Home reno impasse w/ my husband. Need opinions.

[winnietucker]

I’m not even done with one project but planning the next lol. The gist of it is that we have an electrical issue in one part of our house. If you use one bathroom too much, the circuit trips and then we just don’t have electric in 2 bedrooms and the bathroom. I called out an electrician last year who said we’d need to open up the walls to really know what’s happening. Could be minor, could be big, won’t know til we open walls. We used this electrician before on our old house and they did a great job so we trust them. We didn’t care enough to remedy the issue when they came out because we barely used that side of the house so we left it alone.

Now that we’re looking to expand the family and now that covid is (hopefully) coming to an end, we decided we should probably address these issues and this is where we’re not agreeing. We’ve gone back and forth for a bit at this point so I’m looking for unbiased opinions.

Our house is 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms. Original house is really old (93 I years IIRC) and then it was expanded. So the bedrooms on the old side (where our electrical issue is) are tiny. Our master/ the other bedrooms are on the opposite side of the house. There is one off the living room and shared a wall with what would be the guest area but we use it as a home office/ media room. My thought is that this is the perfect time to make that one big guest master. The other bedrooms are on the other side of the house. The con is that it’s right off the dining room...

My husband thinks it’s weird and that it’s going to reduce the value of our house but my thought is who needs 6 bedrooms when 2 are so small?

Opinions? Things I’m not considering?

 

[MRBXXXFVVS1]

From a resale perspective, it's probably a wash having a large guest room vs. an extra small one. As such, I think you won't get the ROI from the reno work, so it comes down to what you guys prefer and have use for.

Small bedrooms are perfect for offices, gyms, guest rooms (don't want them to stay too long), and kids rooms. Since you have 4 other larger bedrooms, you will be fine.

I probably wouldn't bother with this project personally from a time, hassle, and financial POV. Also, from my research, kids are expensive. I would save the money and spend it on them!

 

[winnietucker]

From a resale perspective, it's probably a wash having a large guest room vs. an extra small one. As such, I think you won't get the ROI from the reno work, so it comes down to what you guys prefer and have use for.

Small bedrooms are perfect for offices, gyms, guest rooms (don't want them to stay too long), and kids rooms. Since you have 4 other larger bedrooms, you will be fine.

I probably wouldn't bother with this project personally from a time, hassle, and financial POV. Also, from my research, kids are expensive. I would save the money and spend it on them!

That’s fair and not having another project would be very nice. I am tired...

 

[PinkAndBlueBling]

Do you have any realtor friends? They would know the area and current trends, plus give you honest input on ROI.

If you have to open the walls anyhow, it might be a good time to make changes to the size of the small rooms, but I don't know how small they are, since it's all relative.

 

[voce]

I agree it's all relative and would want a graphic/design (like architect's plan) representation of the dimensions of the rooms and where they are situated relative to one another before I can really form an opinion. Going by what you wrote above, it's still not enough to get a clear picture of the layout, and I don't know the dimension of these rooms.

 

[winnietucker]

Do you have any realtor friends? They would know the area and current trends, plus give you honest input on ROI.

If you have to open the walls anyhow, it might be a good time to make changes to the size of the small rooms, but I don't know how small they are, since it's all relative.

The smallest room is so little you could maybe fit a twin bed and a small dresser but not much else. The closet is also tiny. Unfortunately we don’t... that would have squashed this dispute. I was thinking on it more and I think that we could redo the bathrooms and then keep it open to possible redo the bedrooms later... assuming we don’t have to open any of the walls in the bedroom. So I might do that.

I agree it's all relative and would want a graphic/design (like architect's plan) representation of the dimensions of the rooms and where they are situated relative to one another before I can really form an opinion. Going by what you wrote above, it's still not enough to get a clear picture of the layout, and I don't know the dimension of these rooms.

That’s fair. I haven’t hired anyone to come out to look at the layout yet since we’re still not in agreement.

