Looking at Home Without Masterbedroom

I am a local interior designer and I work with tons of agents and investors. I would say that is a big NO NO. It will be very hard for you to sell that home later. If you are buying low and will have some equity on the home, then I would suggest getting a masterbath/
closets added on and making it a true masterbedroom. This is very simple with a good design team. Hope this advise helps.

A master bedroom a a great place for the entire family first thing in the morning for snuggles and some play. At night for a family movie and more snuggles.

If you love this house see if a wall can be taken out for a larger room.

Kids will want to be where you are.

A 4 bedroom home with no master would be a nightmare to resell. Unless you plan on renovating and making a master or live near a college town that you could rent it out to students once you move on, I would keep looking!

If you took the time to ask, its bothering you. Go with your gut; you will be the one who has to live in the house and make due. My thought is you should keep looking until you find something you truly fall in love with. Good Luck!

It's really up to you and what your taste is. I personally like having my space and a lot of it. My husband and I are also looking at buying a house and the reason we like a particular house is because of the Master Bedroom and how big it is. I like to have a room I feel comfortable in. There are ways to make that happen in a smaller room too. My sister bought a house like that. They had an unfinished basement, and when they finished it they used the second family room as their bedroom and they loved it.
If you really love the rest of the house, it shouldn't matter.

if you're okay with not having a master's bedroom, yeah. i don't see how it would make a difference unless you're worried about bathroom availability.

I wouldn't recommend it. Your kids WILL get older, and most likely at some point you'll have company stay. I've been there and it is just such a hassle to have to get dressed before you leave the room for something, or if you and your husband decide to be 'spontaneous', have fun walking to the bathroom/shower with robes, being embarrassed, hoping no one looks! :)
K.

This is a lifestyle question. Having a degree in arch drafting and a background in ICM, I'd venture a guess this is an older home? The resale question depends on the neighborhood and the market. The present trend is toward smaller homes which require superior planning to make the best use of space. The age of aggressive, excessive consumption is drawing to a close and just as huge vehicles are becoming a liability in the face of rising fuel cost so are large homes. Start asking yourself questions. You haven't provided much info, how many bathrooms? Is there a bedroom with a bath attached? In a home from the 50s or 60s that would be the master bedroom. You have only one child, why do you need 4 bedrooms? Look at your future plans, how long do you intend to be in the house? Do you plan on more kids? Are you going to use a bedroom as an office? Is there a basement? What will you do with the spaces in the house? Could you covert a bedroom into a bath/walk in closet later? Do you have the skill to do the work yourself or would you have to hire a contractor? If you felt you had to have a master bedroom, would the initial cost of the home and the cost to remodel be worth it over the cost of a home with these features already? Millions of people grew up in homes without master bedrooms and did just fine. The real question is a balance of needs vs desires and finances. The current housing mess is a result of people buying more home than they can actually afford and using really bad lending practices to do it. Only you can determine what you can afford both finacially and in terms of lifestyle. I now work in personal finance have seen a lot of people sink their ship over extending. You're just starting out, better conservative than dream house right now. What are the schools like in the area? Parks & rec? Police? Roads? Shopping? How is the roof, foundation, plumbing, wiring, heating system ,insulation? It's a big decision! Good Luck!

I think a master bedroom is important for all of the reasons already mentioned by the other responses AND think about when it is time for you to sell the house... Would a potential buyer skip your house for that reason? Nowadays bigger houses have master bedrooms and I think that you are putting yourself in a unique situation and it will then take a unique buyer to buy that house. If that house is priced accordingly, consider that you would have to price it accordingly when it is time to sell...

I personally wouldn't go that direction, your master bath could be a great sanctuary when you need that time away to relax and take a bath. It also come in handy when you want your things to be yours only, but if it works for you go for it.

Hi K.. I think that a Master Suite is a nice option but like some others have posted, location, view, schools etc. would be a larger selling point in the future. I am a residential planner and have remodeled some homes that wanted to include a master suite, so maybe you could look at remodeling in the next few years. Good luck on your house hunt and possible purchase! Also, feel free to contact me if you need some design help! - B..

Technically, wherever the "masters" room is that's the master bedroom. If you mean thers is no bathroom in it, then the only problem I can see is that it might be a little more difficult to sell in the future. But most older homes didn't come with a master bath, so it shouldn't be that big of a deal.

