In 2019, we began a home addition. Every contractor who looked at our plan told us to make a tradeoff to allow for a fourth bedroom. We persisted, as we were doing this for ourselves rather than future buyers.
In 2020 and 2021, we're absolutely loving that we went for our home office plan instead of that bedroom. We knew we wanted it but had no idea how much we would need it!
Sometimes the trade off is as simple as making sure an office could “legally” be considered a bedroom - usually an egress window and/or something that’s arguably a closet (in some areas).
It can be worth doing those (or leaving them able to be done) for sale and valuation purposes.
Alternatively, when buying, look for those things that can’t be counted as a bedroom for bonus value (basement office, etc).
In our case, it was hallway access and layout but you're missing the larger point: there is no resale in our future here. If this house is being sold, it's because we're both dead and at that point, I don't care. Inflating value could only increase our prop taxes, why do that?
And just for a funny addendum, right now, Boston home buyers have only one requirement: a home to buy. The market is insane on a level never heard of before. All contingencies are waived. No home inspection is allowed. During Covid, you had 15 minutes to look over a house and you needed to make an offer that day or tomorrow at the latest. Your offer also needs to be $50-100k over asking to be taken seriously.
> Boston home buyers have only one requirement: a home to buy.
Not in my experience. In my building 4 of 6 units have been sold in the past year. All of them sold below or at original purchase price 2 years ago when it was new construction.
From what I hear things are different outside Boston, but in Boston it seems like a lot of new construction is going unsold and units are staying on the market for months.
In 2020 and 2021, we're absolutely loving that we went for our home office plan instead of that bedroom. We knew we wanted it but had no idea how much we would need it!