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Old 06-14-2011, 10:37 AM
 
11,642 posts, read 23,813,806 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnHenrySDM View Post
Thanks. Being single myself, it is a little tricky to design the house exactly as I want it for myself while at the same time considering future buyers who may have kids.

This brings to mind a somewhat off-topic point. When house-hunting, it seemed all the advice I got from people older than me (I'm mid-30s) put an extremely heavy emphasis on valuing those things which families with children will value. In other words, the local schools are extremely important and so is the number of bedrooms. This thinking presumes that all future buyers will be traditional families. This to me seems to be a perspective that the Baby Boomers were wise to hold, but it seems far less applicable today, especially in an urban setting.
I don't think that we older folks (45) presume that ALL future buyers will be families with children. However, when making changes for resale a homeowner would be wise to remodel for what MOST buyers will want, even if there are some buyers who do not want that. A 3/1 would most likely be bought by a YOUNG family with babies/toddlers so remodeling for that family would be the wise course even as you acknowledge that not all buyers will fit that profile.
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Old 06-14-2011, 10:44 AM
 
Location: Over There
402 posts, read 1,403,189 times
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Cool Two doors: more options

Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnHenrySDM View Post
My current 3/1 small house has one of the bedrooms accessible only via walking through another bedroom. This is less than ideal. By opening up a new doorway and closing an existing doorway I could fix this problem; however, it would result in one of the bedrooms opening directly into the kitchen.

So given that neither layout is perfect, but one must be chosen, which do you think is preferable? I'm more concerned with the affect on resale value than my own functionality, as I could be content with it either way.

Thanks!
I would add the second doorway without removing the first. You'll create more flow and buyers could close off one later.

This way your home will appeal to:
1) New parents who like the idea of an attached nursery.
2) Those who like a Master bedroom with an attached office, work-out room, or sitting area.
3) Guest or 2nd/3rd bedroom off kitchen.
4) Office or family room off kitchen.~ I would do this, but leave the closet.

Ask a realtor which type of staging would be most attractive for your neighborhood. (downtown = office, near a great school= bedroom, on the beach = guest room or gym)

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Old 06-14-2011, 10:51 AM
 
Location: South Park, San Diego
6,109 posts, read 10,811,441 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Momma_bear View Post
I don't think that we older folks (45) presume that ALL future buyers will be families with children. However, when making changes for resale a homeowner would be wise to remodel for what MOST buyers will want, even if there are some buyers who do not want that. A 3/1 would most likely be bought by a YOUNG family with babies/toddlers so remodeling for that family would be the wise course even as you acknowledge that not all buyers will fit that profile.
I think it depends more on the neighborhood demographics; some neighborhoods are obviously populated by mostly younger families with children (newer tracts especially) while others have a much more diverse population (older, established neighborhoods and urban areas). I don't think two parent households with school age children make up more than 20% of the population so I think folks obsessing over resale for them is pretty foolish. I specifically would avoid a house designed for a traditional family.

I think the 2/2 idea is a no brainer- capture some more space for maybe a laundry room or pantry for the kitchen as well as more closet space for at least one bedroom if you can. I would never consider a br that you have to walk through another a viable one. It seems that if you added that doorway to the kitchen to the bedroom that you would also have to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom from that bedroom- also not good. Just design it correctly so that the circulation is from bedrooms to bathrooms not through kitchens.
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Old 06-14-2011, 11:12 AM
 
5,697 posts, read 19,079,021 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnHenrySDM View Post
Thank you everyone for the suggestions.


This is something that confuses me as it seems the definition of "bedroom" is somewhat arbitrary. The house I bought was sold as a 3/1... but it seemed to me that one of the bedrooms would be more suited to an office, a foyer or a sitting room. When you buy a house that has no furniture, couldn't any room be made into a bedroom? It seems odd to me that state codes could regulate in which rooms of a house one is allowed to sleep.

Yes, good guess! It's part of an addition and that's what makes the layout slightly unnatural.



Thanks! I'm leaning towards option 2.
Here is an article I found. Its from 2008 but falls into what I was talking about regarding bedroom codes. Not sure where you live but that would be a factor, codes do vary from place to place however I think a lot of the information in this article is rule of thumb for most. My childhood home had an addition that my dad put on. Originally the house was a 2 bedroom ranch. My father added 3 more bedrooms. The original second bedroom ended up being a walk through that was made into a den per code. Sounds like you have several options to play with. If your community has more families than single people, definitely keep that in mind when remodeling.

