My mom owns a 2-bedroom, 1-bath house and it works for her most of the time. She lives alone. My husband doesn't like staying w/her because of the 1 bath issue, plus the 2 bedrooms are side-by-side, so there isn't much privacy. But for the 2-3 times we stay overnight each year, it's not a terribly big deal.

DH and I both previously owned homes with 3 bedrooms and 1 bath. We were very happy to move into our currently 3-bathroom house. With two teenage boys, we needed more than 1 bathroom!

I'd only consider a 2-bed, 1-bath house when we retire. But unless our finances really tank in the next 20 years, we won't be leaving our 4-bedroom, 3-bath house anytime soon!

It *REALLY* depends on the neighborhood. In the city where I used to live, there are several neighborhoods where ALL of the houses are small (many are 2br + 1ba) and old. Most of these houses were built around the 40s. Very few even have garages. However, these houses are are very desireable (and expensive) because residents place a high value on houses with charm and character. These neighborhoods are also close to downtown, which is another reason these neighborhoods are desireable.

Many of the familes who live in these neighborhoods are the original owners (and therefore older with no children at home) or young "hip" couples with no kids yet.

If you're in the suburbs, though, where people want more space and often have kids, it would probably be a bad idea to buy a 2 bedroom house.

Just one bathroom is a bigger barrier for me. I would never live with one bathroom again.

I agree with sue36. My first house was 2/1. The biggest issue for me is the bathroom as well. When I lived in the 2/1, and had guests, we just opened the sofa, floor, whatever for sleeping. The one bath was still an issue though. Even though we were all close friends/family, we were NOT that close!

I personally wouldn't buy a 2/1 -- even when we downsize I'm going to want 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, for guests, office space etc.

My mom on the other hand retired and widowed, sold the big ole family home and bought a 2/1. It's a little over 800 square feet and although I get claustrophobic when I visit, she loves it and brags about how she can vacuum the whole house without unplugging her vacuum.

I owned a 2 bedroom 2.5 bath townhome when I was single. We would currently not buy a 2 bedroom house as we have two children - 1 boy & 1 girl, so no room sharing.
I can see all sorts of buyers for a 2 bedroom house - singles, newlyweds, reitred people, divorced people, friends sharing a house, people with only 1 child (or two children of the same sex). My personal preference, however, if I were currently a single woman would be for a two bedroom townhouse, not a single family home.
I know you didn't ask, but I think a 1 bathroom house would hinder a resale far more than a two bedroom house.
Good luck!

We used to have a very pretty little Victorian, 2bd 1ba on a pretty street. We loved it, until we had our 2nd child, then it felt tight. The downstairs was as big or bigger than the typical starter home. I didn't mind the one bath--it actually bothers me when the "public" bathroom is so close to the living area that you can hear the person go--with this house, you didn't hear a thing (and the bathroom was as large as a kid's bedroom. Potty training a child with one upstairs bath was very hard, I wouldn't recommend it if you are going to have a family.

Also, we had no trouble selling--apparently this home had great appeal to first time buyers/25 year olds/newlyweds, and the home had a long history of such buyers who love it until they have to sell--when they have their 2nd kid, 8 or 9 years later!

No, I don't think I would. We went to see a home advertised as a 3 bed/2 bath, single level home and I fell in LOVE when I walked through the front door, but in reality it was a 2 bed/den and we knew, for several reasons, it wasn't right for us at this point in our lives. I guess they could call it a 3 bedroom because the den had a linen-type closet.

We have a mentally challenged adult son that would have been cramped in the 2nd bedroom and there was no place for a guest room, which if possible, I always want to have. Plus, as soon as I learned it was a 2 bedroom, I knew that It would be hard for resale. I believe it does limit the pool of potential buyers.

I have had my share of regrets in the homes I have chosen, but I at least thought going in that it was a good choice for me at the time. Over the years I've learned things I like and things I hate, things that are negotiable and things that just aren't. I would wait till you find what truly works for you.

cordovamom -- Tee-hee! Your mom doesn't have to unplug the vac! A friend of mine raised three kids in a 2 BR 1 bath house. (Don't ask me how!) She said if she didn't answer the phone in two rings it meant she wasn't home!

The single floor 2 BR 1 bath IS a nice condo alternative, especially if you like to garden or have pets.

