Worth It To Go From 1 1/2 to 2 Baths?

13 years ago

We just bought an 1100 sq. foot, 2 bedroom house with two attached, one-car garages, one on each side of the house. The main bath is between the two existing bedrooms, the 1/2 bath is close to the garage that we will eventually convert into a master bedroom, bringing the total square footage of the house to about 1500 sq. ft. It is one of the smallest houses in the neighborhood. Adding a shower to the 1/2 bath is an option, but we're not sure we want to spend the money. Will it make a huge difference for resale to have 2 full baths vs. 1 1/2 baths in this type of property when it comes time to sell?

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Comments (10)

graywings123
13 years ago
If you are going to convert the garage into a bedroom, then then you almost have to expand that bathroom. People will expect to have a complete bathroom adjacent to the master bedroom.
chrisk327
13 years ago
i think its a good idea to expand to a full 2 baths. however I don't know what is "expected"
there are plenty of houses in my area with 1.5 baths or even 1 bath total. its not ideal, but its there.
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Unless that third bedroom is already tiny, I'm always hopeful that its designation as a bedroom with a tiny closet can be kept. Some codes have that there must be so many square feet to become a bedroom, but I've never had to deal with that before. Even sacrificing some space in your current bath, making it a tiny bit smaller, and taking in half of the closet of your sacrificial bedroom and maybe a couple of square feet of floor area, would that leave you the bedroom? In our little 2/1 cottage, discovering mold in the plaster behind a vanity, launched me into a real whirl of bath remodeling. It lead to the smallest 3/4 bath in a house (smaller ones in a boat), and the relocation of the fixtures in the existing bath due to wood rot and NO floor under the ugly tub. Also, I had to tear out the existing closet for bedroom #2 so the new master suite could be created using that bath and a new walkin closet. This requires a bumpout to the bath and wall of the bedroom, which is where our project is now halted because the old contractor failed to return, and the new contractor has to finish his current prohject for British Petroleum. :/ But the message is, I lost 3 closets counting the linen closet in the hall, but we will have a lot more space to use with the 18 to 20 foot long bumpout along one wall with only a small extension of the roofline. Don't give up on having your cake and eating it too. With two bedrooms and two baths here, this house now would be a good rental for two roommates. But with THREE bedrooms and two baths, you would be in the single family home market. Everybody seems to want/need at least two toilets and sinks. It does not have to take up an entire bedroom.
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brickeyee
13 years ago
How many baths in similar sized competing houses?
Happyladi
13 years ago
Yes, it will make a huge difference for resale, especially if the bath is next to the master bedroom. If it's possible to do it you should.
Dragontree
13 years ago
This depends entirely on the standard for your area. 20 years ago, 1.75 (shower only in 2nd bathroom) was standard in our area. Now everything is 2. I can tell you from experience that 2 full baths always leased or sold faster for us even in the good old days.
sheilajoyce_gw
13 years ago
Times have changed, and people expect a master bathroom to have a shower AND a tub.
shadow700
13 years ago
Times have changed, and people expect a master bathroom to have a shower AND a tub.

That is an over-generalization. Around here, for example, it is good enough that the house has a bathtub; it does not need to be in the master bath.
terezosa / terriks
13 years ago
I live in a high end neighborhood of custom homes, and we decided to put in a large doorless shower with double shower heads and NO tub. And quite a few of our neighbors don't have tubs. For me, I would hate to see a large space hogging tub where I could have a bigger shower or closet.
pamghatten
13 years ago
I agree with shadow ... lots of generalizations ... my area is an area of older homes, none have master baths ... or really a master bedroom or suite .. just one bedroom is a little larger than another.

Some of us could care less about master bedrooms, suites or attached master baths ... depends on your area and neighborhood.
Billl
13 years ago
"Will it make a huge difference for resale to have 2 full baths vs. 1 1/2 baths in this type of property when it comes time to sell?"

Well, it certainly will make a difference. There is really no arguing that a whole bath is more valuable than a half bath. The only real question is whether adding onto the bath will raise the home value more than the cost of the renovation. That question is 100% local.

Assuming your numbers are correct (400 ft garage/master and smallest home in the neighborhood) expanding the bath sounds like it will probably be a winner.

Worth It To Go From 1 1/2 to 2 Baths?

Comments (10)

graywings123

chrisk327

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