07/30/2023
I often get the question, "What does it take for a room to be considered a Bedroom?"
Four things a room MUST have to be considered a bedroom:
1) Entrance: A bedroom needs at least two methods of egress, so it should be accessible from the house (commonly through a door), and then have one other exit (window or door). Note: I have seen many detached, freestanding buildings (often sheds converted to "Bedrooms"), but unless they are permitted, built to "workman-like standards, or were built per code they will usually NOT be considered a bedroom by an appraiser.
2) Ceiling Height: A bedroom ceiling needs to be at least 7 ft tall. It’s okay if some portions of the ceiling are below this level, but at least 50% of the ceiling needs to be a minimum of 7 ft in height. Most ceilings are at least 8 ft tall, so ceiling height is not usually an issue unless someone converted a basement, attic, or loft area.
3) Escape: A bedroom must have one other method of egress beyond the entrance point. An exterior door works as an exit point, so does a window.
According to the International Residential Code, a bedroom window can be between 24 and 44 inches from the floor, needs at least 5.7 square feet for the opening, and must measure no less than 24 inches high and 20 inches wide (R310.1). NOTE: I have seen many homes that have no egress windows and this is a serious safety issue. Often these "Bedrooms" are also part of a converted garage that still has a gas furnace or gas hot water tank that is a CO/CO2 hazard.
4) Size: The room should be at least 70 sq ft, and more specifically, the room cannot be smaller than 7 feet in any horizontal direction (R304.2 / R304.4). Yes, I have seen "additions" that were less than this that people tried to call a bedroom that had everything else but was too small to legally call a bedroom because they were under 7' on a horizontal direction.
Size, access, light, and ventilation all matter when it comes to defining a bedroom (IRC). There is one more issue we should talk about, though.
The Closet...
Are closets required? This is debated a lot! A bedroom SHOULD probably have a closet since most buyers expect one, but technically the International Residential Code does NOT mandate a bedroom to have a closet.
So, the lack of a closet does not necessarily mean a room cannot be a bedroom, but "what the local real estate market expects and what the local city/county require," AND what appraisers will deem a bedroom are entirely different things.
Would buyers consider a room as a bedroom if there is no closet?
I own a home where the prior owner had removed the closet door and then converted the "Closet" into a custom built-in desk complete with recessed lights and a custom file cabinet. I have first-hand experience explaining to an appraiser that this room was a "Bedroom" and then receiving an undervalued appraisal because that appraiser disagreed with me... Ultimately, I disputed the valuation, requested his appraisal management company request he correct his mistake (with copies of all the evidence including tax records, blueprint, and photos which clearly showed it was a converted closet that could be easily converted back), and we were able to get this corrected but it
Why is it important to get this correct? Because often there is a significant difference in price when a condo, townhouse, or home has an extra bedroom vs. an office space, den, or rec room.
I hope this article helps and if you have any questions feel free to message me.
