Hi,

My husband and I are about to buy his dad's girlfriend's house and would appreciate some advice. At the moment, it has three bedrooms, with the main bathroom being adjoined to the main bedroom (no separate access). As one of the bedrooms is v small, our idea is to open out the two smaller front bedrooms to make one large master bedrom and take a bit off the third bedroom to make a hall which will allow us to access the bathroom. The original layout was for 2 bedrooms but a partition wall was put up to make it into three.

My husband's dad aparently had a value for this and they said this would make a 10 grand loss automatically! But, personally, I would rather have a big bedroom, nice 2nd room (it would go down to 11 by 9 if we were to do this) and separate access to a bathroom.

Opinions and advice would be great - is three bedrooms ALWAYS better and more profitable??.

Thanks,

Clarkykitten

Not *always* but about 99% of the time. With house prices being so high there are a lot of families struggling to get affordable 3 bed houses. They will accept compromises for the number of bedrooms that they absolutely need.

Yes, about £10k a bedroom in your area by the sounds of it.

If you don't plan to move on, and it is a long term home, change it as you will, you may get your £10k loss back within a few years.

It seems the case but it doesn't necessarily make it more saleable. A 3 bed that has a bathroom that can only be accessed through a bedroom won't attract the buyers or the price of a 3 bedroom that has a more normal arrangement.

You have to think of what you want, it will be your home, make it comfortable for what you want and don't think about valuations and profits until there comes a time when you want or need to sell it.

I viewed a house where the bathroom was accessed through the second bedroom and dismissed it on that basis.

If you are going to live there long term (10 years+), then arrange the house how it suits you.

Who knows what the market will be like when you sell, so you might aswell have the house as you like it whilst you live there.

You can always add a wall back in if when you go to sell you need a third bedroom again.


If you do take out the 3rd bedroom, then you will change your house from a family house on the small side to a house with one nice bedroom and a spare room, to suit either a single child family, one with 2 same sex children (if you can fit 2 in the second room), a single person, or a couple. I would say that that would probalby widen your field, but could not say what price impact not selling to a family would have.

Best to do what you would prefer, and forget about sales prices until you really have to think about it.

Ary.

Thanks for all your advice,I think that it is just frustrating for us because the house we are currently renting has a bathroom that is only accessible through the main bedroom. We really fancied a change from that but feel buying this house is too good a deal to miss. We are 1st time buyers and she is planning on letting us buy it for less than what it is valued. She has had it for ages, so would make a big profit anyway. As we will probably move on in a couple of yeas, maybe it just makes sense to keep it as is.