When answering the question of how many bedrooms your dream home needs, it’s helpful to know what the average is across the United States. The answer is three. The average home in the US has three bedrooms.
However, that doesn’t mean that that’s the right number of bedrooms for you. Kids, pets, and work. They’re all important aspects of our lives, and they each come with their own set of needs.
But when it comes time to buy a home, how do you balance those needs against your budget? Do you go for the four-bedroom house that’s within your price range, or do you sacrifice some square footage in order to have enough room for a family and Fido?
If you’re not sure whether or not you need two, three, four, or more bedrooms, read on – we’ll help you figure it out.
What to Consider When Building a Custom Home
When designing a custom home layout, it’s important to consider a few factors. While most homeowners design for their current family and needs, if this is going to be your forever home then you’re going to want to think ahead years into the future.
Consider the following factors to help you figure out how many bedrooms your next home should have and how big your home should be.
What Is the Current Size of Your Family?
Obviously, the most important aspect of determining the number of bedrooms needed is the current size of your family.
You’ll want to make sure there’s enough room for everyone to live comfortably. That means taking into account the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and other living spaces you’ll need.
You’ll also want to think about the future, and whether you might need more space down the road. If you have young children, you might want to consider building a home with a finished basement that can be used as a playroom or extra bedroom.
Will Your Kids Share Bedrooms?
Then, consider whether or not it makes sense for your children to share bedrooms now or in the future. Depending on the bedroom design or layout that you choose for each room, you might have to make a decision regarding space.
For example, if you opted to build a home with a finished basement as mentioned above, you are able to comfortably section off that room to create a bit of a separate bedroom for one, two, or even three children.
But is that feasible for you and your family? Think about the ages and personalities of your children. Sharing a room isn’t for every child, and sometimes it can even cause problems.
Consider these questions before deciding on the layout of your custom home. Then, consider whether or not your family will grow.
Will Your Family Grow?
We know that this is hard to plan ahead for! However, if you’re planning on this home being your forever home then it’s something you’ll absolutely need to take into consideration. If you plan on having more children, then you need to think about bedrooms.
While this might not mean building additional bedrooms, it could mean building a playroom that you can eventually use as a bedroom and then transition back to a playroom or media room once the kids have moved out of the house.
Likewise, consider whether or not your parents or other family members might move in sometime in the future. In this case, you might need to expand your idea of bedrooms into building an entire mother-in-law suite that can cater to a couple of parents.
Are You Interested in Flex Space?
Flex spaces are rooms in a house that can be used for multiple purposes. For example, a flex space might be a bedroom that can also be used as an office or a playroom.
Additionally, flex spaces are often located near the entryway of a home so that they can be used as a mudroom or a place to store coats and shoes.
In some cases, flex spaces are designed to be multipurpose from the start, with walls that can be easily reconfigured to create different rooms. For example, a flex space might have movable partitions that can be used to create separate rooms for working, relaxing, or sleeping.
Does this sound interesting to you? They’re great options for growing or multigenerational families these days. They’re becoming increasingly popular in new homes as they provide homeowners with maximum flexibility and utility.
If you’re not sure how many bedrooms your new custom home might need now, consider incorporating flex space into the custom design layout to help ensure you’ll have space to play with in the future if you need it.
Will You Sell This Home in the Future?
If this home isn’t going to be your forever home then you’re going to want to think about the resale value of the property in the future. If you live in an area with lots of families, for example, and a great school district then you might want to consider adding more bedrooms.
This is because larger families will be able to purchase the home later and accommodate all of their kiddos. This will not only make it easier for you to sell the home later but it will also increase the resale value.
According to Homelight, in a housing market like Dallas, for example, adding a bedroom could increase a home’s value by an additional $24,800. That’s quite a sizable increase for just one bedroom!
If you’re considering this, though, consider the overall costs. While you might be able to get an additional $20-30,000 for having that extra bedroom, make sure it’s not going to increase the building costs by more than that.
Look at Bedroom Ideas for Inspiration
Based on the factors above, have you been able to figure out how many bedrooms you need in your new home? Great! Now, before heading to your contractor’s office and letting them know, take time to look at bedroom ideas for inspiration.
This is also helpful if you’re still undecided on the number of bedrooms you want or need.
For example, if you think you need four bedrooms to accommodate yourself and three kids, take a look at large bedroom ideas to see if it might make sense to have your children split one room.
Based on the bedroom ideas you see, you might find that it’s quite feasible and trendy to set up a partition in the room to help give each child some privacy.
On the other hand, if you’re thinking that you don’t want to opt for three separate but smaller bedrooms in your home, take a look at small bedroom ideas. You might find that you’re able to decorate small bedrooms quite easily while also making them feel more spacious. Regardless of the quantity, it’s possible to design a beautiful bedroom in any space.
Think About Bedroom Design Layout
It’s also worth considering the design layout of each of your bedrooms. If you’re short on space, there are unique and creative ways that you can design the layout of a room to help it feel more spacious. This might include raising the ceilings or playing with angles.
The layout of your bedroom furniture can have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of the room. Here are a few things to keep in mind when planning your bedroom design layout:
To get this right, start by deciding where you want your bed to go. This will be the focal point of any room, so it’s important to choose a spot that allows you easy access to the door and any other furniture you need.
Once you’ve decided on the location of the bed, you can start planning the rest of the furniture. Think about how you want to arrange the dresser, nightstand, and other pieces to create a balanced and inviting space.
If there is a lot of extra room to play with, you might find that you can divide that bedroom into two separate, smaller bedrooms.
Keep in mind, though, that walkways should be at least 36 inches wide to allow for easy traffic flow. You don’t want anyone feeling cramped and pathways should be accessible.
Do You Need More Bathrooms?
And, finally, we’d like to answer a super common question we get when homeowners are deciding how many bedrooms to include in their custom home. Do you need the same number of bathrooms as bedrooms in your home?
Not necessarily.
The standard is typically one bathroom for every two bedrooms, but there are pros and cons to this arrangement.
On the plus side, having a dedicated bathroom for each bedroom allows for more privacy and convenience, particularly if the bedrooms are located on different floors of the house.
On the downside, having multiple bathrooms can be costly to maintain and may not be necessary if the house is not that large.
Ultimately, the decision of how many bathrooms to have in a house is a personal one that should be based on the specific needs of the residents.
Design the Home of Your Dreams
Regardless of how many bedrooms you need, it’s still possible to design the home of your dreams. At MJS Designers Group, our team of experienced designers works hard to create thoughtful and luxurious living spaces that tick every one of your dream home boxes.
Click here to get in touch with any questions about your custom home design.