It is a common want/need these days for buyers to desire a downstairs bedroom, either for guests, or the multi-gen groups. It is a need that is likely to grow, just because it will take more of grandma’s money to afford a house!
But it’s not always clear if a house has a downstairs bedroom.
How can you tell? Check the number of bathrooms.
Here is my guide for knowing when a listing includes a downstairs bedroom:
Two Bathrooms – YES. Most likely a one-story house, but if it is clearly a two-story, then it must have at least one bedroom down because you won’t have two bathrooms upstairs, and none down.
Two-and-a-Half Bathrooms – NO. In a two-story house, you need two full bathrooms upstairs for parents and kids. The remaining half-bath will be downstairs, which is not suitable for a bedroom.
Three Bathrooms – YES. There has to be one bathroom downstairs, and if it is a full bath, there’s a reason for it – there is a bedroom down too.
More than Three Bathrooms – YES. You are getting into the luxury homes now, and they will have at least one bedroom downstairs.
Yes, this is only a guide, and there could be exceptions. But if a floor plan doesn’t conform to these guidelines, then it is one funky house (like the split-level). You probably won’t like it anyway!
I spent a LONG time looking for a house for my folks with a downstairs bedroom. If you live in an area with one story (often ranch style) houses, that’s your best shot. The problem with counting bathrooms is most often, any “extra” bathroom is in the basement conversion (EVERYONE seems to do a basement conversion if they can). It is very rare to find a full bath and bedroom on the first floor and full bath(s) and bedroom(s) on an upper floor and typically it wasn’t it the original plan. A downstairs bathroom in a 2 story is almost always a half bath. One option is to convert a duplex into single family – ONLY IF reducing density is allowed in your area. Things are probably different in San Diego, but in Portland, with mostly older houses, this is the lay of the land.
As long as the agent follows convention this works from the listing. All too often I’ve seen bath count creep. Three quarters bath becoming a full bath being the most common.
Things are probably different in San Diego
Umm, yes.
The closest we get to a basement is the third-car garage.
Of course, the first house I see after doing this post is a 1970s split level, which only has the two bathrooms but stairs needed to get to both (one up, and one down):
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4929-Avila-Ave-Carlsbad-CA-92008/16649262_zpid/
Some people could count the pool as a garage. ;).
Some people could count the pool as a garage.
LOL – I’m never going to live that down!
All too often I’ve seen bath count creep. Three quarters bath becoming a full bath being the most common.
The MLS police decided to allow 3/4 baths to be called full bathrooms, even though they lack a tub. Lots of grayness in the RE biz!
As I understand it a bedroom to be legal needs to have an independent means of emergency egress. (Based upon watching Holmes etc.). That is besides the door there needs to be a window that someone could get out thru. This may or may not rule out basement rooms depending on the size of the basement windows. 18 to 24 inch high windows will work 12-6 inch will not. I don’t know if this is code in Ca.
I might add this applies more where there are real basements than in other circumstances.
Off topic, but…
Probably not a bad time to bashfully ease out of some stock market holdings, for safety’s sake. For the spunky, exploratory shorting isn’t out of the question. Stocks are cyclical, and there are relatively long periods where being on the long side doesn’t pay off. God knows I could be wrong. Just saying.