 

[whitewave]

I would think a large master would be very desirable— 2 masters are in right now.

btw, master is out. It’s owners suite.


also, multi generational houses are back in, so there are any number of ways two en suite masters could be utilized... mother or mother in law or adult child and spouse etc.

or a giant en suite home office.

 

[FL_runner]

I think a Reno to create a fab second master with a killer bathroom would potentially be good for resale- I feel like less people are looking for a 6BR than a 4BR with two good master suites.

but if it were my family we would probably leave it, or just combine two of the smaller bedrooms. I’d really like to have a dedicated home office, as my husband works from home full time and it is really nice to be able to close off that space. So for me a 5br would be perfection.

Ultimately I’d say personal preference and consider your budget I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here.

 

[susiegrneyes]

Our house started as a 6 bedroom house. We removed the closet from one bedroom (formerly mother in law suite on 1st floor) and made it a dedicated home office. The second one was at the top of stairs and one wall was removed to make it a loft, which was done before we bought the house. In the area I live in I think having a dedicated home office and playroom are more desirable than having the additional bedrooms.

 

[winnietucker]

I would think a large master would be very desirable— 2 masters are in right now.

btw, master is out. It’s owners suite.


also, multi generational houses are back in, so there are any number of ways two en suite masters could be utilized... mother or mother in law or adult child and spouse etc.

or a giant en suite home office.

I like the term owner’s suite. But yeah this was my thoughts.

I think a Reno to create a fab second master with a killer bathroom would potentially be good for resale- I feel like less people are looking for a 6BR than a 4BR with two good master suites.

but if it were my family we would probably leave it, or just combine two of the smaller bedrooms. I’d really like to have a dedicated home office, as my husband works from home full time and it is really nice to be able to close off that space. So for me a 5br would be perfection.

Ultimately I’d say personal preference and consider your budget I don’t think there’s a wrong answer here.

I thought that’d be ok since it’s 5 bedrooms is still on the upper end of bedrooms in our neighborhood anyway. I’m going to show my husband this thread later and see if it sways him in my direction. I think if we have to open up walls in the bathroom too he’ll be more into the idea. But we just spent all weekend pulling off all the siding from our house and we’re both exhausted. I’m not feeling as ambitious as I was earlier and I think he’s second guessing taking this project on too.

Our house started as a 6 bedroom house. We removed the closet from one bedroom (formerly mother in law suite on 1st floor) and made it a dedicated home office. The second one was at the top of stairs and one wall was removed to make it a loft, which was done before we bought the house. In the area I live in I think having a dedicated home office and playroom are more desirable than having the additional bedrooms.

That sounds really nice! Did you consult with a realtor or anyone before making the changes?

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Whats the difference between 5 and 6 bedrooms anyway
we have 4 and there is only the two of us
make the hoise for your needs
But id be a little concerned with the electrics especially as you have said its in the old part of the house
our mid century house was thankfully rewired in the 90s but we need to upgrade, old houses just wernt designed with so many electrical gadgets in mind
im not sure why the wall would need to come off
i thought they just pull the new wires through by the old ones ?
We had quite a lengthy descion with our sparky abiut what had been done to this house

I would honestly spend any renovation money on the wrong first just to be fire safe

 

[Lisa Loves Shiny]

If your county auditor has an online search option like many do you can start the ball rolling by researching what a house with similar square footage sells for in your area. Then look at how many bedrooms each house has for comparison. Does a house with similar square footage sell at a significantly higher price if it has more than 4 bedrooms? If not, you can ease your husband's concerns and get him on board with turning your home space into something you will find more enjoyable.

 

[winnietucker]

Whats the difference between 5 and 6 bedrooms anyway
we have 4 and there is only the two of us
make the hoise for your needs
But id be a little concerned with the electrics especially as you have said its in the old part of the house
our mid century house was thankfully rewired in the 90s but we need to upgrade, old houses just wernt designed with so many electrical gadgets in mind
im not sure why the wall would need to come off
i thought they just pull the new wires through by the old ones ?
We had quite a lengthy descion with our sparky abiut what had been done to this house

I would honestly spend any renovation money on the wrong first just to be fire safe

That’s the annoying part, the electrical is new and permitted. We had the house inspected 3x. They noted the electrical was weird but said it should be ok. I hate house stuff sometimes...

