Did you know that the value of homeowners’ holdings in their homes climbed by $2.65 trillion, or 13%, from March last year to March 2021?
There are many different types of home renovation projects. So, how do you decide between redesigning your kitchen and installing hardwood floors? How to turn a den into a bedroom, and would that enhance the value of your home?
Suppose you need an extra bedroom for visitors, family, or just because you want to list your property with another bedroom. In that case, you can get one without going through the time, effort, and high cost of building a room addition. If you have a den in your house, you can easily convert it into a bedroom in no time.
Converting a den into a bedroom can add value to your home. This tutorial will show you how to turn a den into a bedroom.
Table of Contents
What Is the Difference Between a Den And a Bedroom?
Have you wondered what makes a Den and what makes a bedroom? First, let’s look at the difference between these two rooms.
What Is a Den?
A Den is a room in a house where people can engage in private activities.
The type of rooms described by the term ‘den’ in America varies significantly by region. It can refer to various extra rooms, such as a family room, a library, a TV room, a games room, or a guest bedroom.
In certain places, particularly in the United Kingdom, a small den is a snug.
While living rooms are typically used to entertain guests formally, dens, like other family rooms, lean toward the more casual.
What Is a Bedroom?
A bedroom is a room in a house that is designated for sleeping purposes. One or two beds are typical in a western bedroom. A crib for a baby, a single or twin bed for a toddler, child, teenager, or single adult, bigger sizes for couples, a clothes closet, and a bedside table and dressing table, all of which usually contain drawers, are all examples of furnishings within a bedroom.
How to Turn a Den Into a Bedroom
Here’s a straightforward method to do a den conversion into a full bedroom without having to contend with building permits or cleaning up a huge mess.
Converting a living space into a bedroom increases the amount of living space available in your home, generally without the need for any structural alterations. In addition, upon completion, your home will be valued a little more since, even though you will sacrifice communal area space, you will gain a usable bedroom.
The First Step Is to Completely Empty the Den
The first step in transforming a den into a bedroom is to entirely remove everything from the room, such as:
- All furniture
- All wall pictures
- All machines, be it coffee machines or popcorn makers, we mean everything
- All carpets and mats
- Curtaining, blinds, and the like
The idea is to start with a completely empty room. Then, removing everything from the room will not only give you space to work but will protect that stuff you may want to re-use from becoming dirty and grimy from the renovation dust and debris.
Adding a Closet to an Existing Wall
A closet is, by description, a small space used for storage. A wardrobe is most commonly used in a bedroom to store clothes and other small personal items.
There are several ways to add storage space to your new bedroom. When turning a den into a bedroom, these are some choices for closets:
- Purchasing or re-purposing a freestanding clothes cupboard
- Install a built-in wardrobe
- Choose an open closet
- frame out a new closet
Adding a closet will depend on the amount of space you have available, the sum of money you wish to spend, and whether or not you require a permanent or temporary solution for your needs.
Remember, it doesn’t have to be enormous; it only needs to be large enough to give a small amount of hanging space and shelving.
In Europe, built-in closets are less common than in North America. Therefore, in Europe, there is greater use of standalone cupboards, wardrobes, or armoires.
If you have opted to install your own built-in closet, you can hang drywall to close it off. The final step is to hang a closet door and finish off with paint to match the walls.
Install a Door For Privacy
Bedrooms typically have a door for privacy. Most bedroom doors are lockable from the inside. An entry will need to be installed to give privacy and convert the space into a bedroom. You can utilize virtually any type, which allows you to seal off the room completely.
Use Furnishings to Complete Your Bedroom Design
A person’s bedroom reflects their individuality, social status, and socioeconomic status and is different for each person.
Certain items, however, are found in the majority of bedrooms:
- Bed sets to hold mattresses off the floor
- Mattresses to match the bed sets
- Nightstands near or on each side of the bed. These are used to store various items such as alarm clocks or small night lamps
There are other optional items that can finish off a bedroom, but many of these are a matter of choice.
A television set in a bedroom is also fairly common. Did you know that 43% of American children from ages 3 to 4 have a television in their bedrooms? In addition to televisions, many bedrooms today have:
- Personal computers
- Video game consoles
- Study or work desk
In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, the bedroom became a more social environment. As a result, people began to spend significantly more time in their bedrooms than in the past.
Does Turning a Den Into a Bedroom Increase the Value of My Home?
A second bedroom always adds value to a home. Nevertheless, even real estate brokers must observe specific rules when describing a room as a bedroom.
While there is no national requirement for a bedroom, agents must follow a code of ethics when marketing a home. Also, this code of ethics confines the agent to the same bedroom description implied by the national and local construction codes, which includes two exits.
Also, this code of ethics confines the agent to the same bedroom description implied by the national and local construction codes, which includes two exits. A bedroom in real estate has a closed door, a window, and a closet. The closet requirement is a bedroom characteristic relating to comfort and lifestyle rather than safety.
In older homes built before bedrooms usually contained closets or a bedroom that has had its door removed, the lack of a national standard leaves some grey areas. The way an agent treats these confusing details may differ by agent or state. One thing is certain: buyers are willing to spend more for a home with more bedrooms, which encourages sellers and agents to design as many bedrooms as possible.
The same bedroom criteria apply to property assessors: it must contain a door, a closet, and an escape window. Therefore, it is in the best benefit of homeowners, sellers, and purchasers to understand the subtle bedroom definition distinctions between safety/builder and real estate/home value, as well as their state and municipal guidelines.
All else being equal, adding a second or third bedroom increases the value of your home the most. According to the data, adding a third bedroom can result in a 6.2 percent increase in the median home’s value. This equates to a $19,813 increase in monetary value.
It is not just that square footage is more expensive because adding living space adds value; it is more likely that adding a bedroom is more valued in denser metro areas. So, it comes down to depending on where you live. An additional bedroom could add significant value to your home.
Go Ahead With Your Den Conversion, It Will Be Worth It!
The first thing that comes to mind for most people is whether or not it is possible to convert a living room into a bedroom. To put it bluntly, the answer is yes.
It is possible to significantly enhance the value of a home by making the most of existing space. For example, adding additional bedrooms raises the worth of their homes without having to pay for an extension and instead by making the most out of existing space in a property. Increasing the value of your home is something that any homeowner, regardless of their financial situation, can do.
Although having a den may seem desirable, the number of bedrooms is the figure purchasers pay the most attention to when it comes to adding worth. So, converting a room into a bedroom will result in the most significant increase in value.
We hope that we have answered the question, how to turn a den into a bedroom and to help you to maximize your property value when you come to sell!
Are you building or renovating rooms? Look for inspiration and tips on our page!