Is there a standard definition of a bedroom? Why would you advertise a house as having 3 bedrooms if you had to go diagonally through one of them to get to another? Judging by the few houses I've seen lately, I already live in a 4-bedroom house, although we bought it as a 2-bedroom and haven't changed that. Sorry for the rant, but I just don't understand why you would want someone to look at your property and be inevitably disappointed, instead of, say, listing it as what it is and have them fall in love with the extra space.
-Turtle / Bec http://turtlefries.shutterfly.com/ ...But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty Someday we will become what we see... ..................- Jewel Kilcher....
I think people would list inappropriately because a) either they're stupid, or b) they assume everyone else is..... . That being said, if each one of those rooms has a closet (and in our case) and a window..., then they could list them as bedrooms. It would just be a house that didn't have good flow....
Posts: 3629 | Location: Northern Virginia, USA | Registered: May 29, 2003
FHA considers a bedroom one that has a closet, (in older homes where closets were not the norm, a builded closet permanetly attached to the wall would be acceptable),a window or door to the outside. A window must provide enough room for an average adult to escape from. But if I remember right, from my home searches, if you can only get to the bedroom by first going through another bedroom, it may be disqualified as being a bedroom.
Originally posted by Debid: I think people would list inappropriately because a) either they're stupid, or b) they assume everyone else is..... .
Could ANYONE seriously believe that someone would BUY a HOUSE that didn't have enough bedrooms for their needs I guess I need to get more cynical! I guess I didn't look for a closet in the hall/bedroom I saw today, but it did have a window opening onto the sunporch. I suppose that counts .
quote:
if you can only get to the bedroom by first going through another bedroom, it may be disqualified as being a bedroom.
That's what I thought when we found our present house, but apparently it would be news to a few realtors around here.
-Turtle / Bec http://turtlefries.shutterfly.com/ ...But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty Someday we will become what we see... ..................- Jewel Kilcher....
I think having a closet is a key part of it. We looked at a house that had finished off the attic and were trying to say that was a bedroom but it didn't have a closet. Our realtor said technically that didn't count.
We looked at a few older homes that had sitting rooms (almost like a sun room) off of the master bedroom. Some tried to call that a bedroom but I really didn't see it that way because they were so small, plus I wouldn't want a child cutting through our MBR all the time.
Posts: 415 | Location: Northeast | Registered: Jan 22, 2007
See, I'd accept a finished attic without a closet as a bedroom - that can be easily fixed. But I guess the option of privacy is what I consider essential in a bedroom. When we were looking before, I saw one house where there was a full-width arch (Not a door) between the living room and a small adjoining room, and they were calling that a bedroom. I don't think so! (I made a note to self not to trust that particular realtor, but now I've seen a couple of different ones making the same kind of exaggerations. )
This message has been edited. Last edited by: theBecca,
-Turtle / Bec http://turtlefries.shutterfly.com/ ...But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty Someday we will become what we see... ..................- Jewel Kilcher....
I think what local mls classifies as a bedroom differs from area to area. I've always heard that a rule of thumb is the room must have a window and a closet to be considered a bedroom. But I know many many older homes do not have closets and are still counted as bedrooms. I was watching a show recently(can't recall which one)and the realtor said that in that specific area in order for a room to be called a bedroom it had to have a window, a closet and 90 square feet.
I have been pretty ticked off when I've wasted my time looking at a home that was advertised as a 3 or 4 bedroom only to arrive at the home and discover that no way could the room ever be used as a bedroom. I think some sellers advertise that way in hopes of getting more people in the door.
My previous home was a townhouse that were built/zoned/approved by the town as 2 bedrooms and a den. The den was larger than the second bedroom. Even though someone had built a closet into the Den I still could not call that room a Bedroom in my MLS listing. Anyone who saw it however would know it was a BR.
Originally posted by cordovamom: I think some sellers advertise that way in hopes of getting more people in the door.
But what good is it to get people in the door if they are just going to be ticked off? They aren't charging admission!
-Turtle / Bec http://turtlefries.shutterfly.com/ ...But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty Someday we will become what we see... ..................- Jewel Kilcher....
Originally posted by honk: ... Anyone who saw it however would know it was a BR.
And did anyone who came in expecting a 2-bedroom say, "Oh, no, I don't want this place; it has a 3rd bedroom!"?
