4 bedroom or 3 bedroom house ? (Dallas, Allen: fit in, for sale, real estate)

[richard88]

Hi,
Interested in two houses on the market, in Allen. Both are close-by and both 2000sqft. One has 4 bedroom and the other is 3 bedroom. The main difference is the 4 bedroom has smaller Master-room (12x14) compare to the one with 3 bedroom (22x14). Thinking of resale value ahead, which one is better ?
Thanks !

[TurtleCreek80]

I don't think 4 bedrooms vs 3 is a dealbreaker, but a 14x12 "master" definitely is one. It's not just smaller; it's over 100sf smaller. That is a tiny master- particularly in a newer home where buyers really want the huge master "retreat"/wing.

[nsumner]

Typically 4 bedrooms are going to resell better but if they both have the same square footage, it is likely that all the bedrooms are going to be smaller. Unless the home has some other features that the 3 bedroom doesn't, i.e. more upgrades, larger lot, better location, I think the 3 bedroom sounds like a better deal.

Naima

[mSooner]

Hmmm...tough call. I think many people look for a 4 bedroom min. especially in that area (2-3 kids=1 bedroom per kid and/or study), but the small master might be worse. Does the 3 bed have any sort of bonus room?

[richard88]

Originally Posted by mSooner

Hmmm...tough call. I think many people look for a 4 bedroom min. especially in that area (2-3 kids=1 bedroom per kid and/or study), but the small master might be worse. Does the 3 bed have any sort of bonus room?

Unless you "carve" out the formal living or dinning to make it into a study, for the 3 bedroom. This community is located very near to a exempl elementary school. I would think that people who choose here is mainly because of the school. This is kind of like whether you look for a Mini-Van for practicality (4 bedroom) or SUV (3 bedroom) which looks good & spacious but don't have the 3rd-row seat.

[flyfishingjones]

Just as an FYI, I think there is only 1 elementary school in Allen that isn't rated "exemplary". So don't assume that the school alone will attract better resale/value. As for the 3 or 4 bedroom thing - while having an extra bedroom would be nice, having a tiny master is a dealbreaker. Go with the 3.

[loves2read]

four bedroom house normally means you can have a king size bed in master--
people might be willing to do with a queen in three bedroom--but four typically is larger, costs more, and is considered a "step up" from a 3 bd room--even though in the real world that is not always the case--
I am just giving the stereotypical POV now--
so if you buy a 4 bedrm with a master too small to allow a king bed and some other furniture--like bureau/chests then you are going to have difficult time on resale--even if it is something YOU could live with--

just a question--you are asking about some features that make me think you are new to the house buying process--
do you have an agent? what kind of comments is your agent making to these questions?
and how much on-line shopping have you done to familiarize yourself with the area in general and what other homes in your price point offer?
It is totally worth your time to spend an afternoon or evening doing just that--looking at MLS houses and noting specifics like room sizes, price per sq ft, location/lot size...so that you get familiar with how certain neighborhoods set up
can PM you an excellent MLS site that has great organization and maps with a 360 birds-eye-view of house/lot/neighborhood

[SMS_Parent]

This was ages ago -- the late 1990s -- but before we moved to Dallas proper, we sold a house in the northern suburbs in a large master planned community. Our particular neighborhood within the master planned community consisted of about 50% families with preschool or elementary school aged children, 25% retirees and 25% single people or couples with no children. It was a three bedroom starter home, approximately 2000 square feet. We found it very difficult to sell our house -- and asked our real estate agent why we weren't getting as much traffic as similarly sized four bedroom houses. According to our real estate agent, the lack of a fourth bedroom was a huge liability. The only traffic we got was from retired people -- who typically found the house too small for their lifetime of furnishings -- and single people. We ultimately sold to a single man.

[newtothisplace]

As much as I only look for a 4 bdr with a small family I also look for MBR with at-least 225 SF; anything less than 225 SF is a no no. I would not buy both of them unless I get a very good discount and you have to choose between one of the two, then in that case I will go with 3 bdr (because of the very small MBR in the other one).

[momof2dfw]

Pass on both of them. A 12x14 master is just flat out too small. Most people have a king bed now and it won't fit in there w/ a chest and a nightstand. Skip on the 3 bedroom due to most people wanting a 4 bedroom. You are looking in Allen...... there are PLENTY of houses for sale up there w/ 4 bedrooms that have a better sized master. Keep looking.