What makes a bedroom?  Can a room without a closet be a  bedroom?  Both excellent questions that I get asked a lot.  It is one of the most misunderstood places in a house.  Buyers, sellers, and many Realtors do not know the criteria for a bedroom.  This needs clarification.  What the actual criteria for what a bedroom is and what the buyers or sellers might call a bedroom might differ a bit.  There are four criteria that a room has to meet to be called a bedroom.

Four Criteria That Make a Bedroom

• • Entrance – A bedroom must have two points of egress, and should be accessible from the house.  Typically a door and a window.
  • Escape – A room must have another exit than the entrance (Door) typically a window.  According to the International Residential code – a window must be 24″ high and 20″ wide and cannot exceed 44″ from the floor. Many sellers try to call a bedroom in a basement with a door but no window a bedroom.  That is not correct.  Many times I see homes for sale that are four bedrooms but the listing says five.
  • Ceiling Height – A bedroom ceiling needs to have at least 50% of the ceiling at a minimum of 7ft.  The only time you might have an issue is in a basement.   If an owner finishes the basement and has to add a drop ceiling, the drop ceiling might be below 7ft.  Generally the height is not an issue because most ceilings are at least 8ft in height.
  • Size Does Matter – To call a room a bedroom it must have at least 70 sq. ft. of space and cannot be smaller than 7ft in any horizontal direction in the room.  So a 3′ x 25′ is not a room.

Does a Room Need a Closet?

Should a bedroom have a closet, I would say yes because most buyers expect it.  The International Residential Code does not require or mandate a closet in a bedroom.  Many times you see a bedroom without a closet in older homes.  In the metro Atlanta market, I see homes that were built before 1970 , the brick ranches, old Victorians, etc. to have a bedroom without a closet.   Even though it is not a mandate, we have to think about the local real estate market and how they perceive what a bedroom is.

Additional Information

Find a home for sale in an low inventory market

Curb appeal can add value – what to look for

Top 9 Things to Consider about Homeowner’s Insurance

What to Know About a Home Inspection

The post Can a Room Without a Closet be a Bedroom? appeared first on Total Atlanta Group.