3rd bedroom - change from study to bedroom for sale?

novice_money_saver_2

Our third bedroom is currently set up as a study (it is what you would call a "box room"!). I'm thinking we should clear out some shelves and put a single bed in before we get it valued for sale.

OH thinks it won't make that much difference whether it is set up as study or bedroom.

Does it make a difference? Does it reflect in the price or does it just help shift it quicker?

Should we make it a proper bedroom or is it enough to set it up as a bedroom/study?

I'm losing sleep on this one guys!

Stewboy1978

Not a expert by any means but currently looking for a 3 Bedroom property and all we have been to see so far are 2 Doubles with a single...Which with most you can tell the the single is newly converted to a bedroom.

If I was you I would convert to a 3rd bedroom

JennyW_2

I like you have a small 3rd bedroom and use it as a study. I did think of changing it to make it into a bedroom but my husband and I thought we should leave it as is it. It's unclutered, has a desk and computer and looks quite professional. When I show viewers to the 3rd bedroom I just say something like "we use this as our study, however you could put a single bed in here if you wanted to". I guess it depends how "full" it will make your room look by squeezing in a bed and wardrobe.

claz

perhaps it is worth asking your ea views on this as they will know what sort of people will be looking to buy your property

Rachel85

I think it depends a lot on the kind of person that would buy your property. If it is a family area, then yes a single bed in the 3rd bedroom would go down better as they would be able to walk in and easily see that it has three useable bedrooms. However if it is an area in which young professionals tend to buy then setting up the room as a study may be better, as they'd be unlikely to need the 3rd bedroom. As Claz said, your estate agent will be able to help with this.

Also, I think it depends a bit on the actual size of the 3rd bedroom. If you can only just about squeeze a bed in an absolutely nothing else, then it might do more harm than good as people would automatically think "this room is too small". In this case you may be better setting it up as a study and hopefully people looking for a 3 bedroomed place would presume the room would fit a single bed.

pippins_2

hi... I think that you would be better putting it back to a 3rd bedroom, I work for an EA and go out with prospective purchases looking at property, most people find it hard to envisage a study making a bedroom as they never think that they will fit a bed in the space, let alone anything else! where on the other hand most of them can see a small bedroom as a great usable study!!! hope this helps....

JennyW_2

Rachel85 wrote:

Also, I think it depends a bit on the actual size of the 3rd bedroom. If you can only just about squeeze a bed in an absolutely nothing else, then it might do more harm than good as people would automatically think "this room is too small". In this case you may be better setting it up as a study and hopefully people looking for a 3 bedroomed place would presume the room would fit a single bed.

I agree. We've left our 3rd room as a study and I think it looks quite good. It's not full of paperwork or shelving. Just a corner desk, chair and small cupboard. I feel it shows the room off quite well.

zag2me

My friend bought a 2 bedroom house as a first time buyer, It was only after they moved in they realised there wasnt enough room for a 2nd bedroom, and it was really just a converted eating room. They payed alot of money over a 1 bedroom property.

Doozergirl

If you have a bed in a room, you know you will be able to fit a desk. If you have a desk, people are very short sighted and many people will automatically assume that you can't fit the bed in. The others will think about and most will decide the bed won't fit.

When we sold a house with an very good sized but empty double bedroom, we kept getting feedback that the room wasn't big enough for a bed and a wardrobe which was just a ridiculous comment. Bed, wardrobe and chest of drawers in place - no more comments and a quick sale from there.

You should take away any doubts that people will have about what fits. People generally go to agents looking for 3 beds, not 2 beds and a study. Don't limit your market.

MadMax_2

My experience is as follows:

My sister had an old large house with 2 massive bedrooms and a box room. The box room we had as a study. After 15 viewings we overheard viewers saying its only a 2 bed. After those comments we moved my nieces cribs etc into the room and voila a 3rd bedroom - after this change people seen it as a third bedroom and it thus sold.

My Dh when selling his tenement flat had a large bedroom and smaller bedroom. I think he took the bed out of the smaller room? Unfortunately the estate agent marketed it as 2 double bedrooms. After a few viewings people said one of them wasnt a double bedroom. So on our last vewing I measured the space and we could get a double bed in. I told the last viewere we had a double bed in the room but removed it recently and she was the one that bought the flat. A bit sneaky of me but it did measure up and its was all about suggesting to the buyer like another poster said previously.

Last year when I tried to sell my flat we had 2 beds plus dining room. I really believe the dining room put people off as they couldnt visual it as a bedroom. This year we have 3 bedrooms (dining room now the nursery) and I genuinely believe this will make a difference to demand!

lush_walrus

With regards to the valuation, it will not make any difference if you have a bed in place or not, the EA will value it as a 3 bed, and will probably have sold a simular property in the past.

The EA will want to push it as a 3 bed house as apose to a 2 with a study, as then it opens up more buyers. So when it gets to actually marketing the property, then yes definately get the desk out and put the bed in, so as others have said people can visualise it as a 3 bed. If you get to showing buyers around in the future, then use the fact that you have used it as a study as a selling point for anyone who views without children (although of course Im not suggesting shifting the bed in and out, just tell them that you used to use it as a study but have been having a run of visitors etc and so taken the desk out), and of course as a 3 bed for those with.

My advice would be get the valuation first, and only go to the expense of buying a cheap bed once it is up for sale. After the valuation you may change your mind and decide not to sell or to wait or anything so you dont want to be lumbered with a bed until you are really sure you are off!