Dear Olivia,
I’ve been casually looking at homes online for a few months and have noticed that some homes are marketed as having more bedrooms than they actually have. For example, I saw one “three bedroom” listing, but the third bedroom didn’t have a closet or a window! What’s the deal?
Sincerely
Confused About Bedrooms
This is a great question! You’d be surprised how many people find this bedroom situation really confusing.
To be a legal bedroom, the space has to meet certain requirements. This includes having an egress window and a closet. There are minimum requirements for square footage, ceiling height, width, and so forth in some areas as well.
Around here, many homes have bedrooms in the basement that don’t necessarily meet all the requirements to be a legal bedroom. These are called non-conforming bedrooms. So, that spare bedroom in your parents’ basement that has one of those teeny-tiny windows is non-conforming, because there’s not a means of egress (other than the bedroom door).
When homes have bedrooms like this, many Realtors still market them as a bedroom. However, many Realtors are sure to note in their marketing if a bedroom is conforming or not. So, one of our properties might be described as a “three bedroom,” but we’ll note that the third bedroom is non-conforming to try to avoid confusion.
If you’re looking for a new home and you come across a “three bedroom” that only has two conforming bedrooms, don’t let that scare you off! Non-conforming bedrooms still have value (though not as much real value as a legal bedroom). They can still be used as a bedroom, but they can also be used as home offices, exercise rooms, hobby spaces, or storage, among other things.
Besides, adding an egress window is a viable option in many situations. Doing so can add more flexibility for how you use the space, and it can add value to your home – potentially thousands of dollars in fact! A simpler project is to add a closet. Adding a closet in many non-conforming bedrooms is a simple matter of framing a couple of walls and adding a closet door.
The number of bedrooms a home has is obviously very important. If you pay attention to how many bedrooms are conforming and non-conforming and remember that even non-conforming bedrooms have value, you should have an easier time narrowing your search and coming up with a short-list of homes that will work for you.
If you have other questions about buying, selling, or anything else related to real estate, don’t hesitate to give me a call at 307-856-3999!
~Olivia