How to Count the Bedrooms in Your House


How to Count the Bedrooms in Your House
By Scott Rogers • June 5, 2017
OK, OK, I am sure you are a very smart person, and certainly excellent at counting. So, why might I be giving you tips on how to count the bedrooms in your house? Well, primarily because counting bedrooms is a bit different in real estate than you might otherwise assume. Now, the basic rule of thumb for what makes a bedroom is that it needs a window and a closet. So -- if you have a room with a bed, where someone sleeps (regularly, or on occasion) but it does not have a window or does not have a closet, it might not be considered by Realtors, buyers or appraisers as being an actual bedroom. Now -- the National Appraiser Roster has all sorts of nuances surrounding this topic.... Fannie Mae does not specifically require that a bedroom have a closet. The Dictionary of Real Estate Appraisal does not have a standard definition of a bedroom and points out that local codes define bedrooms. The HUD Handbook requires that bedrooms provide a means of egress to the exterior of the home -- and require that a basement bedroom's window be no more than 44" above the floor and should be at least 24" x 36" in size. Homes built long ago (pre-1900) are not likely to have closets -- and appraisers sometimes must consider the intent of a room regardless of whether a closet exists. Bedrooms should be accessible via hallway or living space -- so bedrooms that are only accessible through other bedrooms are not really bedrooms. Wow. OK. Lots to consider there. So -- the short answer is that you can count your bedrooms based on whether they have windows and closets -- but it may require a bit more thought and analysis before we decide how many bedrooms we'll say that your home has when we put it on the market. Oh, and two final notes.... If you live in the County, in a home with a three bedroom conventional septic system, and with five bedrooms with closets and windows -- we might still need to call it a three bedroom home!?! Appraisers actually look at above grade (non-basement) and below-grade (basement) bedrooms differently. So, if your home has 2 bedrooms on the first floor and 3 more in the basement -- it won't necessarily be able to be compared to a home with 5 bedrooms on the first floor. Receive Updates by Email Recent Articles: There Are Plenty Of Types Of Houses That Exist That Just Are Not Available To Purchase Home Sales By Price Range In The City Of Harrisonburg Are You Compromising On Aspects Of Your Next Home That You Can Or Cannot Change Later? How Much Slower Are The Winter Months In Our Local Housing Market? Rockingham County and New Home Sales Drive Surge in Area Housing Market Find The Balance Between Optimistic And Realistic Home Pricing Room Size Is Difficult To Understand Solely From Real Estate Photos How Much Would You Value Not Having To Prepare Your Home For Showings? One Out Of Four Homes Is Taking Longer Than A Month To Sell Consider The Cost Of Your Planned Renovations When Planning Your Offer
Have any questions? Contact Scott Rogers at 540-578-0102 or scott@funkhousergroup.com
Based on information from the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of REALTORS® or its MLS, for the period Jan 1, 2000 through Nov 21, 2024 (unless otherwise noted).
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