If you are familiar with me and my incessant house, hunting then you know that I am always on the lookout for unfinished space. Attics or basements that have never been finished as livable space are an opportunity to add value and truly create a home for a buyer. It creates spaces unlike any other house in the neighborhood.
But every once in awhile I come across a space that may not be unfinished, but it is finished in a way that doesn’t utilize all the potential of the space. People live very differently in their homes now than they did 60+ years ago. A series of smaller rooms was useful then, but there is new way to purpose that space today.
With many homes in desirable locations you may see them lacking in the space to have a master suite. The master suite is a popular request amongst home buyers and a staple in every new construction home. Which is why its one of the top items I look to add in every home.
So moving into the layout of the space. In the Harriet House, we were working with three small bedrooms and a bathroom. There was only a sink and toilet. When laying out spaces with bedrooms and bathrooms there are a couple of things you want to consider:
1. Floor Layout
Do not layout a master suite with another bedroom on the same floor unless their is a second bathroom installed. Buyers do not want to have to share their private master bath with other residents on the floor. If the second bedroom has to travel to another floor to use a bathroom that is also a design “no”. Make sure you design the space so there is access to the bedroom from a hallway and not through another room with a door. If you have to walk through a room to get to another room,3 it may not be considered a legal bedroom. This could affect your bedroom count for resale and appraisal.
2. Examining Space
With these details in mind I also took into account that we had two bedrooms on the main floor and were adding another bedroom in the basement. That gave us the flexibility to use the second story for only one bedroom. We were still able to create a 4 bedroom 3 bathroom house. With the amount of space we were working with, it also meant that the master bathroom could be quite large without sacrificing the size of the bedroom.
Since most of the master bathrooms don’t have a lot of space, this one was a splurge with a five foot shower, six foot vanity, a soaker tub, and a separate toilet room.
This house had a lot of the extra items added because we were listing the home at a price point where a soaker tub and a large shower would be expected. We could have chosen to not include them, but since we had the space it made sense. In order to adjust for the additional expense, I changed my tile budget to make room for a soaker tub, tub filler and additional lighting over the tub. By keeping the tile selections simple, I was able to install a mosaic in the shower floor for interest and chrome fixtures for a classic space. This matches the craftsman style home with modern design elements that will stand the test of time.
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Amber
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