-Turtle / Bec http://turtlefries.shutterfly.com/ ...But maybe if we are surrounded in beauty Someday we will become what we see... ..................- Jewel Kilcher....
Last week I saw a home that said ''Second BR is non-conforming'' in the notes section of the listing. The second BR was a finished room in the basement with no egress window. No thanks.
Posts: 138 | Location: Colorado | Registered: Dec 14, 2007
"FHA considers a bedroom one that has a closet, (in older homes where closets were not the norm, a builded closet permanetly attached to the wall would be acceptable),a window or door to the outside. A window must provide enough room for an average adult to escape from."
Thank you for that information!!! Since our 1923 house does not have closets in the two upstairs bedrooms, I was wondering how that would work out should we decide to sell some day. They each have windows big enough to get out of if need be, but no closets. There is one HUGE closet upstairs, though. Guess everybody was supposed to share that one closet? That is what we have always done.
Originally posted by theBecca: Is there a standard definition of a bedroom? Why would you advertise a house as having 3 bedrooms if you had to go diagonally through one of them to get to another? Judging by the few houses I've seen lately, I already live in a 4-bedroom house, although we bought it as a 2-bedroom and haven't changed that. Sorry for the rant, but I just don't understand why you would want someone to look at your property and be inevitably disappointed, instead of, say, listing it as what it is and have them fall in love with the extra space.
When I lived in Columbus, OH, you could not count it as a BR if a person had to walk through it to get to another room. In fact, I owned a house with a 4th BR that met all the rules you described AND you didn't walk through it to get to another room, but a few "lookers" still wouldn't "count" it, because they didn't think it was large enough! So that's the opposite experience for you!
Why do sellers do what you described? Because I think they are hoping that at least one person who thinks they really need X bedrooms will come to the house and like so many things about it, that they'll decide they don't really need as many bedrooms as they first through. I don't think that's all that crazy (if it's only one questionable room vs. two), since many buyers aren't sure about what's a "must" and what's a "want" especially in high cost areas where tradeoffs are tough.
Originally posted by theBecca: Is there a standard definition of a bedroom? Why would you advertise a house as having 3 bedrooms if you had to go diagonally through one of them to get to another? Judging by the few houses I've seen lately, I already live in a 4-bedroom house, although we bought it as a 2-bedroom and haven't changed that. Sorry for the rant, but I just don't understand why you would want someone to look at your property and be inevitably disappointed, instead of, say, listing it as what it is and have them fall in love with the extra space.
When I lived in Columbus, OH, you could not count it as a BR if a person had to walk through it to get to another room. In fact, I owned a house with a 4th BR that met all the rules everyone posting has described AND you didn't walk through it to get to another room, but a few "lookers" still wouldn't "count" it, because they didn't think it was large enough! So that's the opposite experience for you!
Why do sellers do what you described? Because I think they are hoping that at least one person who thinks they really need X bedrooms will come to the house and like so many things about it, that they'll decide they don't really need as many bedrooms as they first through. I don't think that's all that crazy (if it's only one questionable room vs. two), since many buyers aren't sure about what's a "must" and what's a "want" especially in high cost areas where tradeoffs are tough.
the house i grew up in had a room my sister used as her bedroom and i had to walk thru it to get to mine...There was a closet at the top of the stairs that she used for her clothes....
If it were my house today - i'd set that space up as a master area - Large bedroom, walk-in closet, sitting area, and there's a half-bath in that area....There's definitely space if you wanted to reconfigure it...
Contrary to popular belief, building codes do NOT require a closet in a bedroom.
There are requirements for stuff like size (7' by 10'), window, smoke alarm, and secondary egress, but not for a closet.
Just look at HGTV's own Dream Houses. Several of them don't have a closet in the bedrooms, but HGTV still calls it a bedroom. Yea, the original blueprints show a closet, but HGTV takes it out in order to feature more of the sponsor's furniture.
Remember, requirements are based on heath and safety issues. A closet is neither.
Posts: 4401 | Location: Earth | Registered: Jan 05, 2005
. That being said, if each one of those rooms has a closet (and in our case) and a window..., then they could list them as bedrooms. It would just be a house that didn't have good flow.... 
I guess I need to get more cynical! 
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