Best bedroom options for remodel?

[joelpat]

I guess this could go in architecture or real estate, but I'm wondering what people are demanding from urban homes these days.

We are planning for a major remodel in the next year. The house is almost 100 years old and in a quiet neighborhood in NE DC. Demand is pretty strong for this neighborhood, it's known as one of the best kept secrets in the city. When we bought the house, it was appraised at about $400k. We are going to put from $50-125k into it, and hope to get around $700k out of it in 2009 when we leave DC.

Currently the house has 5 bedrooms and 2 baths.
-4 are about 11'x11' with 3'x3' closets.
-1 is only about 9.5'x11' with no closet.
-Both baths are small, only about 6'x8'.

Plan 1
-Keep 3 of the current smallish BRs
-merge the small BR with a larger one for a 16'x11' BR with a walk in closet.
That leaves us with 4 total BR's. The master + 3 smallish rooms. It also leaves us with two small baths that don't really meet modern demands.


Plan 2
Make the upstairs a Master suite with 1 BR (11'x14'), large closet (11'x11') and bath (10'x11'). This would leave us with only 2 other bedrooms, each 11'x11'.

So, which would be the better play for a fairly large house in an urban neighborhood?

*4 bedrooms (one med/large, 3 smallish)with 2 small baths.

-or-

*3 bedrooms (one modern and large, 2 others smallish) and 2 modern baths (1 large, 1 small).

[roger g]

Different areas demand different things. If your area is attracting retired people then make it user friendly for them rather than yuppies. You gotta know your market. If you know you will be moving in 2009 why wouldn't you wait and re-do the house just prior to selling. I never understand some people (not pointing at you) spend thousands of dollars on house on things that they particularly didn't care for one way or another but only for resale then live in the house for years. Then when they sell the house with all the things they only put in for resale all that stuff is dated already.
Wait until about a year before you sell than jaz up the place with lots of "eye candy" stuff and it will be an almost new home. I've seen people who sell their house and will paint the rooms any colour the new owner wants.
Again, know your market(buyers).


roger

[joelpat]

We're doing the work now because the house is a fixer upper and I don't feel like living in a dump for 3 more years.

[Lem Motlow]

400K dump? :shock:

[joelpat]

Welcome to the DC market.

It's not really a dump, but it was a group home for a number of years, and it needs some pretty considerable cosmetic work. The kitchen and bathrooms are pretty bad too.

[selcome]

I have heard this about the dc market. I like Plan 2.