Should I build out the 1/2 bath in the basement?

Question

I just closed on a property near Dineen Park in Milwaukee WI. It is a 3 bedroom 1 bath. The turnkey company I purchased it from is going to fix it up in preparation to rent it out. My plan is to hold on to it for many years.

It has a second bathroom in the basement that has been tiled over. The plumbing is there, but the previous owner turned it into a closet.

My question is: Should I pay extra to have the 1/2 bathroom in the basement turned back into a bathroom or should I just leave it as a closet? The company hasn't come back to me yet with a quote to turn it back into a bathroom. They say they would need to re-tile as well as put in the toilet and vanity.

Any thoughts on how much it would generally cost to rebuild a 1/2 bath and how much extra I might get for rent?

Thanks,

Don Jackson

Ramon Jenkins · Answer

I personally do not care for basement bathrooms.

Could you provide purchase price, renovation cost, monthly potential rental income, and etc?

Don Jackson · Answer

Just to finish up this thread for anyone who's looking at it later - It turns out the toilet and vanity were in the bathroom already. The room needed a few repairs and re-installation of the fixtures. It only cost me an extra $275 to get things in working order, so I paid up it's up for rent now as a 1 and 1/2 bath house.

Thanks for all of your help.

Don Jackson · Answer

Looks like there's not a real consensus on this. I'll first get a quote from my rehab guys, then see how much extra in rent I can expect. I'll post the info here in case anyone is interested.

Thanks for your feedback.

Nathan Schoenborn · Answer

I agree with Jenkins. Is it a finished basement? If not, it usually just turns into a closet with a toilet and sink in it. If you were going to sell it right away to a homeowner, it might be worth it but for the extra $50 (maybe) in rent, I wouldn't do it.

Charlie DiLisio · Answer

5000 is my guesstimate depending if it is a standard size 5x8 for labor and material. ii would definitely do it for sure.

Svetlana Foley · Answer

Adding a bathroom would also add to appreciation for pulling equity out and resale value, as long as the costs are reasonable

Russell Naylor · Answer

Can't imagine that would cost more than a couple grand. I'm with @Jd Martin, if it's a usable space then I would look into it as it'd be added value and selling point to a renter.

JD Martin · Answer

If the bathroom was working and the plumbing was in good shape, that sounds like a win to me. Second bathrooms almost always add value, far more than a closet. If you're only talking about changing out some tile and installing a toilet & vanity, and it's in a usable space (i.e. is the basement finished?), I would probably do it if the cost wasn't exorbitant.

Should I build out the 1/2 bath in the basement?

Should I build out the 1/2 bath in the basement?

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