We have a home that doesn't have a specific masterbedroom. We don't mind it. We believe that as long as you make your room a room for you and your husband. We don't have a tv in our room because we figure if we are going to spend time in our room it should be spent with each other talking or getting to know each other better instead of watching tv. We also don't have any pictures of our kids in our room because it isn't a family room it is a room about us what we like. We have a special place in our home full of pictures and family things but we made our room special about us what we like and it is a place to escape the rest of the house. If you buy a home with no "Masterbedroom" that means you can pick your favorite room and do whatever you want with your home.

If there is that many bedrooms what did the previous owners use as a master Also there is nothing to say you cannot convert two of the rooms into one big room. Just make sure whatever work you have to do will increase the value of the home down the road for you. If you don't need all four bedrooms I say convert two of the rooms if they are side by side into a big master suite.

Hi K.,
I have had both. Our first house did not have a connected bathroom and I really liked it because when my husband or I were getting ready for work early and the other one didn't have to get up that early, there was no disturbance. But it was ackward when we had company in the spare bedroom and we all shared the same bathroom. After a while I wanted a master suite and that is one reason why we moved. Our new home has one and it is very nice and private to have your own space from kids and visitors. You can do whatever you want behind one closed door. I would recommend the master suite thing if at all possible. If it is not possible for your first home, you can always upgrade in your second home; but beware of resale value of no master....
Good luck!
L. P.

http://www.greatschools.net/

This is where I go when I want to know about the schools in the area. I have found (and I have moved nine times in the past 11 years) that if you get into a great school zone, that you get into a great neighborhood with less crime. msn also has a spot that you can compare neighborhoods, but it isn't on their front page any more so you will have to dig to find it.

The first question you should ask is "am I going to resell this house?" If the answer is yes, then you are shooting yourself in the foot! You will not be able to sell the home without taking a huge dip in the asking price. Probably why you are finding it cheaper than the next, because ask yourself if you had two houses side by side that were the same price and had the same features except one had a master suite (with a bathroom) and one did not, everyone would know you would take the one with the master bath. You would be better off to keep looking, but just stay in your budget. This is not the time to over extend yourself. I agree whole heartedly with the finance broker. Being house broke is NOT fun(I know I did it once). You would be better off living in a townhouse or condo to make sure you have money left over at the end of the month.
I personally (after being house broke...spend all extra money on a house payment with no money to play with) could afford a home 2-3 times the size I'm currently living in. But it has been great to go get what ever we want, just because we can. We go on vacation when and where we want because we can afford to. Sure we save for big things, but marriage and kids can be very stressful to not have to add the element of finances to the mix.
Stay within your budget and you will be so glad you did! I had a neighbor who gave some great advice to us. They also lived in a much smaller home than they could afford, but if something where to happen to one or the other they wanted the one paying the bills to not have to worry about overextending themselves with a large house payment. They have bought more "toys" than I could ever dream about. You know money isn't their issue.
And if you can, try to not have it yours!

K., any bedroom (meaning the largest room)you're in is the masterbedroom. It isn't important that you have the biggest bedroom in the house, you just need your space. If you can fit your things in the room and you have access to each other, what does it matter?

Our "master bedroom" goes to our boys, there are four of them and only two of us, so it makes sense. We have two girls in one room, three girls in another, and our youngest is with us for now. It works just fine.

If it's down right seriously important for you to a room that's very large for whatever purpose, you can always knock out a wall to create that. And don't buy into the whole bit that you won't be able to sell your house if you don't have a master suite...there are many people who will buy it without...there's a house for anyone and someone for any house!

BUT, perhaps, it isn't the bedroom thing that's really giving you red flags about the house. If it's a perfect house but you just can't shake an odd fealing about it; don't get it! Listen to your intuition. Perhaps the neighbors are wacko and/or mean. Perhaps there's a flooding issue no one's mentioned...you know, trust yourself...even if you don't have a concrete explaination.

we have never had a home with a master bedroom and have never had a problem with it.

I agree with the post about the neighborhood etc, also the location( like not on or backing to a busy street). American's are so spoiled, you don't need a "master suite"! If this is your first home you may need to work your way up ! I would look for things like well cared for lawns, good schools etc! We lived in a one story ranch with one bathroom and it was fine! We lived there for three years and were able to move up. This is a great time to buy!

I guess you need to evaluate how well one of those rooms would work as a master bedroom. Is is fairly big? Are the closets adequate? Is the bathroom near? Having a bathroom off of the master B.R. is a modern day convenience that our grandparents didn't have. I depends on how much you want one.
Does the house have other advantages to make up for the lack of a master B.R.? With prices so low for houses. you ought to be able to find what you want.

