What is a bedroom?

[justalayman]

Does the “bedroom” have an electrical receptacle about every 12 feet along the wall and within a couple feet of a door? Does it have either a switched overhead light or a switched receptacle?



Does it have a window that fits this description:

Minimum width of window opening: 20 inches
•Minimum height of window opening: 24 inches
•Minimum square area of opening: 5.7 square feet (5.0 square feet for ground floor)
•Maximum window sill height: 44 inches
•Must be openable without keys, tools, or special knowledge

Or a second exit door


Does it meet all of these

Minimum area of 70 square feet

Minimum horizontal dimension of 7 feet

Minimum ceiling height of 7 feet. If a sloped ceiling then a minimum of 50% of ceiling must be minimum 7 feet.

Must have an installed heating system capable of maintaining 68º F. A plug-in space heater does not count.

Needs an openable window or mechanical means of ventilation.

 

[mike spence]

The "comparable" that's in my first post has/or is supposed to have similar features to my house. Age and condition aren't factors. It's just supposed to be "equal or beter". They aren't saying my house is worth $275k. It just means I can spend $275k on a house. If it was a REAL four bedroom house the number would be higher.

 

[quincy]

The "comparable" that's in my first post has/or is supposed to have similar features to my house. Age and condition aren't factors. It's just supposed to be "equal or beter". They aren't saying my house is worth $275k. It just means I can spend $275k on a house. If it was a REAL four bedroom house the number would be higher.

Who is telling you this?

 

[mike spence]

I have a stack of papers, the relocation consultant, PennDOT, and a lawyer. I've been going through this for 11 months. I'm a quasi-expert by now.

I also have an appraised value. It's pretty irrelevant as it's lower than the list price of the comparable.

 

[quincy]

I have a stack of papers, the relocation consultant, PennDOT, and a lawyer. I've been going through this for 11 months. I'm a quasi-expert by now.

I also have an appraised value. It's pretty irrelevant as it's lower than the list price of the comparable.

I am happy to hear you have an attorney working with you.

 

[mike spence]

Does the “bedroom” have an electrical receptacle about every 12 feet along the wall and within a couple feet of a door? Does it have either a switched overhead light or a switched receptacle?



Does it have a window that fits this description:

Minimum width of window opening: 20 inches
•Minimum height of window opening: 24 inches
•Minimum square area of opening: 5.7 square feet (5.0 square feet for ground floor)
•Maximum window sill height: 44 inches
•Must be openable without keys, tools, or special knowledge

Or a second exit door


Does it meet all of these

Minimum area of 70 square feet

Minimum horizontal dimension of 7 feet

Minimum ceiling height of 7 feet. If a sloped ceiling then a minimum of 50% of ceiling must be minimum 7 feet.

Must have an installed heating system capable of maintaining 68º F. A plug-in space heater does not count.

Needs an openable window or mechanical means of ventilation.

Which could make most rooms in a house a bedroom. Like the Mitch Hedberg joke...

I bought a house, it's a 2-bedroom house. But I think it's up to me how many bedrooms there are, don't you? This bedroom has an oven in it! This bedroom has a lot of people sitting around watching TV. This bedroom's over in that guy's house.'

But people have certain expectations of what a bedroom is. You know it when you see it. I think most realtors want the room to at least have a closet. If the realtor selling this house thought the same way I wouldn't be here talking about it.

 

[quincy]

Which could make most rooms in a house a bedroom. Like the Mitch Hedberg joke...

I bought a house, it's a 2-bedroom house. But I think it's up to me how many bedrooms there are, don't you? This bedroom has an oven in it! This bedroom has a lot of people sitting around watching TV. This bedroom's over in that guy's house.'

But people have certain expectations of what a bedroom is. You know it when you see it. I think most realtors want the room to at least have a closet. If the realtor selling this house thought the same way I wouldn't be here talking about it.

Many of the houses I have purchased over the years have been 100+ year old houses and either had no closets in the bedrooms or closets were added to the rooms over time. So my expectations are a bit different.

But I agree that most people probably expect bedrooms to have closets.

 

[mike spence]

This house was built in the 1830's, and has closets in every bedroom. Who knows if they were there originally though.

On another note, I just realized I could look up tax info on the house. It's called a one story house with three bedrooms. The second floor seems like an attic to the taxman.

 

[quincy]

This house was built in the 1830's, and has closets in every bedroom. Who knows if they were there originally though.

On another note, I just realized I could look up tax info on the house. It's called a one story house with three bedrooms. The second floor seems like an attic to the taxman.

Permits may not have been pulled when the attic was converted to a bedroom.

 

[mike spence]

Don't rain on my parade!

 

[justalayman]

Which could make most rooms in a house a bedroom. Like the Mitch Hedberg joke...

I bought a house, it's a 2-bedroom house. But I think it's up to me how many bedrooms there are, don't you? This bedroom has an oven in it! This bedroom has a lot of people sitting around watching TV. This bedroom's over in that guy's house.'

But people have certain expectations of what a bedroom is. You know it when you see it. I think most realtors want the room to at least have a closet. If the realtor selling this house thought the same way I wouldn't be here talking about it.

So ask if it’s a bedroom. I provide what makes a bedroom a bedroom and you refuse to answer me

I’m out.

 

[adjusterjack]

This is an interesting discussion because I am looking at a house now that is listed as 3 bedrooms. One of the bedrooms has the washer/dryer plumbed into what was once a closet so the house is really 2 bedrooms with an extra large laundry room.

 

[quincy]

The information on listings can sometimes be creative.

 

[mike spence]

My dad's cousin was looking at old house that claimed to have 2.5 baths. In the dank old cellar there was a toilet near the wall, no sink, no walls around it, and the toilet didn't even work! That was the half bath.