What exactly is a bedroom?

[MrChairman]

I am asking this because I have a refi appraisal coming up soon. My condo is taxed as a 3 bedroom 2.5 bath. When we were building, our builder gave us the option to take out the 3rd bedroom closet/door wall and make it an open area that we use as a media room. I am wondering if the appraiser will still count this as a bedroom since that what it technically is. Anyone have any experience with this?

[Anonymous]

My parents closed in the garage and divided it in half, Bedroom/Laundry room. In the laundry room they built a very large closet that was shared by the master bed room and the "front" room or garage room. After the construction of the closet in the laundry room they demolished and removed the closet in the master bedroom thus giving them more room. The master bed room has its own bathroom and is very much still a bedroom. There was never a closet built into the "front" room for space reasons.

I tell you all that to tell you this, when they put up the home for sale it could only be listed as a 2 bedroom even though it was very much a 4 bedroom house. A bedroom is defined as a room with a closet "IN" the room I guess. I think it is stupid but they have their reasons.

Good Luck to you

[StartingOver10]

OP, look up the legal definition of a bedroom in your local zoning codes. It is not as easy an answer as you might think. If you can't find it readily online, call your local building department and speak to the 'inspector on call' to find out what a room needs in your jurisdiction to be considered a bedroom.

When the appraiser comes by, make sure you give him a copy of the floorplan from the builder showing the unit as a 3-bedroom.

[ezdriver]

The definition of a bedroom is whatever your local property appraiser says it is for taxing purposes. It would involve things like:

Located in part of home legally approved for occupancy

Must offer privacy 

Must have reasonable access to bathroom 

There is no single definition of a bedroom for mortgage financing purposes. Lenders accept what local building codes accept as a bedroom. Consult your building department. The final inspection for the CO certifies that finished product matches what is on the building permits supporting documentation. 

[StartingOver10]

See there are differences! In our area a bedroom has to have a closet and a minimum dimension and a ingress and egress window (with certain dimensions) in addition to the entry door to qualify. I have never seen the requirement for reasonable access to a bathroom though. So check with your building department.

[Anonymous]

It matters by county, literally. My county has 6-7 rules for a room to be considered a bedroom while the next county over only requires an adequate sized window and sealable entry.