Bedrooms in Basement

DH and I just looked at a really nice home. Main floor has open concept with living room, dining room and kitchen and 1 full bath. There are three bedrooms but they are downstairs, along with another full bath. all bedrooms have full sized windows.

The realtor made a comment about it being negative with having all of the bedrooms on the lower floor. Does this really make a difference to buyers?

Re: Bedrooms in Basement

If it's an actual basement, it would turn me off.

I was affected by Sandy and with the crazy weather here lately, I would not want my bedrooms anywhere that could potentially be flood damaged, even if I was no where near a major water source.

Is this like a ranch house, where they blew out the first floor for more living/entertainment type space?

Re: Bedrooms in Basement

The build a lot of houses like this on nantucket.... Upside down houses, but the bedrooms aren't really in a true basement. It's more like a split level.

I would not buy a house with bedrooms in a true basement

Eta: it's done to maximize the view on nantucket.

Message edited 5/17/2014 6:40:11 PM.

Bedrooms in Basement

I wouldn't buy if the only bedrooms are below grade but if they are half under like a split I might...

Re: Bedrooms in Basement

Bedrooms that are below grade are not legally bedrooms. A bank appraiser or a real estate agent doesn't count a basement bedroom ... If there's a 3 bedroom ranch with a guest room in the basement, it's still a 3 bedroom house. But with something like a hi ranch, there's I often a 4th true bedroom on the lower, which is still above grade (usually the lower level of the hi ranch has walk out access to the yard).

Even if the bedrooms are true, above grade bedrooms, I'd think twice about buying a house where the common areas are above the bedrooms. Yes, this is common in beach homes in vacation areas, but for a family home on Long Island, buyers expect the bedrooms to be upstairs or on the same level as the main living area. I think it would really affect your value for resale, and make it a tough sell. It's a very unconventional layout, and most buyers aren't keen on unconventional!

And would you like it, long term? Layout is one of the 3ls - lot size, location, layout - that you really can't change (with layout, it usually involves major expense and in this case basically rebuilding the house!). You can always renovate kitchens and baths, and make other cosmetic changes to a house if it has the layout you want. But bedrooms downstairs is something you'd need to live with forever.

Bedrooms in Basement

Thanks all for the feedback...I guess they arent necessarily in the basement, as they are above ground but they are all on the lower level.

Re: Bedrooms in Basement

What type of house is it? I am curious about it and where it is... If you don't feel comfortable sharing on the boards, you can FM me!

Re: Bedrooms in Basement

I think its fine as long as the bedrooms are not below grade in the basement. My BIL has a ranch so everything right now is on one level... and he is planning on expanding his house, building a master suite as his 2nd floor, so technically his BR would be upstairs and the rest of the bedrooms would be downstairs.

Re: Bedrooms in Basement

Prob not legal bedrooms. If you are serious thoug about buying it I would make sure there are egress windows down there

Re: Bedrooms in Basement

I would never buy a house like that. We lived in a very flood prone area years ago but the streets were raised therefore the flooding had stopped.....for about 10 years. Now it floods again like crazy. Our neighbor had redone a house making a beautiful open floor plan with a master suite and then two other bedrooms in the basement (the kids were down there). Needless to say after Irene and sandy those bedrooms were FULL of water.

Bedrooms in Basement

Is the house a raised ranch?