I would and that's what we live in now. Two adults, 1 child and 3 dogs in 1100 sq. ft. The bedrooms are not the problem, but we would love to have another bath. We will be adding another bedroom and another full and half bath so we will eventually end up with a 3/2.5 house. I would only buy a 2/1 if there was room for an addition.

kgsd said:

"It *REALLY* depends on the neighborhood. In the city where I used to live, there are several neighborhoods where ALL of the houses are small (many are 2br + 1ba) and old. Most of these houses were built around the 40s. Very few even have garages. However, these houses are are very desireable (and expensive) because residents place a high value on houses with charm and character. These neighborhoods are also close to downtown, which is another reason these neighborhoods are desireable. "

Ditto all of that. I think it really only works in historical neighborhoods where buyers value the authenticity of the architecture, or in areas where housing costs are so hig, that these homes (usually older, so "closer in" than the bigger houses and more convenient) emand a premium.

That being said, my first home was a 2/1 1929 Tudor bungalow in an historic neighborhood. I adored that house and could have stayed there forever. But when DH came along (he of the two walk-in-closets in the master) it just wasn't working for us.

We went to two other historic n'hoods and had a 3/1.5 in each -- worked great for us (no kids).

We have a 4BR now, but one bedroom is so tiny it doesn't really count.

I would. When I turn 65 and retire I'm going to downsize. But 2 bedroom homes are pretty rare, I'll probably have to buy a 3 bedroom ranch.

If it were single story I would absolutely buy a 2 bedroom house. A 1 bath house? Never.

I owned a 2/1 house as my first house. It was a craftsman. My 2nd house had 1 bedroom and a 3/4 bath but was on 20 acres with outbuildings. It was 500 sq. feet and I had 2 children. We didn't stay long and moved to a 4 bedroom 1 bath. The children's bedrooms were upstairs and my youngest,(unknown to me) was using a corner of the rug in the middle of the night rather than come down the stairs. Currently I have the standard 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath. I wouldn't go back to a single bathroom even though my kids are nearly gone. Like the others, I would consider a 2 bedroom home, but would have to have 2 bathrooms. I never want to share bathroom space with my husband again except in a hotel.

Yes, in fact I did. Would I do it again...... I dunno

I think there is a problem on this board and most national boards concerning housing. essentially those in very expensive metro areas are being given advice from people in cheap rural areas. Someone in an expensive area is considering a 2-3 br 1 bath 1000-1300 sqft house on .1 acre for around $400K and is really wondering how much more they really should strech their budget. Then someone chimes in that I don't see why you wouldn't just by a 4br 3 bath they're only 150K where i live.

I do love my house. its the perfect size for my wife and I, and its a relitively large 2br house at 1000 sqft. I would like another bathroom and another bedroom. eventually I will probably put a rear dormer on the house to get that.

If a 3br 2 bath house is in the budget then I would recommend that. However, I understand why you or anyone else would consider a 2/1. Townhouses sound like a great alternative, unless the area you're in they don't exist except in luxuary developments. they just opened one up by where i work 2brs from the $680s

I did buy one. Well, it was billed as a 3-bedroom, but the 3rd br was the attic, and it had only a minimal closet (made by cutting a door into the crawlspace under the eaves). It was a well laid out, very cute Cape Cod in a convenient neighborhood. There was room to add on, but that wasn't something I needed to do. I lived there alone for a while, then with DH, and then I rented it out to a group of three roommates for a while, and then to a couple with a baby. I had no trouble selling it during the RE boom a few years ago.

I think whether you buy a house that size really depends on the location and how many people are going to be living there.

I would buy a two-bedroom home; in fact, next time I will! The one bathroom would be a bigger, but not insurmountable, issue for me.

FWIW, I am married with no children (and no children in the future) and I'm tired of cleaning all these extra rooms.

Hope this helps!

As some have mentioned, location plays a large part in it and how the house is set up.

I remember when I 1st started driving, most of my friends lived in studio apartments with 1 bath. They used to have friends over, we all got by with one bathroom because it's how most of us grew up.

If I was single, yes I would consider it, especially if it was 1 floor. I also don't doubt that if you are in the right area people like my neighbor would love the house. All he needs are 2 bedrooms and 1 bath because he never has people sleep over.

Unfortunately you did not add any info to your profile, hopefully you will come back and add more information. The way I look at it, people have to start some where and this might be where you start. It's a shame that the days are gone where couples bought starter houses.

