(CHEROKEE LAKE REALTY WRITES A WEEKLY COLUMN FOR THE GRAINGER COUNTY JOURNAL NEWSPAPER. THIS WAS A RECENT QUESTION ASKED BY A READER.)
Well, thank you for considering us when you are ready to list your home for sale. Much appreciated. But, to answer your question(s), closets are not required to classify a room as a bedroom. This is not a legal requirement although buyers would expect a “bedroom” to have a closet. Where are you going to store your clothes? Down the hall? In the kitchen? You get the point. Room codes and regulations may vary by municipality, but they tend to follow the guidelines set forth in the International Residential Code (IRC). Here is what is required… Emergency egress (exit). A way to get out of the bedroom in case of an emergency. This is mandatory. A door doesn’t typically lead outside the home in case of an emergency, so that is where a window comes in. A window will get you outside. It must be easy to reach, easy to open from the inside, and large enough to allow a body to get through. If the bedroom has two doors, one leading outside, then that can take the place of the window. A permanent heating source is also required. A space heater does not count; it needs to be a permanent source. Notice this reads heating. Cooling can be provided by a window if need be. The room must be a minimum size. Typically, this is 70 to 80 square feet of floor area, with a minimum of 7 feet in one direction. Even if you can fit a bed in a smaller space, you can’t classify it as a bedroom, unless the room meets minimum requirements. The height of the ceiling must also be at least 7 feet. The ceiling can be sloped lower in one part of the room, but half of the bedroom should have a ceiling height of at least 7 feet. Other criteria to consider, does the room have a door for privacy? Is the room accessible from the main living area of the home, without going through another room to get there? Some of this will not keep you from labeling the room as a bedroom, but when the home is appraised, these traits can be characterized as functional obsolescence which will impact the appraisal. For all those folks that are moving to Tennessee, please keep in mind that requirements can vary by state and municipality, so for more specific information and/or measurements required please check with the specific building codes of your city or county. But, bottom line, a closet is not necessary for a room to be labeled as a bedroom, but other requirements do exist. From a marketing perspective though, it will be hard to sell a room as a “bedroom” to a prospective buyer without a place to hang their clothes. Hope this answers your questions, and we look forward to hearing from you on listing your property.
