Without reinforcing the framework hanging a closet from the door which is what you are suggesting would eventually place too much stress on the door especially if the closet has the normal amount of stuff in it. As far as adding value probably not unless the value of people looking at it and just wondering why.

I am not a real estate agent, but it has been my understanding that to count a room as a bedroom it must have a closet. However, I don't know if the murphy closet would count.

I'm also confused about which way the murphy storage would face. It makes no sense to face toward the hall, so would it end up on the far left side behind the door? Is that space deep enough?

Bruce

@Bruce in Northern Virginia The deed, property card and city records all have it listed as a 3 bedroom and the taxes on the property are commiserate with most 3 bedrooms in the area with similar square footage and lot size go for.

I had to look it up, and found you are correct that a closet is not required for a bedroom. It seems to be a real estate "old wives tale" that I assumed was true.

To be code compliant a bedroom apparently only needs two means of egress (window and door) and 70 sq ft of space, and you are right on the edge of the space criteria.

Bruce

If you add this, don’t expect a financial return on it; do it because you want it. But you don’t even have the space for it, so it’s kind of a moot point.

I would not add it. Buyers who know old homes understand and they may want to use it for an office so you'd waste your money.

I wouldn't worry about spending the money on something like it. If your locale has it as a bedroom then it is a bedroom. New construction probably has different rules. Now if you need a closet in there I'd suggest a freestanding wardrobe or armoire that can be moved around if need be. What is your planned use for the room?

It’s a shame that whoever designed this house devoted so much of what little floor space there was to a hallway.

It was built in 1860 ,Sammy.

Unless you plan to use this space as a bedroom, you don't need a closet of any type. The only practical way to use this as a bedroom is with a captains bed which has a raised mattress with storage underneath. Place it across the window wall or the interior wall which will leave a narrow deep space between the bed and the wall. That space could be filled with a custom cabinet with a hanging rod across the front and a small bookcase/headboard accessible from the sleeping space filling the remaining hole at the end. The remaining floor space would hold a small table or desk and chair

I think it would be a bad idea to turn an entry door into a Murphy door. You'd hate it every time you had to walk through it and deal with the bulkier door. And I assume it would be in-swing, with the closet part on the back? So you'd have to close the door to access the clothes.

I think the point of a Murphy door is to hide contents within the walls. This wouldn't do that.

If it is something that would provide value to you, then consider doing it. Don't do it in anticipation of selling the house for a higher price.

That's my general advice for upgrading a house. Don't do things you won't use/enjoy just for future buyers. And don't not do things that will help you enjoy the house just because a future buyer won't likely pay for it.

The main things to ask the "resale value" question on are things that might devalue the house. Try to avoid those.

I don't really understand the point of a Murphy Door. Why not just put a freestanding closet/drawers in the space where the Murphy Door would occupy when the door is open? Wouldn't it be essentially the same thing but without the hassle of having to move a piece of furniture (yes, on a hinge but you are still moving the furniture) every time you exited and entered a room?

Thinking about it more ... it seems like the only point of a Murphy Door would be to have it on a walk-in closet. When the closet is closed, there is more space in the bedroom and the movable part is getting packed into the closet. When the door is open, you can walk into the closet to access the rest of the stuff and the movable part is taking up space in the bedroom.

This situation doesn't seem to be aided by that functionality at all.