Started gutting out our unfinished basement. I hope with in the year to have a few Pinball machines, a pool table and a dart board on the wall in a few months.

We started the project at the end of March. This was a kids play room and a place for the computers.
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Put the frame work up.
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Some of the drywall is going up.
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Yes it is a walkout.
No moisture, our back yard is a 30 degree slope, so we don't even need a sump pump.

Carpet on the floors. for the theater and game area, Vinyl Tile in the bathroom and the bottom of the stairs for the serving area.

Sorry, not going to have the No Pool table debate

I am currently waiting on an update from a place that is getting a Shrek machine refurbed.
Also, my wife has the "Father of a co-worker of a friend" that shops pins in the Quad Cities and he has a few in a garage that he is starting to shop.

My Daughter and my wife both played a WOZ and fell in love. My wallet on the other hand !!!

Behind my daughter the room turns left and goes about half the length again. Hidden spaces.

Bonzo - In the process of building a jukebox using an HP touch screen All in one and Jukebox jockey software. I have an active Rhapsody subscription and the jukebox software interfaces with it. With a wifi connection, I have unlimited music for I think $12.99 or $9.99 a month. Also use it on my phone int he car, so its a win win for me.

A few photos from the last 2 days of work.

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Walls up. Starting the Tape and finishing process.

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Small update. Hooked up the fireplace and got the shower installed. Gotta stay warm and cozy and Need to clean up when we have over night pool tournaments, just like Minnesota Fats did.

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Progress. Doors and paint going up.

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Main construction is complete. Installing tile around the fireplace and trim around the room.

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I hired most of mine out. Paint, tile and trim is all i'm doing. And we hit a wall now. New windows can't be installed for 2 weeks. We want to wait for the windows to be installed before the carpet goes in. And then Furniture won't be delivered till mid June. Contractor originally thought this was going to take 2 extra weeks.

Contractor did. And we asked Carpetland where we bought the carpet. They do it all the time. Hey told me "How do you think they install existing rooms. tear out old carpet and install new. They don't rip all the baseboards off" The contractor installed the baseboards with space under.

Blower is already installed on the fireplace.

Me either, Thats why I hired one!

If not I would still be struggling on how to get the first wall up LOL

I'm sure I could have saved a few bucks and had more to spend on a few pins and other toys. But I would rather it be done the right way instead of spending double later to have someone fix my mess-ups,

Someone wanted to see the basement with some games in it here is one of them for now.

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Panoramic of the 90% finished basement.

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Yes. Full bath in the basement.

One for now. Looking to theme the room bit. Going to have lots of game themes in the side area, So I would love to find a Monopoly at the right price.

Also with the pool table going in, I was offered a Sharkeys shootout for $1500... Still thinking on that one. Had to hold off contacting the guy because the budget for the basement started getting shoestring thin.

Were prepared. Everything has been purchased and paid for. Contractor just left yesterday and collected his final check. Still have cash in the till, so we actually worked it out fairly well.

No, do I use the remaining money to pay off some of the credit cards used for the basement or on toys. Thats the hard part to tell the wife.

My last refinance I used my Military VA home loan specifically to cancel out our PMI. House appraised high enough to finish the basement and lowered our monthly payment $120 just by getting rid of PMI.

I started over again, 30 years. But the monthly payments went down and I had enough to finish the basement, raised the over all value of the house and also paid off other bills that had high interest.

Dropped 1.5 -

Some wall art we picked up for the game room, movie and snack bar area.

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Almost done. Just getting the furnature, pool table and still need to find that elusive pinball machine the whole family wants.

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Thanks, and after a night with the wife we did this.

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In ceiling can spots. We had a lighting chart form the pool distributer, Lay it on the floor and set the spots. Can't have a true pool table swag lamp because we want to get the ping pong topper for the table and the swag lights would just get in the way.

Contractor finish and installed 22 can lights. 65 watts, yeah. That was expensive. We spent about 250 on led Lights. Not we have all the lights on at 222 watts.

Ours only dim to 35%. Its brighter then I want, but you also don't get the annoying hig pitched hum / whistle of an incandescent when dimmed.

Video entertainment installed. One over the fireplace with 5.1 and one in the pub / arcade with just 5.0 No need for a sub in the back room.

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If you actually read, you would see I am still on the hunt for a Pin that will be good for the whole family. It's coming, but I need to have the room finished and see where my funds are at to decide on what Pin I will be able to afford.

Furniture is ariving. Next Wednesday the pool table arives.

Are there any pinball shows in the Midwest coming up soon? Need to find the one.

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Not sure if I ever made mention of it, I placed my down payment on the pool table before I even hired a contractor. I have been wanting a pool table ever since we bought this house (10 years ago). Kids and life got in the way. Now that they are growing up and I had the time . . . The rest is on the posts above.

And now I really want to get a pinball machine or 5 or 6 too. But I left plenty of space in the back arcade room for future expansion of the collection.

Set up starting.

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Entertainment center assembled and touch screen pc running jukebox jockey bluetoothed into the surround. Rescued the star wars toys from my son's room before he out grew them and stuck firecrackers in them to simulate a battle.

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My search for both lead me to $3500 + for ones playable but needing work.

Mame machine didn't survive the move to the garage and back to the basement. The Control panel was damaged. Ordered an x-arcade control panel and will be rebuilding the box to hold it.

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On the pinball side of news -

I did check my finances after funding the basement, I am going to have a spare $1500. Time to start the hunt for a pin. Wondering if I should save for a bit longer for a newer pin, or start off with a lower cost starter pin?

I keep seeing posts of people saying "you can get great pins for under $1500" all the time...

I did have a lead on a Sharkeys Showdown for about $1500 - I might have to find the member and see if its still available.

The love seat and couch are already ordered and brand new. Not wanting to return them. The backs of the loveseat don't get in the way of playing pool. My son and I have already tested the table for hours and hours on end.

Yeah, it was an owch, but the Tank stick is really nice and for $200 its a steal compared to what my wood working skills could come up with.

Now if I could just find that Pinball Machine to cap off this whole basement family gameroom I will be happy, till I want to get another, then I will be happy, Till I want.........

I have to get ride of the Playchoice 10 First. Not enough room for both.