Loft Bedroom?

[Terrel L. Shields]

Most buyers re not stupid and do not react to it as they do a bedroom.

speaking for "most" buyers? Might depend upon the market. In close spaced lakeside cabins every bit of room is likely to be a premium. The question in an A frame is how much, if any, SF is ANSI compliant (again this ONLY applies to FNMA et al); further, is a loft anything more than a finished attic? Is there a second exit to the loft - like an oversized window or a door to a balcony and steps.

So no, it is not a bedroom as far as FHA or FNMA or ANSI is concerned. But utility is probably exactly that. But, in a straight wall 2 story building with a 2nd level bedroom and bathroom full sized, "privacy" is hardly an issue, wall or no wall, door or no door. And I have seen a few such homes. But most are like this - no exit except the one stair, window too small, etc. Would make a nice office space, sewing room, man cave, etc.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Near as I can recall, their definition is "anything that can be used as a bedroom" is a bedroom in terms of what counts against the permitted septic system, permits being based on the number of bedrooms in the dwelling.

Here we have the situation where the septic limits the number of "legal" bedrooms, but they simply call it a different name on the architect's plans. Sewing, recreation, library, office, study, each with a closet and each ending up with a bed in them... Realtor got sued over calling one 3 bed when the septic limited it to 1 bedroom... laughable. You gonna sell a 2,400 SF house with "one" bedroom? And it could have 10 bathrooms, nobody cares.

 

[J Grant]

A quick look up online of building codes and other definitions cite 70sf min, access to outside via window or other means and must have a door

One assumes walls since it states must have a door... Builging plans and floorplans show bedrooms having walls and a door. .

A loft of other flex space can serve as a sleeping area which some call a bedroom but it is not the same as a legal, market accepted , peer prracice ( a USOAO standard ) bedroom with walls, a door and privacy.

 

[TerryRohrer]

a legal, market accepted , peer prracice ( a USOAO standard ) bedroom with walls, a door and privacy.

So, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, just like the past 3 pages. We already had that!

 

[Mark K]

Just because a loft identifies as a bedroom doesn't make it so.

If that's the case you can put a bed in any room in the house and call it a bedroom.

Its a loft; call it a loft. What's the problem?

 

[Raven59]

The answer is it's local. There are no hard and fast rules that a bedroom must be fully enclosed. If a loft in an A-frame house functions well as a bedroom and the market sees it that way, it can usually be considered a bedroom. What's important is how the space is used and perceived.

 

[Terrel L. Shields]

Outside city limits, COO and "building codes" are rarely going to be anything close to as strict as in-town building codes. E. Fay Jones, the late architect, built a house with no interior doors, all curved walls, no one in the hall can look into a bedroom, and to top it off, it was all concrete. It was built just outside the city limits of a town, so the city had no say-so, and once it was incorporated into the city, it is grandfathered. Should we say it has no bedrooms? It has no doors.

 

[DWiley]

There are multiple posts in this thread referring to the ANSI standard for a bedroom. Can someone please post that? It seems to be missing from my copy. Thanks!

 

[CGinMN]

Is there anything which states that a bedroom must be fully enclosed and that the loft can't be counted as a bedroom if the market reaction to the loft is that it is a bedroom?

No.

 

[Surf Cat]

The answer is it's local. There are no hard and fast rules that a bedroom must be fully enclosed. If a loft in an A-frame house functions well as a bedroom and the market sees it that way, it can usually be considered a bedroom. What's important is how the space is used and perceived.

This is a good answer. Being that the OP is in Colorado, the subject an A-frame house, quite possible that this thing is by the slopes for epic skiing. So a visitor, or a local avid skier would gladly crash there.

Having said that, if the property profile of the A frame dwelling, as well as the Assessor is calling it a two-bedroom, I wouldn't go against the grain and call it a three bedroom. I would state it's a two bedroom with a loft.

Conversely, if public records and the assessor stated it was a three-bedroom and I discovered two bedrooms and a loft. I would go with what the market perceived it to be and explain.

One thing I learned, not just in appraising, but life in general, if you stick your head above the crowd, someone is going to throw a rock at it.