Anonymous wrote:Check your local regs but 700 sq ft is often the minimum for just a bedroom, not the laundry and all else too.

Wtf? No where requires 700 Sq ft bedrooms. That's idiotic. 700 Sq ft could fit 3 bedrooms and a full bath.

In a locality where such a townhouse (1400 sqft) would sell for $600K without doing much about the basement, what would the resale price be if the 700 sqft basement is renovated with a full bath (small sized) and recess lights by putting in $40K?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Check your local regs but 700 sq ft is often the minimum for just a bedroom, not the laundry and all else too.

What? How can that possible be true? 700 square feet is a whole floor of a DC row house.

Probably he is thinking of 70.

Anonymous wrote:SMH.

700sq ft is A LOT.

The IRC requires a floor area of not less than 70 square feet and I believe a wall cannot be less than 7ft in any horizontal direction.

There are other requirements for a bedroom such as two egress points that meet code, ceiling height requirement, window height and size, and hvac. DONT be fooled by a realtor - the IRC does not require a closet for a room to be considered a bedroom.

Anonymous wrote:Check your local regs but 700 sq ft is often the minimum for just a bedroom, not the laundry and all else too.

There are two different definitions of bedroom, for two different purposes. The building code, the IRC, has rules that apply to rooms intended for sleeping, like smoke detectors and egress. Realtors and appraisers have definitions of a bedroom that are used when you sell or refinance a house, realtors aren't allowed to list on MLS bedrooms that don't meet those standards. The second is where the whole "it's not a bedroom without a closet" thing comes from.

You're allowed to make the rooms in your house any shape you want, and you're allowed to sleep in any room of the house if that makes you happy. "Intended for sleeping" is in the eye of the inspector, and it's typically where conflict arises.

Anonymous wrote:Are there houses in your neighborhood that appear to be the same size? Ask the neighbors if you can see their space or look at some open houses for ideas. Could you wall off the laundry area? Personally, I wouldn’t break the bank for a basement, but would prefer a room with duel duty. Think pull out sofa or desk for a home office and some storage.

Great idea. Going to look for open houses to get ideas. Hiring an interior designer will break the bank.

All depends on where you are.

We finished our 700 sq ft basement in our 1920s row home in 2016. Got a laundry closet, bedroom, 3/4 bath, family room, office and walk in storage closet. Obviously everything is tiny, but that is the reality of small row home living. It cost us 40k back then.

The real issue is ceiling height and any low hanging obstacles. We have a beam and ductwork down the middle where the clearance is 6'3", the rest is 6'8". Having to dig out the basement is expensive and can lead to flooding. Flooding is also a potential problem.

SMH.

700sq ft is A LOT.

The IRC requires a floor area of not less than 70 square feet and I believe a wall cannot be less than 7ft in any horizontal direction.

There are other requirements for a bedroom such as two egress points that meet code, ceiling height requirement, window height and size, and hvac. DONT be fooled by a realtor - the IRC does not require a closet for a room to be considered a bedroom.

Anonymous wrote:Check your local regs but 700 sq ft is often the minimum for just a bedroom, not the laundry and all else too.

If you don’t want to finish the basement then put a bed with trundle in one room for the kids to room together when visitors are in town and let the visitors use the open bedroom.

Anonymous wrote:We did this project over several years pre COVID and it was 15K for the egress window and fire alarm wiring but we already had the bedroom dry walled with carpet. The bathroom was 10K. So I don't see how you'd do drywall, flooring, etc for 30K, but maybe.

I will say that not any window will do for egress and ours required a ladder out to be compliant

We did this project over several years pre COVID and it was 15K for the egress window and fire alarm wiring but we already had the bedroom dry walled with carpet. The bathroom was 10K. So I don't see how you'd do drywall, flooring, etc for 30K, but maybe.