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Would adding closets to two existing rooms so I can legally call them bedrooms and have them count in an appraisal also result in higher property taxes right out the gate? House is on sewer and has 4 bedrooms with closets and two bedrooms without closets. Because they have no closets they are not technically bedrooms. I want to add closets built into the walls so I can have the house appraise for cash out refinance, etc.
Closets are not legally required for a room to be a bedroom, but there are other legal requirements. But I agree, most people would want a closet! You can find the other requirements online if you're unsure of them.
Better check this out thoroughly because here, if you exceed 5 bedrooms you can be required to upgrade your septic tank! If you're on city sewer tho, probably not a concern.
Closets are not legally required for a room to be a bedroom, but there are other legal requirements. But I agree, most people would want a closet! You can find the other requirements online if you're unsure of them.
This is regional. Wherever I have lived a closet is required to be a bedroom. I would check with your county office. When we went to upgrade our home in NJ taxes were hot immediately.
Do you need to pull permits for them? Where we are, you wouldn't need permits because there is no electricity (I'm assuming) or plumbing being run to them, they are not structural, and you are not adding square footage. If there are no permits pulled, then the taxing authority doesn't need to (and won't) even know that you have 2 additional bedrooms.
Where do you live? That will make a big difference.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Here it requires a closet and a window large enough to climb out in a fire. The property taxes here are based on the annual appraisal by the tax assessor, who will consider a sale price and comparables. It does not take an increase in square footage to increase taxes, in fact most projects requiring a permit can add value and increase taxes, which is the real reason for requiring permits. In the case of adding closets there would not be any need for permits, so it's unlikely they would know about it until sold. The appraiser, however, may not consider 6 bedrooms to be worth more than 4 bedrooms plus den and home office, or whatever they are used for. It depends on the other homes in the area, and what the demand is for that many bedrooms. As long as the closets don't take up too much space, it would certainly be beneficial when you go to sell, as it would offer a lot of flexibility. We have 4 bedrooms, plus a downstairs room and large one over the garage
that both have windows and closets, built that way, and the county considers it to be 5 bedrooms for some reason.
Another requirement for a bedroom is that a Walk-thru” room (one that can only be accessed through another room) cannot be considered a bedroom because it lacks privacy.
It also has to be at least 70 sq ft, but another bedroom in the home has to be at least 120 sq ft, and both sides of the room have to be at least 7 feet wide.
If you have an older home you can have a bedroom that is not 7 feet wide and not have another 100 sq ft room and still be grandfathered in as 2 bedrooms.
Here it requires a closet and a window large enough to climb out in a fire. The property taxes here are based on the annual appraisal by the tax assessor, who will consider a sale price and comparables. It does not take an increase in square footage to increase taxes, in fact most projects requiring a permit can add value and increase taxes, which is the real reason for requiring permits. In the case of adding closets there would not be any need for permits, so it's unlikely they would know about it until sold. The appraiser, however, may not consider 6 bedrooms to be worth more than 4 bedrooms plus den and home office, or whatever they are used for. It depends on the other homes in the area, and what the demand is for that many bedrooms. As long as the closets don't take up too much space, it would certainly be beneficial when you go to sell, as it would offer a lot of flexibility. We have 4 bedrooms, plus a downstairs room and large one over the garage
that both have windows and closets, built that way, and the county considers it to be 5 bedrooms for some reason.
I am in King County/Seattle area of Washington. So sounds like I don't need a permit and it won't affect my taxes. Does the closet have to be built into the wall? I can't just get an IKEA closet and stick it in or can I?
Each of the rooms has a window. I'm considering doing it to pull out cash in a refi. It would give me a lot more equity since the rooms would finally be counted in the sf.
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