Advice needed for resale value of an SFR: 3BR/1BA or 2BR/2BA?????

Question

I have an SFR in San Francisco that I'm thinking of selling, but needs a little work. It has 3BR and 1 small bathroom. I'm thinking of converting the third bedroom into a nice, large bathroom, making the house into a 2BR/2BA.

Do you have any thoughts if this is a good idea or have better resale value?

Puri Indah · Answer

Thank you all for feedback - makes lots of sense to keep all the bedrooms as they are.

Another question: That small bathroom only has a shower stall, no bathtub.  Do you think we should add/replace the shower with a shower over tub

And we did think of @Carolina Solorzano's idea to combine it with the closet next to the bathroom (funny that you said that as if you've seen the house! :)), it just creates more work including getting a permit vs. resurfacing the current bathroom.

Amit M. · Answer

A 3rd Bedroom is better than a se one bath. Ask local realtors too

Carolina Solorzano · Answer

Never get rid of a bedroom, it automatically ads value to your property. Like @Amit M. just said, ask any realtor. Any chance you can possibly add more space to the bathroom by taking a small chunk from a closet or another area?

Ramsin Jacob · Answer

@Puri Indah

Definitely do not reduce the bedroom count from 3 to 2.  That's working backwards.  99% of people are looking for ways to add a bedroom, not remove one.  If anything, if you have common areas that are large which you feel is excessive, I would suggest adding a 2nd bathroom.  Of course I have no clue about the house as I write this, just making a general suggestion.  I work with hundreds of investors and close lots of fix/flip deals per year.  Have done a deal myself as well.  If you would like any specific advice to your property, a in-depth analysis of the value or just a general discussion, feel free to send me an email and we can set up a time to chat.  Thanks.

Trevar Oneill · Answer

@Puri Indah I think having a shower over tub would be your best bet for the smaller bathroom. According to trulia,”a full bath or 4/4 bath has a sink, toilet, shower and tub. A bathroom that has a shower over the tub is considered a full bath as long as there is also a sink and a toilet.”

Good luck!

Darius Ogloza · Answer

Is your buyer a couple with children of different genders or a childless couple that wants a shared office space but wants separate his/her baths?  You can never know for sure who is looking to buy at any moment but analyzing local demographics is a good first step toward resolving this kind of issue.  My default is to leave the property as is but to show (through e.g., construction bids, architectural plans, planning letters) that conversion to a more desired set-up is possible

Advice needed for resale value of an SFR: 3BR/1BA or 2BR/2BA?????

Most Popular Reply