What Qualifies as a Bedroom?

Many times the question comes up to mortgage companies as well as real estate agents as to what constitutes a bedroom and what an appraiser will consider a bedroom for a appraisal report. A bedroom is not a bedroom just because there may be a bed in it.

The number of bedrooms a house contains can make a material difference in the valuation of your home. That’s why we need to be very careful to know the number of bedrooms in a home. The size of the room typically must be 70 square feet with at least 7 feet in one direction. It must contain a way to exit the bedroom other than through the door. Typically, this is a window. A point of contention is whether a bedroom must have a closet. This can vary from one municipality to another. In the state of Michigan, typically it must have a closet to be considered a bedroom.

Bedrooms in basements may be able to be counted again if there is 2 ways to get in or out of the space meaning their must be an egress window. In the state of Michigan typically bedrooms below grade are not counted. Specifically, the real estate community will include a basement bedroom in the overall count but an appraiser will not.

In conclusion, make sure to work with a trusted realtor and mortgage professional to ensure what you will need or want and learning more about what is a valid bedroom in a home.