I did just what you describe and I'm tickled pink with it. In my case it WAS a load-bearing wall, but that just meant I had to header off the opening. I created about a four-foot archway between the two sections of the (now one)room - making one section the bed area and one the sitting/dressing area. I can't tell you what it costs since I did it myself, but I really don't think it would be that bad, depending on what needs to be done. I had to move a electrical box and add another (to stay up to code) but it was mostly a framing/drywall job. I would say the most important thing is visualizing the feel/scale of the new room as well as new traffic patterns and usage patterns to come up with a good design. In may case I created a couple of new walk-in closets to keep the scale of the resulting room comfortable. I know I've been in several "de-partition" rooms that feel just like that - two rooms with a wall knocked down.

Multiple thoughts, not all in line with the majority: - Five bedrooms is a huge house. The potential field of buyers who want the space and upkeep of a house that large (and who can afford it) is relatively small. More plainly, You're looking to build a house that only a small percentage of buyers can afford to buy. Wanting a thing and being able to afford a thing aren't the same. Your pool of resale buyers will be small, so selling could take a long time, or you might be forced to take less than you want. - Yes, people will like the idea of a "master up and a master down": live-in space for mom, space for a live-in nanny or elder care-giver. Plenty of reasons people would like the space. But the real question is, Will your resale buyer be willing to pay what it will cost you to build it? Personally, I think you'll attract plenty of interest, but you may not attract the necessary dollars at resale to make this worthwhile. - How old are these small children? By the time you finish building this house, they'll probably be at least a year older -- how long will you want to have bedrooms close by? - I'm a highly practical person: you're talking about a short time when kids are small. To save money, could you sleep in a "non-master" upstairs for this short time, then move downstairs? - How "master" do you see your "masters"? That is, when you say "master bedroom", are you envisioning a slightly larger room with a modest walk-in closet and a private 3-piece bath ... or does "master" to you mean a spacious room with a seating area, a massive closet and a luxury bath? The question isn't just, "Should I have two masters?" It's, "Just how much will I put into a master?" Your own vision of "how much" can make a world of difference in this question. - Don't overbuild for your neighborhood. Remember that the biggest, most expensive house in the neighborhood is "drawn down" by the more modest houses that surround it. - Summary: Don't be caught up in just whether this is a desirable idea -- it is. Consider first and foremost whether it is an economically viable idea.

Do you have another bathtub in the house...for bathing kids? Unless you or your spouse enjoy baths...maybe eliminate the tub in the MBA? I am glad I have a linen closet in my MBA. I agree with eliminating the reach-in closets and adding windows. Also think about how you dress; a walk-in closet can hold all the things people used to store in dressers. (You really don't *need* a window in a closet, although Mark gave it one.) I agree with him about losing the (dated) double doors -- and creating an entry, rather than plopping right into the living room. If you'll eat at the kitchen island a lot, consider seating that's not all-in-a-row. It makes conversation difficult.

I would think the most popular configuration would be what is typical for a house with three bedrooms. It would have a master bedroom with an ensuite of a nice size. A nice shower would be preferred by most people rather than a tub and small shower or a tub shower combination. The two guest bedrooms would share a bathroom and that bathroom would have a tub shower combination. I have always lived in dense urban areas (Manhattan and now Los Angeles high rise condo) and that would be the configuration for your target audience. Having three small master bathrooms would be a configuration if you were renting to three unrelated people who needed to share the rent and personally I don't think that is the optimum tenant as families and empty nesters are more reliable and probably long term versus constantly moving as young unrelated professionals would.