adding bedrooms

[ddan]

Hi...

I am currently looking at a 2br house which has a rather intersting layout, I definately know I can make it into a 3br, but there seems to be potential for a 4th or 5th bdr's.

I have not ventured down this path before, but have done cosmetic reno's before.

Can you guys highlight/elaborate some of the things I need to think about? ie council (is perm reqd?), asbestos (its fibro house - how do i know if it has asbestos), costs involved, anything else?? etc.

Thanks!

 

[laurieload]

We've done it before and never needed council approval. We did it ourselves and it wasn't too hard - just stud walls and door frames, cheap doors from bunnings, plasterboard, plastering and painting. We got an electrician to install another light and powerpoint per room at the frame stage which wasn't much $from memory. I don't think it would cost much for a competent handyman to do it for you if you'd rather not do it yourself. Biggest potential issue for us was working in with existing windows.

Although I have never done it, asbestos can be tested in the mail for $100 http://news.domain.com.au/domain/blogs/talking-property/how-to-test-for-asbestos-20121030-28h41.html

 

[Propertunity]

I am currently looking at a 2br house which has a rather intersting layout, I definately know I can make it into a 3br, but there seems to be potential for a 4th or 5th bdr's.

Convert from 2brm to 3brm adds value.
Convert from 3brm to 4brm (if you can get a 2nd WC in somewhere into the house) adds value.
5th brm - not so much.

 

[wylie]

Convert from 2brm to 3brm adds value.
Convert from 3brm to 4brm (if you can get a 2nd WC in somewhere into the house) adds value.
5th brm - not so much.

And to add to that, in Coorparoo, we moved a front door to enable the long-ago window enclosed front verandah to become a bedroom. That made the house four bedrooms but the agent who looked at it to give us an appraisal made the comment that the original third bedroom was so small that he would not want to advertise it as a bedroom, but wanted to call it a study.

His other comment was that potential tenants seeing a four bedroom house advertised mostly expected four proper bedrooms, but more importantly, would be expecting two separate living rooms. Our house doesn't have that but has one large combined lounge/dining and a huge deck (which, with Queensland's climate, almost makes up for the lack of a second living area).

When the current tenants leave, we are thinking of turning the tiny original third bedroom into a small second bathroom to give us three good sized bedrooms and two bathrooms. I think the cost of doing this will bring in enough rent to cover the cost of doing it.

We could also close in part of the back deck with a new kitchen and make the kitchen a bedroom onto the deck - to be honest there are a few too many options and I get analysis paralysis when I head down this "what should I do" track.

 

[marg4000]

Just ensure that the living area space matches the number of bedrooms. We inspected a house once that had 4 bedrooms, but the 4th had been carved from the living area which left a tiny space for living, completely out of proportion to a 4 bed home.
Marg

 

[ddan]

ok so I can add a 3rd bedroom quite easily.

Adding the 4th will also enable me to add an ensuite making the place a 2bath

The 5th is not so much reqd. I havent seen the place yet, am seeing it on the w.e. So everything ive conjured up is from looking at the plan, needless to say all this might be out the window when I inspect.

In your experience, transforming a 2bed 1 bth to a 4bed 2 bath, what sort of jump in price can I expect?

 

[ddan]

Also is there a way to figure out when the place was built? does it state it anywhere in the contract? Trying to figure this out so I'll have an idea abt potential asbestos issues

 

[wylie]

Also is there a way to figure out when the place was built? does it state it anywhere in the contract? Trying to figure this out so I'll have an idea abt potential asbestos issues

Can you tell by the style? Most fibro houses are chockablock full of asbestos inside and out in my experience.

 

[ddan]

yeh thats what im thinking, would be good to know when it was built.

 

[ddan]

I got a detailed report from APM, and the earliest listing it has is 31st August 1990 private treaty, would this be an indicator of around when it was built?

 

[Propertunity]

I got a detailed report from APM, and the earliest listing it has is 31st August 1990 private treaty, would this be an indicator of around when it was built?

No it would not. It may, but it may also be that APM only has records going back to 1990.

 

[Propertunity]

Also is there a way to figure out when the place was built?

Ring the council and ask.

 

[ddan]

Ah yep good thinking...haha

thanks

 

[Decimator4000]

Can someone tell me the legalities of turning a 3 bedroom to a 4 bedroom house when selling?

Does council need to know, to allow the real estate agency to advertise it as a 4 bedroom place, or does it just need to fall within the council guidelines?

I was thinking of making my baby Queenslander's downstairs laundry into a bedroom and moving the laundry outside under the house. Is this legal/a good idea?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Angel]

In your experience, transforming a 2bed 1 bth to a 4bed 2 bath, what sort of jump in price can I expect?

No-one can answer that question unless we know something about the location and the demographics.

 

[Singo]

To add a bedroom, one will need council approval. Even patios has to be approved, rooms definitely.

Probably one can build without approval, but when it comes to selling...

 

[laurieload]

Can someone tell me the legalities of turning a 3 bedroom to a 4 bedroom house when selling?

Does council need to know, to allow the real estate agency to advertise it as a 4 bedroom place, or does it just need to fall within the council guidelines?

I was thinking of making my baby Queenslander's downstairs laundry into a bedroom and moving the laundry outside under the house. Is this legal/a good idea?

Thanks in advance.

I think you are supposed to tell council before selling as it changes use within the property. However we did this several years ago for a dodgy original 2bed in Qld. REA then advertised it as 3bed but house was flooded before selling so not sure if we would have had council issues with searches later. (Sold it back to council for pre flood prices, yay.) I think the council would have had their work cut out enforcing works in that area though as everyone had illegal bits and structures added/incorporated into their houses.

Also a the time (not sure if still valid) you couldn't do a bedroom underneath the house if in 100yr flood zone, but laundry, rumpus etc was ok. But you might like sleeping in your rumpus up to the point you sell of course.

Some friends also enclosed a verandah to make 2 more 'bedrooms' but REA wouldn't advertise is as such when selling because it was under a sloping roof line. Was instead advertised as "could be used as bedroom", study etc.

These threads have useful info http://somersoft.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76973

http://www.propertyinvesting.com/forums/property-investing/value-adding/4330953

and

conversely this has interesting reading about council
http://www.brw.com.au/p/sections/property/why_council_rules_can_stop_renovators_9MVB7RAly37qbcAvp1FlfN

You could also ring the council and ask in general terms (not mentioning the prop address)