think that's about it. Gary Stern said he liked the layout The room is about 180sqm = 2000sqft, plus its own toilet/handbasin on top of that. Its pretty much standalone from the house, but it is joined .. watch the video.

I regularly have 100 people here playing the pins, and the room with its indoor-outdoor flow accommodates them all no sweat. Which wouldn't happen in a basement.

I don't have the house plans on this computer but I can post them here on Sunday if you want.

rd

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1) I'm going to die in this house.

2) Since I'll be dead, I don't care about the sucker that is stuck with a gigantic 16x65 room. They can make it a bowling alley for all I care.

=)

Pete

Don't forget heat rises, so if you have a 2nd or 3rd story arcade, and then have a gathering, will the AC keep up. I don't know about your area, but I think in some places outlets in the floor are against code, or very frowned upon. I could be mistaken though. I very much would say if you go basement, make sure its walkout.

Well, you gotta die somewhere.

I thought I would live all my life in my last house. I bought it when I was 22 and we lived there for 17 years. By that stage, we had outgrown it and we were ready to move on. Things change ...

Two months ago I was trying to buy a 90 year old 600sqm commercial building in the central city. I was so close to getting it but got outbid at the last minute. If I had got that, all the pins (and the family) would have been living there, and the big new house would have gone on the market.

rd

Dammit I forgot... when I get home from work I'll do it. I do have a construction photo of the outside

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I have space for a couple of games (wooly) if you are feeling too guilty.

Honestly, I find butt space to be critical in a gameroom. And that needs more space than just getting the glass off between machines. It has to do with being able to walk past people when they are playing. That extra few feet makes a room feel luxurious. You don't need to get the attention of someone playing to get past them.

And door size. I had to put in a new door from my garage to my basement because the original door was too narrow and had an impossible 90 degree turn in a tiny hallway. Games fit now, however I really wish the construction could have allowed for an even wider door (the only way to go wider was to change 2 load bearing walls).

So if your place allows it, go two feet wider than you think you need. Nobody likes being jammed into a cramped space during league night.

Sounds like... a MAN CAVE

What is your feedback on the waterproof vinyl planks? advantages/disavantages?

I agree that having a piece of land that you can improve how you want, without constantly battling the homeowners association is of utmost importance.

It finally got warm enough to drag out the patio furniture.

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exactly, especially if you are going to have any parties. Make sure if at all possible, you can walk between the rows with people playing on both sides.

show-off

all dem nice sittin spots...ooh wee.

Well, us city slickers don't have the luxury to build out, we have to build up (and down).

My house is on a 30' x 120' lot, takes up more than half of it, and there's all kinds of bylaws and whatnot about what and how you build on that plot of land. Oh yeah, that plot is worth $900,000 or so too, so if you want a bigger one, you give up downtown livin' or you win the lottery.