Bedroom w/ no closet- would you buy it?

[wolverine2]

We have a 1920 house with little closets. We are starting to think about a kitchen renovation, and one of the ideas to make our pantry bigger would involve getting rid of a closet in the "master" bedroom (which is quite small). The closet only fits DH's clothes anyway, and is not flush with the rest of the wall (1/2 the closet depth is in our bedroom, and 1/2 backs into the pantry). We've thought that if we got rid of the closet, we could get a wardrobe (like maybe a PAX from IKEA) that extends the whole length of one wall, and actually fit both of our clothes in there. But I worry a little about resale value if we get rid of the closet... though we are planning on being here a long time, and would leave the wardrobe if we sell the house (if they wanted it). Would it bother potential buyers to have no closet? Most houses around us are old and have odd and tiny closets.

I'm also thinking of putting stairs to our to-be-finished under-the-house garage in the closet in another bedroom, and then we would have no good closets in our house.

[egoldber]

To be listed as a bedroom, I am pretty sure that the room has to have a closet, so I would think long and hard about that.

[SnuggleBuggles]

Probably not because in my area, to be counted as a bedroom, the room needs to have a closet and a window. You should check for your area and see what qualifies. You wouldn't want to lose out on counting a bedroom for a technicality.

Beth

[BabyBearsMom]

To be listed as a bedroom, I am pretty sure that the room has to have a closet, so I would think long and hard about that.

:yeahthat:

[WolfpackMom]

In realtor-speak, doesnt a room have to have both a window and a closet to "count" on a listing as a bedroom?
That being said, if I loved the house enough I would still buy it if there were enough room for a substantial wardrobe...I would be even more inclined if you left the PAX wardrobe with the house when selling.

[wolverine2]

To be listed as a bedroom, I am pretty sure that the room has to have a closet, so I would think long and hard about that.

I had no idea! (We haven't actually spoken to a contractor about this idea). Must be why there are some very creative "closets" around here. Guess I'll look into that...

[tmahanes]

I know the IKEA would be cheaper but what about creating a built-in "closet" along the wall where you were going to put the IKEA thing?

[wolverine2]

I know the IKEA would be cheaper but what about creating a built-in "closet" along the wall where you were going to put the IKEA thing?

Yes, I suppose we could do this, but it would make the room even smaller (since the current closet buts out into the pantry). I guess the wardrobe would make the room smaller as well. Darn people from old fashioned days who didn't seem to have clothes!

[AnnieW625]

I would go and look at some similar houses in your neighborhood that have been advertised as turn key or recently updated and see what has been done. We live in a 1950s house with very small closets so I too sympathiese with you.

[ezcc]

Interestingly, in our area many of the nicest old houses have very few closets or even no closets. I have heard that closets were actually taxed? Not sure if that is true, but for whatever reason I remember my parents old house had virtually no closets. I have heard the bedroom/window thing, but I'm not sure who/how it is enforced? On appraisals maybe? I mean, it's a bedroom if there is a bed in it as far as I am concerned! I used to sell real estate and sold many a house with bedrooms without closets, and even without windows (middle bedroom of a rowhouse). But I am in an area with old houses so people are used to it.

[Pepper]

FYI - when we refinanced, the appraiser classified our 4-bedroom house as a 2-bedroom since 2 of the rooms didn't have closets. In terms of dollar value it was $2000 per room - supposedly her estimate of how much it would cost to construct a closet. So in terms of reslae, you could price your house accordingly when the time came, or be prepared to negotiate that with the buyer. (Our house was oisted as a 4-bedroom when we bought it - we didn't know the closet-and-window-makes-a-bedroom rule at that time!).

ETA - DH just pointed out that, since both of our bathrooms have a closet and a window, they should count as bedrooms, too :-)