I would run far far away from that. It will be incredibly difficult to resell.
I personally wouldn't care as long as there are plenty of other bathrooms but since YOU NEVER know what the future may bring I have always looked at houses and considered the prospect of reselling.

My home was built in the 60's and so was the neighborhood. None of the homes around me have mastersuites. Now a few blocks away there are homes that have been built in the 1990's. They all have mastersuites. I don't like being without a masterbath, but it makes one less toilet to clean. It doesn't really affect the sellability of our home and it suits us just fine.

Don't buy it if it is a big issue. But don't not buy it because of this one ommission.

My in-laws have a nice big bedroom but shared the bathroom with the other 3 bedrooms for yrs and currently. It didn't seem to bother them but was awkward when their kids came back home w/ spouses to visit. Also, now my inlaws don't have boundaries and when they come to my house or others, they choose to use the master bathroom instead of the half bath on the main level or the kids full bath upstairs. They don't say anything, they just disappear and use it. I think it's wierd but as long as you remember those boundaries, it is up to you.

Katina,

I live in a home without a Masterbedroom.

Most of the time it doesn't bother me.

It's only when I am being given a tour of someone elses house and we walk into their Master suit that my heart imagines how wonderful it would be.

Only you know the answer to this one. How long are you planning to be in your home? Is not having a Masterbedroom going to affect you -- daily, monthly, occasionally or not at all?

All it takes is being honest with yourself.
With my whole heart,
C.

Loving Connections LLC
Care enough to give your whole heart

Personally, I think having a master bedroom is important. At least in my family it is where everyone hangs out at night and goes through the nightly routine and it would be very cramped without the size of a MB. And when the fam isn't in there it's nice to have a bigger space that's all your own. I hope you find the right house :)

I agree with a few others that have posted. My husband and I are both architects who live in a modest home that meets our needs just perfectly. We do not have a master bedroom. Our particular home is mid-century in Central Denver. It does come down to the age of your home and neighborhood to determine whether resale would be affected by having / not having a master suite. Short of a pop-top (adding second level to home) or an addition to an existing home, in Central Denver a master suite is unheard of, and would not be expected by a potential buyer. We have a small house, which suites our family perfectly. It's a great nest, and is efficient and affordable. I think people get wrapped up in the "McMansion" and don't stop to think about what it is that would really serve them well. Now, on the contrary, if you're proposed new home is in Highland's Ranch or the equivalent...then I would assume a Master Suite is an absolute must, as most that purchase in those developments expect "more for their money". (Note: the concept of "more" is relative to each individual.) Can you provide more information on your new home such as location & date it was constructed?

K. - I think it is important from a resale standpoint that your home has a master bedroom. I also think from a personal family standpoint that you can retain some of your privacy. I am a realtor that works with a lot of families and first time homebuyers. What areas were you looking in? Let me know if you have any market related questions or area related questions. I am happy to help out. Have a great day.

K.

We just bought a home and after living in 4 different places a master bedroom was #1 on my list. We turned down lots of homes because they didn't have a master bedroom. And I am glad we did. I LOVE the master bedroom. It is sooo great esp as your little ones get older (meaning like 2 years) you will be glad for it. We held out (it wasn't long, just more looking) and now we have the house with everything we wanted with a great master bedroom. If you only have one little one right now don't let the # of rooms tempt you, make sure you are getting the things you want.

Although I would say a master suite is a MUST eventually, I would consider other things about the house first. Is it in a good location? How big is the lot size? Is the school district good? I think many people make the mistake of buying the "house" when you're actually buying the "life in that location". If all other things about the house are good, I would go ahead and purchase it. A house can always be modified (like taking two of those other bedrooms and converting them to a master suite), so if you fall in love with the neighborhood and lot, I would seriously consider it. Go online and do some research about what remodeling costs are in your area so you can factor that into whether you can afford the property after doing those changes. If you're the type that balks at remodeling projects and don't want to do any, I would NOT buy that house. You really gotta have a master suite, especially with kids (who will someday be gross teenagers!). I really can't imagine having to share a bathroom with my kids or guests!

Is there potential to add on a master bath and some extra square footage to create a master suite? Our current home has a master with VERY small bathroom but I would not live in a home without it. It is our bathroom and just too convienent to pass up.

If the home is 100% what you want except it doesn't have a master then you can weigh the pros and cons and decide if you can live without it.

Good luck!

If it is a long term home that you will plan to "add on" & remodel, then yes....otherwise NO WAY!

Hi!

Think about resale. When you buy a house, ask yourself, will this house be difficult to sell? I think a house without a master bedroom would be difficult to sell. I would not buy it.
Thats my humble opinion.

A.