Yes, if I were a first time buyer and the home was in a neighborhood of like homes, I sure would buy a 2 BR/1bath house. I have purchased and sold in 9 days a 1BR/1BA condo, in 3 days a 2BR/2BA condo, in 2 weeks a 2BR/1BA house, and on the first day of listing we sold a 3BR/1BA house. To me, it all depends on the location, location, location and the condition of the property.

If the 2BR/1BA home was on a block of McMansions, I wouldn't buy it (because I wouldn't live near or in McMansions). If it was a farm house, I wouldn't buy it (I think tiny homes in rural settings are tough). But if it was situated with like houses and the price was right for the condition, I sure would buy it.

Absolutely. DW did this to get into the town we wanted to live in. Living in the smaller house enabled us to build equity AND save for the larger house we wanted, which we moved into 4 years later. Had no problem selling it, either.

I agree with the posters that mention the type of neighborhood. We have a 2BR townhome (just us and two cats) with a "loft" area/landing that is big enough for a small office, but not suited for a bedroom because it only has two walls. Most of the townhomes and bungalows in our area are 2BR. I'm not keen on the idea of 1 bath, though. You could always look into adding a half-bath or bath with a shower stall if space permits. If you're looking at a single home, could you even potentially add a sunroom or addition later on?

I definetly would if the neighborhood was similar or a close to town type neigborhood. I would however look at the floorplan and the lot restrictions to see if it was possible to add on a master suite later if I felt we'd need the space.

Absolutely. I did. With no regrets. The neighborhood was much more important than the house. And the house was a really cool arts & crafts bungalow. We've since expanded to 2 br / 2 ba.

I totally agree that it really depends if you are in a neighborhood where that is common or very unusual.

Sure! In fact I did.

2 BR + den, 2 bath. Many windows and skylights, great private .5 acre, walking distance to shops and YMCA and bus stop. Then like a miracle, after 8 years an Irish pub sporting Guiness and great corned beef just took root on the corner.

Now it is truly perfect. I ain't moving.

Oh yes, absolutely, as long as I would be living alone. If there's two of us, there had better be at least one and a half baths! My first house was a 2B/1B, about 600 sq ft, and it was a wonderful place to live, in a convenient location and with a small, low-maintenance yard. My mom, who sold real estate for 20 years, pointed out when I bought it that nobody is building small houses any more, so as long as the neighborhood is stable and respectable and the location convenient, there will always be a market for that type of house. When it was time to move, I advertised it in the classifieds and sold in 2 weeks.

I just downsized to a three bedroom that should have been listed as a two as the third is barely big enough for an office.
It also has (gasp!) one bathroom.
We had planned on adding a second- got as far as choosing our contractor. We waited so long for him to get around to us that we decided one was fine after all. It is a non- issue.

I suspect as baby boomers continue to age and energy costs continue to rise more and more older/empty nest folks will rethink the need for larger homes in their golden years. I bought this one as my retirement home and it costs so little to run that I can't believe it. I could easily afford to live here on meager Social Security alone. I won't have to, but boy is it nice to know that I will never be run out in my old age because I tried to hang on to too large a home.

My wants, my needs- everyone is different.

A 2 br/1 bath apt or co-op in mid-town NYC would be considered luxury; in the suburbs or in a rural area, it would be considered minimal, spare housing. It's all relative.

We just sold our 2Br/1Ba house which my husband and I (no kids) lived in comfortably for 25 years. I had no problem with it at all, but we did take a bit of a hit selling it because it was so small. It is on an acreage and in retrospect it would have behooved us to add on sometime during our tenure in the house.

I have one now, and it suits me perfectly. We aren't all families with children. Population studies show that more people are living alone for longer, and more and more couples are not having children. The average age is moving up too - 2/1 homes can be perfect for older people, especially as they are almost always on one floor and can easily be made accessible for people who can't do stairs.

Single people don't all want to live in condos; older people don't all want to move to retirement communities - some would prefer to stay in age diverse neighborhoods if only they could find suitable houses.

Actually, we bought a small 3bd 2ba cottage and remodeled it into a 2bd 2ba. In 1460 sq.ft. (approx) we have a huge master suite with full master bath, an open plan with vaulted ceilings for the LR/DR/kitchen, and an almost obscene amount of storage space (there's an attic, an outside shed, huge laundry room/wine cellar, every room has generous storage areas, and there's 26' of closet space in the master bedroom alone).

Did we lose some value? Yes. But less than you would think, surprisingly. We are, however, just about the most expensive 2bd in the neighborhood. But there's a wide range of homes in our area, from 1 bd homes to 5 bd and up.

