Is a 8x13 fourth bedroom too small?

[Anonymous]

Imagine that you are building a small new home in a close in neighborhood where small homes and small bedrooms are common. Imagine that a potential plan calls for 3 good-sized bedrooms (and 2 bathrooms) upstairs, including a large master bedroom and a sitting room, but that you could make some minor changes and keep the 3 bd while adding a small 4th bedroom -- 8x13 -- while getting rid of the sitting room. Given that you already have 3 beds, would including such a small 4 bd be a plus? Neutral? Or a minus?

The basement would have an additional guest bedroom at some point in the future.

[Anonymous]

too small for what? What is happening in the 4th bedroom?

[Anonymous]

Forgot to say: imagine you have 3 kids, so four bedrooms upstairs would be ideal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:too small for what? What is happening in the 4th bedroom?

The younger (third) kid will use it, until his oldest brother goes to college (I.e. Until the younger kid is 14 years old. If no 4th bedroom, younger kid will have to share a bedroom with middle kid.

[Anonymous]

OP here. By the way, this is just planning. The alternative "don't build that home; you need bigger bedrooms" is an option.

[Anonymous]

I don't see an issue with it. I actually have a sitting room off of my master bedroom and I hate it. Waste of space. I never want to sit by myself in my bedroom (and if I do, I normally just sit in bed and read, not on the sitting room couches).

So I vote wholeheartedly for the 4th bedroom!!! I would prefer anything over the sitting room.

[Anonymous]

Measure it out in a room. Where will the door swing open? Where will the dresser go? Or the closet door swing?

The 8' measurement is what would really concern me. As a buyer I would view that as a nursery or an office.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Measure it out in a room. Where will the door swing open? Where will the dresser go? Or the closet door swing?

The 8' measurement is what would really concern me. As a buyer I would view that as a nursery or an office.

Thanks. If I were to do this, I would install double pocket doors along the 13' wall, so a next owner can use it as a non-bedroom if the doors are open.

[Anonymous]

You don't need anything. Plenty of families in this world live in a house smaller than that room. Even within the DCUM world, there are plenty of us (including my family) who have two children sharing bedrooms about that size. (Actually the shared bedroom is about 9 x 15.) My childhood room was smaller than that, and my college dorm room was even smaller.

Of course, you have to decide your priorities in terms of cost and location, but I personally would find that house mansion-like.

[Anonymous]

^^ and large closet would be at the end of the 13', so closet double door swing is not an issue.

[Anonymous]

It's bigger than my youngest's bedroom. So, no- it isn't too small.

[Anonymous]

I lived in an 8x10 dorm room. It was fine. I would certainly take a 4th bedroom over a sitting room, especially if you have a third kid!

[Anonymous]

It's bigger than my daughter's bedroom! Her room would be the ideal walk-in closet had it not had 2 lovely windows.

Please do a 4th bedroom - every child will have their room plus you will add value to your house.

[Anonymous]

I think sitting rooms are a waste of space. When would I use that?

[Anonymous]

I think that 8 by 13 is fine. Plenty of options for that kind of space. It wouldn't be a problem for me. The more bedrooms the better.