Bedroom? Dimension And Entrance Questions

[Karen in Philly]

I read that the width, length, ceiling height dimensions of a bedroom must be at least 7 feet. I'm listing a house that has a width of 6 ft. I want to be sure before I tell the homeowner it can't be listed as a bedroom.

The second question has to do with the entrance to a bedroom. Is privacy an aspect for a bedroom? Another listing I have has a bedroom through a bedroom. It's not a full 'pass-thru', the door to the 2nd bedroom is right at the door to the 1st. If desired, the first door can be moved and there be two doors in a little hall area, but the owner does not want the expense. My question is whether it will appraise as two bedrooms or a side room off of a bedroom.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Sid Holderly]

ANSI standards say minimum size is 90sf if at least one bedroom of 120 sf in house all with separate entrances. Your county or state may have their own requirements.
If you have to go through another "private" room it has a functional deficiency as compared to the majority of new homes. Many old homes had a nursery accessed from the main bedroom, not to common today in my area. It does not have to have a closet but has to have a window large enough to meet the fire egress standards.

Many times It all depends on your area and what is typical or accepted in that area.

 

[Karen in Philly]

ANSI standards say minimum size is 90sf if at least one bedroom of 120 sf in house all with separate entrances. Your county or state may have their own requirements.
If you have to go through another "private" room it has a functional deficiency as compared to the majority of new homes. Many old homes had a nursery accessed from the main bedroom, not to common today in my area. It does not have to have a closet but has to have a window large enough to meet the fire egress standards.

Many times It all depends on your area and what is typical or accepted in that area.

Thanks! I'm hoping someone from my area can answer this. I'm in Pennsylvania. I went to an appraisers session at the local Realtor Assoc conference where they mentioned the minimum size requirements. I didn't write it down, unfortunately. The Fannie Mae information I found was what talked about 7 feet.

 

[Mike Kennedy]

I read that the width, length, ceiling height dimensions of a bedroom must be at least 7 feet. I'm listing a house that has a width of 6 ft. I want to be sure before I tell the homeowner it can't be listed as a bedroom.

The second question has to do with the entrance to a bedroom. Is privacy an aspect for a bedroom? Another listing I have has a bedroom through a bedroom. It's not a full 'pass-thru', the door to the 2nd bedroom is right at the door to the 1st. If desired, the first door can be moved and there be two doors in a little hall area, but the owner does not want the expense. My question is whether it will appraise as two bedrooms or a side room off of a bedroom.

Thanks for your help!

The actual age, style and design of the home?

 

[J Grant]

the 6 foot wide room sounds more like a large closet ( or mini office) than a bedroom.

Le'ts put it this way, if you have to ask, its' not a "real " bedroom.

You must be aware as a RE agent if either one were a "real " bedroom in terms of market expectation/acceptance of minimal size and placement within the house, you would not be questioning it.

 

[Karen in Philly]

the 6 foot wide room sounds more like a large closet ( or mini office) than a bedroom.

Le'ts put it this way, if you have to ask, its' not a "real " bedroom.

You must be aware as a RE agent if either one were a "real " bedroom in terms of market expectation/acceptance of minimal size and placement within the house, you would not be questioning it.

I understand value and whether it should be listed. The question is whether an appraiser will list it as a bedroom. I just want the facts.

 

[J Grant]

I doubt an appraiser would count it as a bedroom...of cours I can';t speak for every appraiser out there, I know I wouldn't.

 

[Deleted member 134708]

New York has 3 bedroom micro apartments with 300 GLA total. All about what the city says.

Around where I roam, 4 walls and a window = bedroom.

 

[Karen in Philly]

The actual age, style and design of the home?

It's a 2 story rowhome in Philadelphia Greater Center City. Probably around 1890's. They took space away from the 3rd bedroom to create a larger closet in the master bedroom. I'm trying to find out by fact if that space can still qualify as a 3rd bedroom, no matter how impractical.

I just found the following from a 2011 article in ActiveRain:

-A bedroom shall have a floor area of not less then 70 square feet. (R304.2)
-Bedrooms shall not be less then 7 feet in any horizontal direction. (R304.4)
-Bedrooms shall have a ceiling height of not less then 7 feet. The required height shall be measured from the finish floor to the lowest projection from the ceiling. (R305.1)

The first 2 would keep the room from being a bedroom. It's only 60 sf. with one horizontal direction of 6 ft?

I'm looking for someone to verify this for me.

 

[J Grant]

They took space away from the 3rd bedroom to create a larger closet in the master bedroom. I'm trying to find out by fact if that space can still qualify as a 3rd bedroom, no matter how impractical.

What I said in my earlier post, it's a large closet. Perhaps it can be retrofitted back to a full size 3rd bedroom by changing back to what they took away....leave it up to the buyers, if it's a desirable TH and location it will sell either way....some buyers may want a 2 bedroom with small office room / large closet..

Appraisers, like RE agents, are individuals so not all appraisers will see and oddball situation the same way...