We downsized the house because in 1940, they had tiny bedrooms. Our CA King bed wouldn't even fit in either one! Plus I insisted on turning one back bedroom into a DR - I can't stand those floorplans where you eat in the LR. The lots are larger than average, and many have beautiful views (ours does, although we had to remodel to see it).

The area has gentrified tremendously in the 20 yrs we've been here, because it's still affordable (relatively speaking, for urban CA), and it's a workable commute to most other places, including four different public transit options.

Downside? It's a sloping lot, a huge garden with two patios to take care of, and a two-level house. When I broke my leg in a compound fracture in 2004, it took FOUR MONTHS before I saw the master bedroom again. I slept on the sofa and the 2nd bathroom had just barely enough room for my walker! A friend had to build us a ramp even though there's only five steps up to the front door. After that it was clear to me we will someday have to sell, this is not manageable when we're elderly.

My grandparents raised 5 kids in a 2bd/1ba house which was under 1000sf. I guess it worked for them, because they stayed in it until they died, welcoming those 5 kids and 17 grandkids (at that point!) in for holidays or whatever!

Our house isn't technically "2bd" since we have a finished basement with a family room, laundry room, bedroom, and 3/4 bath. BUT that bedroom is piled with boxes and we don't use the bathroom because the shower is broken (we're lazy!) and the toilet always backs up.

So we live on the main floor for all intents and purposes. 2bd, 1ba. It's me, DH, and our 8 year old son. And no modesty whatsoever! :)

To answer your question, we would absolutely buy another "2 bedroom" house, as long as there was someplace to put our 3 computers!

I don't think I'd buy a two bedroom house (unless it was a vacation home) but.....

I saw in the newspaper the other day that Jenna Bush and her soon to be hubby, what's his name, just bought a cute, 2 bedroom house in Baltimore, MD's historic district.

I love this topic since dh and I live in a 2 bd 2 ba house! We have been in the home 15 years and only had one teenager at home when we moved in; now we are about to retire. It has been amazing all these years to have had family parties here, holiday dinners, etc. We always laugh because you can't get more than 3 people in the kitchen at once but everyone loves the house and we have adjusted over the years. We came from a 2000 sq.ft. home with 3 bedrooms and this one is 1030 sq.ft.! I agree with the others that the 2nd bath is a must!!

2 bedroom -probably not - 1 bathroom NEVER! if you want to live by yourself and don't plan on too many visitors ,it would probably be O.K. but if there was any way you could afford a 3 bd. with 2 bath or even 1.5 baths (in a good location) I would opt for that.

The issue for me would be having a two-story house with just one bathroom. That means stair climbing throughout the day to use the bathroom.

We are 60 and I wouldn't mind the two bedroom but the one bath wouldn't work. Sometimes we get sick at the same time! Besides we each have our own bathroom and it works out well. If you are single the one bathroom would probably be more of a resale issue than you needing 2 baths right now.

I'll do even better! I was tired of townhome living and wanted to purchase a single-family detached home closer to my job. I was in the market for a 3 bedroom 1.5+ bath home. (my townhouse was 3bd/1.5ba). My buyer's agent dutifully sent me bulletins each week of new listing matching my criteria. Each weekend we trudged through anywhere from 3-10 houses. Nothing "clicked" with me. On my own, I perused FSBO ads and browsed Yahoo classifieds. I saw a 1bd/1ba house built in 1900 that looked so darn cute that I just wanted to "take a look" while I was in the area.

My agent set up a showing, I walked through, and knew it was the one. I could have afforded bigger, but this house "fit", and I got the bonus of a mortgage half of what I was planning to spend. It forced me to downsize my clutter, and I was able to make quality improvements to the place and very little cost due to the small size of each project.

Would I prefer to have more than one bathroom? Sure! I'd also prefer to only have to work part-time and get 6 weeks of vacation each year. But you know what, I made do and was no worse for the wear.

If no one could reasonably be expected to live comfortably in anything less than a 3bd/2ba house, there wouldn't be millions of 2 bedroom houses standing all across the country.

"If no one could reasonably be expected to live comfortably in anything less than a 3bd/2ba house, there wouldn't be millions of 2 bedroom houses standing all across the country."

Problem with this logic, is that very few of these 2 br homes are recently built(not including TH or condos)...Their appeal to purchasers is limited to people like yourself...But glad to hear it works for you, congrats

Funny, when I build our present home in 1984 it was a 3 BR - 3 bath home.

