Purchasing 2br vs 3 br

[cowboyxjon]

Originally Posted by surftb15

Do you sacrafice some space in a 2 br to a 3 br? or is it just one bedroom difference?

Honestly, it depends on the house. There really is no cut-and-dry answer, in my opinion, because it's always possible to find a 3BR home that has three SMALL bedrooms, especially in the neighborhoods you are looking at, since the housing stock is generally older. My house, for instance, is a 2BR and it's about 1100 square feet. I've seen older 3BR homes that are the same (or even less) total square footage that have a different layout. It just depends on the floor plan and how the available space is used.

I lived in an apartment in Redondo Beach, California, that had to have been no larger than 800 square feet. It was a 2BR. Even though it seems like it would be TINY, the available space was used efficiently and it didn't feel as small as it was.

[surftb15]

Thanks.

I think I do need to consider 3 b/r, 2 bathroom. I think it will be easiest to sell in a few years.

I am not too worried about the cost right now. I have 20% down up to 400k with 12 months of full mortgage saved, so I'm trying to stay around there. If price was more of a concern, I would do 2 bedroom, 2 bath. Although, that doesn't buy you much in Denver, especially in Wash Park, which is one neighborhood I am considering.

At this price, 3 bedroom just seems safer, so to speak.

[Brian_M]

You're going to spend more to BUY a 3br too... It's not like a 2br costs the same as a 3br (assuming neighboring buildings in similar condition), it's cheaper to buy and cheaper to sell. Knowing what little I do about the Denver market, I wouldn't buy over $400k (and would try to stay under $250k), because the fastest moving market is under $250k.

Now, it May be easier to sell a 3br (larger pool of potential buyers), but all it takes is 1 buyer who's interested. That Could be the first person that walks through your 2br door and the 100's that walks through the 3br door. Personally, my wife and I were looking for a 2br/2ba ~ it was high on the list and we settled for a 3br. We didn't Want the extra room (it's empty and closed off), it costs extra to heat, insure, means more space to clean and is 100% wasted. Make sure to engage your brain before just sheepishly following "free" advice, regardless of the direction.