Is it possible to add extra bedroom in 3b house before selling?

We got 5.7m X 3.7m rumpus area where we want to add additional 4th bedroom to our 40yrs old 3b house. Wondering if it's doable? What is the general procedure? Do I have to seek approval from council? Do I have to pay any big amount to for this process? Guessing the room itself will cost about $20k (?)

Basically I am trying to see if we add 4th bedroom before selling the house it will likely fetch extra 50 to 100k based on current sold similar properties in local area.

Thanks guys

 

Have you got a floor plan?

 

What needs to be done to convert from a rumpus room to a bedroom?

if it’s just adding a non load bearing wall and a door then it won’t cost much.

How many other living areas does the house have?

Also, buyers may see the rumpus room and think that they could convert it in future - so the possibility of conversion could be a selling point without you doing anything.

 

For a 3 bed house, i think buyers will notice that its just a converted rumpus. They might think no living space as opposed to, oo 4th bedroom.

 

It costs very little to put a partition wall in, if that's all that's needed, however a floor plan would help to see if there are other living areas & if the rumpus is in a logical place to make a bedroom out of part of it.

 

You would be surprised by how little some people think.

 

Thanks guys, there is enough living space and other 3 are decent size bedrooms, so we are pretty much thinking of adding just a wall/partition in the rumpus area.

With such change/alteration do you think we can advertise our house as 4b during sale? Or we need to officially make it 4b by completing any formalities from council side?

 

Will the new room have adequate light and ventilation? in other words, are the windows already in the correct places or will you have to add and move windows. If so, then council will need to be involved.

 

There are no regs about the number of bedrooms assuming they meet the requirements for ventilation and light as @Angel as noted.

I remember many years ago visiting a friend in their rented room in inner city Sydney. The slum landlord had built the dividing wall down the middle of the built in bed when he partitioned up the property, and my first room after leaving home was a 150cm wide covered in terrace ($5 per week).

 

Thanks guys, the room has good ventilation and light.

So if I understood it correctly, if there is a need to make any additional changes for a adequatelight and ventilation then only we need to approach to council?

Can I advertise it as 4b house when trying to sell or rent out?

 

You must not completely rely on comments from strangers on a forum. Please confirm with your local council - search their website and if still not sure, make a phone call. You do not have to give them your exact address.

 

So long as it complies, then yes.

 

When we did this many years ago council did not care what we call the room, there only requirements was.
1 No structural changes required
2. The room met the requirements for Opening windows, Ceiling heights, entry door size, natural light and I think there was a Min size requirement as well.
3. We had a wall installed with the door, some cornice and carpet and bingo a 5th bedroom.

 

I'll just put it out there - I'm not 100% sure of it, so you will have to check in NSW if anything similar exists.

But I believe in VIC there is a rule that for a room to be considered a bedroom, it must have a cupboard built within it - the cupboard may have minimum requirements, I'm not sure.

Otherwise, the room is considered a study.

 

I doubt that could true.

Built-in wardrobes only became common in the 1970s. We built our first house in 1974 (Qld) and only had built-in cupboards in the main bedroom. We had free-standing wardrobes in the other two bedrooms.

 

I’d be surprised if this is correct - in fact I think it is highly unlikely.

 

I believe you are mistaken.

 

I may be mistaken here, but my two data points were when we were looking for a 4 bedroom home (new established).

1. We walked into one place and the vendor had 'disguised' the threatre room as a bedroom; claiming it was the 4th bedroom (had a window and door). Our agent said it couldn't be a bedroom as it did not have a cupboard (and was clearly a theatre room).

2. We inspected another place which had a study (study also had a window and a door). The selling agent was claiming the study as the 4th bedroom. But again, our agent said that wasn't the case claiming the cupboard comment (and again, clearly a study with a desk).

 

Typically a change to a room function may requires approval and a revised occupancy certificate and this can vary a bit. Gyprock and a door wont cost more than $2K but the flooring may add further. Built in may add another $1K depending on size. I would also be discussing this proposal with an agent. They may find the living spaces inadequate for a 4 bedder and so the expected $50-$100K higher value is not going to happen and the house is then a problem to sell. 4 beds are a family home and families will want space and expect 2 - 2.5 bathrooms min.