It is now a 2 BR - 2 bath home. Just combined 2 BR's to make one large nice BR and combined 2 bathes to make a really larger, nicer bath.

It works for the both of us and our condo in FL is also 2/2. Since we don't plan on selling anytime soon, we will use the FL home for winter vacations and the NJ home during the rest of the season.

I think it probably depends on where in the country one lives. We live in Florida, in a two bedroom house (2 baths) only about 1300 sq. ft. But we have two enclosed porches and will be building another deck - it's all about outdoor living here, and you just don't need as much indoor square footage. Now that I have lived in smaller homes the past few years, I have come to appreciate the lower costs and easy maintenance. I predict that more people in the future will scale down to smaller home footprints to live closer into the core of their towns - it's the new urbanism. It suits me just fine.

Like others said, it depends on the neighborhood. In my area, there are lots of post WWI through pre WWII homes and a bunch of them are 2/1. Some folks have expanded to 3/2 or 2/2, but many have stayed 2/1. There is some price increase for the larger homes, but you're also getting decent $ on the 2/1 because they're common in the area.

I don't mind the 2bd, but do wish sometimes I had a second bath. If I decide to live in the house for another 10 years, I'd like to add 1/2 story for a master suite and another bath.

No, wouldn't buy a 2br home. Wouldn't be enough space for us even when we were starting out as a married couple years ago. And having only 1 bathroom would be just the nail on the coffin. I believe come resale time that it would be a major stumbling block to getting the house sold. NancyLouise

"Problem with this logic, is that very few of these 2 br homes are recently built(not including TH or condos)...Their appeal to purchasers is limited to people like yourself..."

Not really. We just finished a small, 2 story, 2 bedroom house, on acreage, in a very desirable location. We are not alone in this, we know several couple doing/who have done tha same. People are starting to realize that just because 'everyone' says somthing that it doesn't make it right nor true (i.e. If you have expensive land you "have" to build a large home. Please, the land is valuble now and it will be even more valuble later. Build for today, tomorrow people will live in plastic eggs or some such ;)

Like most things in life we all like something different. If you like it buy it, if not keep looking. You are the one who has to live in it.

You're a first-time homebuyer in a market in which there is not much available at your price range.

Do you think tha will still be true, when you go to sell? That a first-time buyer would have a hard time finding much in that price range, and that renting would be hard?

A 2BR, 1BA house will be cheaper to sell, but it should be cheaper to buy, no?

I would actually not worry that much about selling in the low range; I think there are more buyers at the low end.

I'll bet 2 bedroom homes(not condos or townhouses) constitute less then 10% of new construction...Not doubt that acreage is very important, and one should live in what they want, without regard to what the home may sell for sometime in the future..That said a 2 br home on a large lot, is likley a knockdown..

Just did. It's just the two of us & we just bought our 2/1 retirement house. We have several years to get it ready & will use it for weekends until we're ready to go there full time. Might eventually add another bathroom, but might not. We're going to renovate the one we have with a walk-in shower to make it easier for us as we grow older & I'm sure we can live with just one.

I know a lot of people prefer a bigger house to accommodate guests (& stuff) but with the money we save on a smaller house, utilities & tax we can put them up at a local B&B when they visit & still come out way ahead! My parents stayed in the large family home too long because they wanted us all to have our own rooms when we came home - even though all of us were almost never there at the same time - maybe twice a year. The rest of the year, they had to deal with all of the maintenance required on a 4/4 with large yard, etc.

Our primary residence is a large 3/2 and that's cool too - just takes me longer to clean, more money to heat/cool & lots more money in taxes. We can, and prefer to live small rather than large. Our last residence was a 1/1 farmhouse & we loved that too. Had no problem selling it either.

We are trying to sell our large house. Since it is only my wife and I, we are looking at 2 bedroom houses too. Not only they cheaper, but they are more reasonable to heat and maintain.

So for retired people, 2 bedroom houses, all on one level, make sense.

It depends on age, marital status and children or none.
If I were retired, single with no chance of marriage or empty nesters, maybe. Young couples, no.
Three of our four children bought 2 BR homes and outgrew them quickly. When they bought one couple had no children, ended up with a girl and boy, one couple had one girl, ended up with a girl and boy and the third had one girl, ended up with a girl and two boys. When they got the homes they all had thought they could eventually build on. No one built and only one still lives in the original house with no intention of selling.