When is a room a bedroom

Does That Count as a Bedroom? The International Residential Code IRC , published by the International Code Council and adopted by Texas in , establishes a set of residential building standards for public safety and welfare that include requirements for what can be considered a bedroom.

Amendments to the IRC adopted by local jurisdictions may add to those requirements. If it is not obvious whether a room in your listing counts as a bedroom, the IRC and other codes mentioned here can help you resolve the question. Your local building official is a good source of information on local codes and amendments to the IRC. Housing built prior to the adoption of the IRC by Texas that remains unchanged is not required to comply with IRC standards for what may be considered a bedroom.

However, there are some instances when requirements on what may be considered a bedroom are imposed on such housing, including specific requirements of the IRC, the International Property Maintenance Code, the International Fire Code, or from a local building official.

Whether a bedroom must have a closet is not governed by the IRC or Texas Property Code, but local residential codes may require one, along with heat sourcing and other amendments to the IRC. Forget what some agency might say, as it will be the buyer who sues you and your company. There is … Read more ». Great advise about the Closet or added hanging space for wardrobe. A 2 car garage is a 2 car garage. The fact the buyer may drive a car two large to fit in the garage does not change the fact it is a 2 car garage.

The buyer needs to try his car in the garage before deciding to make an offer. The bedroom has to have a closet huh? No closet and no bathroom. Bathroom access is going outside to the main door to the house to get to a bathroom. In this instance I think the seller and or agent may be trying to increase the square footage. Obviously can keep looking but just annoying to not say what it is. I just showed a home that had a media room.

Would in your opinion call that a bedroom? I thought a room had to have a closet and a window to escape to be called a bedroom in MLS? Does MLS not have rules? Along with that I was taught that measurements must always be rounded down, not up, but I find some measurements in MLS to be exaggerated when seen in person. Appraisers and Real Estate Agents often differ on this, and accuracy and integrity in what goes into the MLS data base is key to all professionals that rely on accurate information!!!!!!!

These rooms have a window, lots of Closets, a full master size bath room w double Vanities. All most all were built in I call it a bedroom, even tho it shares a ceiling With the 2 story living dining downstairs. Capiche, Comrades? What do you think? Is it a bedroom? Some of the early ones even had only a metal Iron spiral staircase to the loft near where the Cowboys scrimmaged at Richland College. We Realtors try to make issues out of nothing.

Think about it.. Is it one bedroom, or one kitchen, or one living room, or is it just a cabin with one bathroom? Access to a bathroom without going through another room? Rick DeVoss has some good points. Focusing on the room itself, if the buyer can see it as a bedroom, then it might work as a bedroom — for that buyer.

How often have we seen buyers become exasperated over situations like this? Can ruin the showing and any chance buyer would consider the property. Many will wonder about other exaggerations or half-truths. I call it an office but could be another bedroom. In contrast, colder states such as New York or Minnesota require a heating unit to be in the bedroom. Space heaters do not qualify as a heating unit.

The same goes for fans in warmer climate homes. Having a closet in a room has long been thought to be a sign that the room is a legal bedroom. However, the standards on that assumption have changed. Some states such as Alabama require a bedroom to have at least a window and a closet. However, this is not the case across the Nation. In California, the residential code does not require that a bedroom have a closet. Most buyers prefer that a bedroom has a closet available.

However, depending on where you live and your building codes and zoning laws, it may not be required. Many historical homes will not have the standard closet space that new homes do, giving some leeway in those listings. In newer built homes, buyers will expect you to have a closet in spaces like a master bedroom.

If a room does not have a closet, the potential buyer may not want to put in the time and money into remodeling. If you have a room with no windows , you can get creative with what you call it. In some listings, a room without any windows can be called an office or a bonus room.

Some may even refer to it as an extra storage space depending on the size. If you want to get extra creative with space, especially if it has a good size square footage, you can call it a playroom, an exercise room, or even give it some upsell value and suggest that the buyers turn it into a movie room. If the windowless room is in a basement space, it can be called a wine or beer cellar, a storeroom, a dark room, or plain extra storage. If a buyer has it in their budget to do some renovations, you can have your Realtor suggest they add a skylight to get some natural light in the room if a window is not feasible.

Getting ready to list your home and searching for a suitable replacement can be difficult when you have to navigate listings and home descriptions. When listings take creative liberties, it can be frustrating as a buyer, especially when you walk into a home that is listed as a four-bedroom, and it turns out to be a three-bedroom with a bonus room.

To help you navigate the home selling and buying process, a real estate agent from UpNest can assist you. UpNest has a database of highly rated real estate agents that can help you with the process.

An agent can also help you find a new home with the appropriate bedroom count for your needs. This way, you will not run into a situation where you expect a different layout to see a different layout when you arrive for a home tour. The hotline is available to our clients 7 days a week to help with any issues that put you at risk. And we guarantee a response within 4 hours or next business day, with recommendations confirmed in writing.

Is It a Bedroom Without a Closet? Can You Make It a Bedroom? Find Your Solution. Get Posts by Email. All Rights Reserved. Careers Privacy Policy Site Map. Search Submit.