Truth in housing

[mountanddo]

If you were sold a house and the truth and housing when you bought the house said it was a 2 bedroom but one of the bedrooms doesn't qualify as a bedroom and it is actually a 1 bedroom, do you have any recourse?

[keepsmiling]

I am curious about this as well. Does your second bedroom not have a closet? That's the story with mine and I'm curious how that affects appraisal.

[AngelinaCatHub]

If you were sold a house and the truth and housing when you bought the house said it was a 2 bedroom but one of the bedrooms doesn't qualify as a bedroom and it is actually a 1 bedroom, do you have any recourse?

I doubt you would have recourse. How do you define a bedroom? I have a two bedroom house, yet one is a computer/music room and office. I could easily throw a cot into the living room and make it a bedroom. It may depend upon zoning laws. For instance, when I built the house, I had a full length upper room half the size of the house. So that it would not be a "room" at all, but storage, I could not put up stairs so I have a pull down attic stairs. Saved on taxes as "storage". I guess it is how you perceive it. Check your zoning laws as per your area. Best I can do for now. 'Hub

[mountanddo]

I doubt you would have recourse. How do you define a bedroom? I have a two bedroom house, yet one is a computer/music room and office. I could easily throw a cot into the living room and make it a bedroom. It may depend upon zoning laws. For instance, when I built the house, I had a full length upper room half the size of the house. So that it would not be a "room" at all, but storage, I could not put up stairs so I have a pull down attic stairs. Saved on taxes as "storage". I guess it is how you perceive it. Check your zoning laws as per your area. Best I can do for now. 'Hub

In order to be a bedroom it has to be 9 x 9 and needs a window big enough for a firefighter to get in and another exit. I thought that it needed a closet as well but that may not be the case. The room is 7 x 8. When my BF went to list it the realtor said it was a 1 bedroom. His Truth and Housing when he bought it says 2 bedrooms. Makes a big difference when you are going to sell it what you will get for it. He bought the house figuring that as a 2 bedroom it was worth it because he could sell it as that. As a one bedoom it doesn't look at good on the market. There is also a problem with the lot lines but thats another story.

[tobee43]

i know in most states a bedroom is measured so much by the square footage of the room as much as whether or not there is a closet?????

if it were me, i would rig up a little closet and call it a day...or opps a "bedroom".

[buzzstpoint]

For what it's worth..
My house was listed as a 7 bedroom house..

Realistically and technically it's only a 4 bedroom home. The other rooms aren't much bigger then a twin size bed.
Do we have recourse? Probably not because we had the opportunity to walk though the house and decide for ourselves.

[justbroke]

Not only what others mention, but you also have to take some action within a certain period of time. It is true that in many municipalities (counties, states, etc), the definition of a bedroom is that it has at least one window and a closet! I had a nice 3,300 square foot 4-bedroom home and I wanted to list as 5-bedrooms. I had this huge 650 square foot bonus room (upstairs) that even had it's own full size bathroom. However, it didn't count as a bedroom because it did not have a closet!

On another property, I had an argument with my appraiser over whether my in-law apartment was a "legal" apartment. He kept arguing with me, since I wanted to list my home as 5-bedrooms 4.5 bathrooms... not 4-bedrooms 3.5 bathrooms. He insisted until I told him that the in-law apartment (which is over a "detached" garage), not only had a FULL-SIZED kitchen, living room, bedroom and separate bathroom... that is also had its own electric meter, AC, sewer connection and water connection! (This was for appraisal purposes.)

So there are some fine lines.

The general accepted number of bedrooms is what is recorded in your property appraisers / property tax assessor's records. If that reads that it is a 2-bedroom, then it is a 2-bedroom according to your county/city/state. In any event, a typical "legal" bedroom must have livable space (7x8 may not be "livable"), a window, and a door.

The real reason for all this is probably to keep people from declaring every room but the kitchen and bathroom, is a bedroom and listing their 4-bedroom home as an 8-bedroom home!

I have a suggestion... hire a different realtor!

[HHM]

Putting all that aside....DID YOU walk through the house before you bought it. Did you have an inspection?

Not sure what sort of recourse you would be looking for (it certainly won't void a mortgage), at best, you would need to prove some sort of actual damages and that at time of purchase, this defect was not discoverable (which it was), so it really is a moot point.

[keepsmiling]

Interesting discussion. I'm actually looking at it from the opposite perspective-- that is, to downgrade an appraisal so they don't take overvalue my house and take it .

[justbroke]

Interesting discussion. I'm actually looking at it from the opposite perspective-- that is, to downgrade an appraisal so they don't take overvalue my house and take it .

Maybe that's why my appraiser was arguing with me. I mean, the appraisal was actually for my lien strip! Interesting!

[HHM]

Interesting discussion. I'm actually looking at it from the opposite perspective-- that is, to downgrade an appraisal so they don't take overvalue my house and take it .

Then by all means, try to get the house reclassified