If your county auditor has an online search option like many do you can start the ball rolling by researching what a house with similar square footage sells for in your area. Then look at how many bedrooms each house has for comparison. Does a house with similar square footage sell at a significantly higher price if it has more than 4 bedrooms? If not, you can ease your husband's concerns and get him on board with turning your home space into something you will find more enjoyable.

Thanks! I’ll look into that!

 

[lulu_ma]

Honestly @winnietucker you already sound exhausted! Why not fix the electrical and enjoy the summer?

As someone with an open floor plan house and three kids, I wish we had more rooms for things like a gym etc. If you are determined to combine the rooms, a rough floor plan would be helpful to make a determination.

 

[AnastasiaBeaverhausen]

That’s the annoying part, the electrical is new and permitted. We had the house inspected 3x. They noted the electrical was weird but said it should be ok. I hate house stuff sometimes...

Just wantes to comment on the electrical part. We bought a house that was built the '50s. The electrical was safe and "functioning," but we'd get weird things like tripped breakers and flickering lights. We upgraded part of the electrical when we redid the kitchen. But for now we've jusy decided to live with its quirks. Rewiring the rest of the house was just too expensive and large a project we want to take on for now.

 

[susiegrneyes]

That sounds really nice! Did you consult with a realtor or anyone before making the changes?
[/QUOTE]

Our realtor actually suggested it when we first toured the property. The room is 11×11 so it was a small bedroom, but a large office even after installing a wall of bookshelves.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

That’s the annoying part, the electrical is new and permitted. We had the house inspected 3x. They noted the electrical was weird but said it should be ok. I hate house stuff sometimes...



Thanks! I’ll look into that!

Well weird is a pain but at least you know its safe

 

[luckygreen317]

My feedback is based on Southern California market:

When it comes to matters of the house, I show my husband how the improvement will add to the resell value.

6 bedrooms versus 5 isn't a necessarily selling point especially if one is very small. Maybe could be converted to a dedicated home office space. Removing the closet, adding frosted glass door, etc.

To be considered a "full bath", a tub, shower, sink and toilet have to be included. However, many tubs have been removed and replaced with a desired large walk-in shower. This only counts as a 3/4 bath.

Improvement cost to a large master retreat (bedroom with a sitting area, large ensuite bathroom, freestanding tub, large walk-in shower, etc) can be up to a 150% return on investment if done modestly.

ADU (accessory dwelling units) or small homes but on the property will immediately double the value of the build cost; if cost $120K to build, could resell for $240K. We are planning on adding an ADU on our property in the next 3-4 years.

Electrical fixes should not be overlooked. I always get at least 2 bids on any work and I am straightforward with the companies that come out.

I hope this helped and I didn't add more confusion.

 

[luckygreen317]

Honestly @winnietucker you already sound exhausted! Why not fix the electrical and enjoy the summer?

As someone with an open floor plan house and three kids, I wish we had more rooms for things like a gym etc. If you are determined to combine the rooms, a rough floor plan would be helpful to make a determination.

The pandemic has made us all reevaluate the open floor plan.

 

[elizat]

If the 6th bedroom is really small, I like the idea of combining it with another for a larger space. It could be a bedroom, office, kids playroom, whatever you or a future owner wanted.

My first house technically had 3 bedrooms. The third bedroom was 10 x 8, Small. If you were to use it as a bedroom, you would be putting a twin bed in it, maybe a tall thin dresser.

The comments I got consistently when selling from feedback was that the third bedroom was much to small to be considered a bedroom. I had staged it as an office, as that is what it was to me. I was single and the house had a nice size primary bedroom, and the guest room was 12 x 12, so perfectly adequate.

You have many more bedrooms, but I think the small sixth bedroom would be more looked at as an office by many buyers. That was at least my experience. This was pre-covid, so it was a criticism, rather than a help.