Building Code Standards for Creating a New Bedroom Out of Unused Attic or Basement Space - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com
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Old 06-14-2011, 11:40 AM
 
Location: A Yankee in northeast TN
15,966 posts, read 20,927,996 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by T. Damon View Post
I think it depends more on the neighborhood demographics; some neighborhoods are obviously populated by mostly younger families with children (newer tracts especially) while others have a much more diverse population (older, established neighborhoods and urban areas). I don't think two parent households with school age children make up more than 20% of the population so I think folks obsessing over resale for them is pretty foolish. I specifically would avoid a house designed for a traditional family.

I think the 2/2 idea is a no brainer- capture some more space for maybe a laundry room or pantry for the kitchen as well as more closet space for at least one bedroom if you can. I would never consider a br that you have to walk through another a viable one. It seems that if you added that doorway to the kitchen to the bedroom that you would also have to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom from that bedroom- also not good. Just design it correctly so that the circulation is from bedrooms to bathrooms not through kitchens.
I like this. I really do think it comes down to the neighborhood. If you are in a desirable, sought after school district that attracts young families then I'd stick with the 3/1.
Otherwise I'd go for a 2/2. I don't think two bathrooms in a smaller house is crazy. It's perfect for roommate setups, for an older couple with grown kids coming to visit, or just for people that like to have house guests frequently.
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Old 06-14-2011, 12:14 PM
 
Location: Philaburbia
41,737 posts, read 74,703,059 times
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Two bedrooms and two baths are a waste of space over three bedrooms and one bath. Once you turn a bedroom into a bathroom, you've substantially reduced your living space.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnHenrySDM View Post
This is something that confuses me as it seems the definition of "bedroom" is somewhat arbitrary.
It is and it isn't. Some variables are local codes, market norms and the age of the house. None of the bedrooms in my house (c. 1926) originally had closets; one still does not. Yet it is most certainly a bedroom, even if we don't use it as one or, when the time comes to sell, show it as one.
.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnHenrySDM View Post
Thanks. Being single myself, it is a little tricky to design the house exactly as I want it for myself while at the same time considering future buyers who may have kids.
Believe me, there will be someone just like you come along when it comes time to sell your house. Not everyone is married with kids.

What you do with your house comes down to what you want, and what you want now. I had a three bedroom house with one bedroom downstairs and two upstairs; you had to walk through one to get to the other. The larger room I used as my bedroom; the smaller as a sitting room/library/den. It was nice to have somewhere upstairs aside from the bed to sit on and read, write, talk on the phone, etc.
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Old 06-15-2011, 10:01 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
399 posts, read 1,797,837 times
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Thanks to everyone for the excellent, thoughtful opinions. With your help I've decided I want to create the kitchen-bathroom doorway, and most likely leave the existing bedroom-bedroom doorway intact, at least for now.

I met with my general contractor this morning and talked over the plans. Now, just waiting to see how much this will add on to my already $20K plus bill... Let the nail-biting commence!
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Old 06-15-2011, 10:16 PM
 
Location: NW. MO.
1,817 posts, read 6,836,712 times
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We rented a house once that had the master bedroom through another bedroom and it did have an exterior door. The third bedroom and one bathroom was reached by going through the kitchen. Wow what a floor plan.

Another house we owned for a bit had two bedrooms and one bathroom. A person had to go through one bedroom to get to the bathroom.

Both of those houses were built around the 20's-30's.

I'm early 40's and both my kids are over 18 but still live at home but if they lived on their own I'd prefer the bedroom off the bedroom left and have it as a sitting room or home gym. I'd like the extra living space over a bathroom but I don't care for random doors everywhere and in a kitchen it can cut down the space on a wall if a door is added.
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Old 06-16-2011, 02:03 AM
 
5,697 posts, read 19,079,021 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JohnHenrySDM View Post
Thanks to everyone for the excellent, thoughtful opinions. With your help I've decided I want to create the kitchen-bathroom doorway, and most likely leave the existing bedroom-bedroom doorway intact, at least for now.

I met with my general contractor this morning and talked over the plans. Now, just waiting to see how much this will add on to my already $20K plus bill... Let the nail-biting commence!
Thanks for the update. Just make sure you don't over improve for the area. Sadly, an easy thing to do especially in this market. Good luck!
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