convert 4 bed to 3 bed - devalues house?

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jessie175

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Thinking of converting a 4 bed house to a 3 bed and was wondering how this will affect the value of the house for resale.

We are restoring a victorian 4 bed house in dublin about 1700sqft. But the bathroom is dismally small (about 4'x5'). The bedrooms are currently approx: 13'x14'; 7'x14'; 10'x12'; 10'x12' The choice is to
1. Leave the house as a 4 bed and take a few feet off one (or two) of the bedrooms to increase the size of the bathroom
2. Convert the smallest bedroom into a bathroom and have access from hall and largest bedroom into new bathroom. Make current small bathroom into ensuite for one of the other bedrooms.

We are conscious that we may wish to sell again in 5+ years and would like to understand if these choices would greatly affect resale value.

Thanks
 
purely from a family aspect a 4 bedroomed house can have advantages over a 3 bedroomed even allowing for the small number of kids in families nowadays.while i have no expertise in the matter i would be slow to doanything without much research.
 
Hi there,

Again I'm no expert but when I had auctioneer in to value house and I have 4 very good size bedrooms because I didn't have a 5th was a bit of a negative I think because of the size of the house. My advice for what it is worth leave the 4 bedrooms - people buying at the moment are very fickel that's not to say in 5 years time it could be the opposite. Best of Luck in your decision.
 
These days most people expect a 4 bed house to have an en-suite as well as a family bathroom; is converting the attic an option?
 
Thanks for your replies. I do see the benefit of the 4 beds, even for ourselves but I did wonder whether people expect the wow factor with refurbished victorian houses i.e. huge bedrooms and bathrooms?

No option to extend into attic, the house has low double pitched roof.

We could possibly fit an ensuite on the largest bedroom. If we did this and extended the main bathroom into the other two rooms I was concerned that none of the bedrooms would be very big. But then what is more desirable: 3 good size bedrooms, one with ensuite and large main bathroom OR 4 average size rooms (one ensuite) and average size bathroom.
 
Hi,

I'd say the 4 average size bedrooms are better than 3 large bedrooms. In the current market colours can even put people off but that is probably because there is such a choice out there at present. I'm guessing by the sound of your house it is what I would call "high end" and at this end people don't want to have to do anything to a house but move in - again that is only my opinion I'm a country dweller and am only going on what I know.
 
Personally I'd much rather 3 bigger rooms. I'm probably against the majority opinion as the Irish way seems to be to carve up whatever available space you have into as many boxy rooms as possible. The smallest of your rooms is only 7ft wide so I'd question its usefulness as a bedroom, but it would make a decent sized bathroom.

There's enough houses out there with small bedrooms so if you want to differentiate yourselves go ahead with the conversion plan (number 2) and add some 'wow' factor. Best of luck.
 
As the previous poster said I'd also prefer 3 large bedrooms especially in a Victorian house with tall ceilings but for resell value it probably brings down the value. Also hate poky bathrooms. Is there a downstairs room that could be an extra bedroom if you do sell.
 
Downstairs will be: large sitting room; large kitchen+dining+family living room; wc; and a room that we will use for office but could be pitched an extra bedroom I guess.

Could you really take the office/bedroom into the overall bedroom count? I thought it would have to be pitched as a formal dining room?
 
Of course it could be an extra bedroom. If it's the guest bedroom then in actual fact it's nicer to have guests on a separate floor to the main family bedrooms.
 
Depends if it works or not for the people living in it. I don't think you can generalise. Easy to make 3 rooms 4 if a buyer wants to.
 
Making it 3 instead of 4 will shorten your target market, but it shouldn't devalue the property. The amount of rooms and room size should suit a property and by the sounds of it the 3 bedroom route would be more impressive.
 
How much will the work to convert cost you? Would you prefer the larger bathroom and 3 Beds?

Could you convert to 3 Beds and large bathroom (If this is what you prefer) and convert back in 5 years time if a 4 bed would be more appealing to the market then?(provided this wipes it face so to speak)
 
3 bed, large bathroom would definitely more impressive and it is what I would like to do.

To do this will take some reconfiguring of the upstairs layout which means that putting it back as a 4 bed would be costly.... though not impossible if that is what is more attractive to the market. Good point!
 
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