Resale on a house with very small bedrooms? (power lines, houses)

[darklingsparrow]

We are looking to buy a house with 3-4 very small bedrooms. The house has 2 acres and a detached garage/workshop which is something we've been looking for. The house is very small and built in the 30s. It works for us but we're not planning on staying there forever (5 to 10 years max) and I'm concerned about the resale value.

The biggest room is 9x8 - but it has corners protruding into it because of the doorway, dormer, and small closet built into a corner. The second room is about 8x8 with a sloped ceiling and small dormer (no closet). The third room is not really a room - it's about 9x6. Lastly, there is an added room that is 12x10, but the ceiling slopes on both sides and it currently does not have heat. There is a way to combine the 9x8 room and the 9x6 room but I'm not sure if it would be worth it - the other 2 rooms would still be very small and I'm not sure we would be able to recoup the cost of the renovation when selling it.

The house is in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It's a desirable area but there are a lot of very large (albeit more expensive) homes right around the corner. Are there other buyers for this house or would we be buying something that wouldn't sell in the future?

[GiantRutgersfan]

I do think it would be difficult to sell.

People generally want at least the Master bedroom to be a decent size.

[manderly6]

The price should reflect the size. As long as you aren't overpaying I would think you should be OK to sell it down the line.

[Marc Paolella]

Originally Posted by darklingsparrow

We are looking to buy a house with 3-4 very small bedrooms. The house has 2 acres and a detached garage/workshop which is something we've been looking for. The house is very small and built in the 30s. It works for us but we're not planning on staying there forever (5 to 10 years max) and I'm concerned about the resale value.

The biggest room is 9x8 - but it has corners protruding into it because of the doorway, dormer, and small closet built into a corner. The second room is about 8x8 with a sloped ceiling and small dormer (no closet). The third room is not really a room - it's about 9x6. Lastly, there is an added room that is 12x10, but the ceiling slopes on both sides and it currently does not have heat. There is a way to combine the 9x8 room and the 9x6 room but I'm not sure if it would be worth it - the other 2 rooms would still be very small and I'm not sure we would be able to recoup the cost of the renovation when selling it.

The house is in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. It's a desirable area but there are a lot of very large (albeit more expensive) homes right around the corner. Are there other buyers for this house or would we be buying something that wouldn't sell in the future?

The questions that are troubling you will be the same ones troubling your future buyers. Small is one thing. 8x8 is not really a room, but more of a closet. The house actually sounds like a knockdown for new construction that would be more suitable for the area. If it is not on a busy road or near power lines or other objectionable features, you might consider buying it at a very low price. But if there are any locational issues that compund the functional disutility of the undersized rooms, I'd pass.

[Sergio M]

Life expectancy of homes are (believe it or not ) 40 years. After that, they are outdated and require extensive repair and remodeling. It sounds like there hasn't been any real updating and needs modernization. Maybe a good candidate for knockdown, or major renovation.

[nybbler]

Originally Posted by Sergio M

Life expectancy of homes are (believe it or not ) 40 years. After that, they are outdated and require extensive repair and remodeling. It sounds like there hasn't been any real updating and needs modernization. Maybe a good candidate for knockdown, or major renovation.

ROTFL. While this one does sound like it's a teardown, up in the closer-in suburbs there's tons of houses from the 1920s and the 1960s. 40 years? Nobody's tearing down 1970s houses en masse.

[Sergio M]

Originally Posted by nybbler

ROTFL. While this one does sound like it's a teardown, up in the closer-in suburbs there's tons of houses from the 1920s and the 1960s. 40 years? Nobody's tearing down 1970s houses en masse.

Read the whole post....After 40 they need extensive remodeling and renovations.

[tom1944]

I also thought it sounds like a knockdown.

[DFBonnett]

OP,
Those bedrooms seem more like glorified closets. If you have any other options, consider them. I had almost that much personal space when I was in the Army, but that was for two years and I didn't have to buy or sell it.

[PeterPickle]

Lowball them and take it if they accept the offer. Then get the overhaul done. I know guys who do the full rehab on 25yr old ticky tacky boxes inc. new cabs, granite and kohler for $20.

As long as u got 3 beds its fine, will always resell.

Smallest houses in hood sell first general.