Built-in closets took the place of freestanding wardrobes after WW II.
A closet is handy in any bedroom; however, as far as legalities are concerned, homeowners want to know if a bedroom without a closet still considered a bedroom. The answer varies by each jurisdiction's zoning requirements and can be a hotly debated issue for inspectors, but in Washington, the answer is no. The murky bedroom closet issue hovers around some MLS offices as a frustrating gray area as well. In the end, for property taxes and water fees, verify that your home's assessment is correct according to local laws, listing your home's legitimate number of actual closeted bedrooms. Does this Spark an idea?
Washington
By the state of Washington's law, a bedroom must have heat, emergency egress and a closet, just for starters. If you decide to sell your home and you have been using the place as a three-bedroom home, but one of those rooms does not have a closet, or any other Washington state law stipulation for a bedroom, the Realtor must list the home as a two-bedroom.
MLS
Various discrepancies in some MLS office regulations do not allow the listing of square footage or any mention of basement bedrooms, regardless of whether or not it has a closet and escape-route window . A resourceful MLS agent might list a basement bedroom, or any other closet-free room, as a recreation room, den, office, library study or bonus room.
Freestanding Wardrobe
Fixed, or built-in closets only became common after WW II, and many homes from that era do not have them. In some instances, depending on local building codes, a freestanding wardrobe might pass for a closet. The catch here is that you may not count the space taken up by the wardrobe as square footage. If a freestanding wardrobe is unsatisfactory in your area, approach this hurdle by discussing with your building inspector the possibility of screwing the freestanding wardrobe to the wall for permanence.
Taxes and the Water Bill
Among other things, such as lot size and room dimensions, the number of legal bedrooms in a home may determine the home's property taxes. Review your state's building codes for the legal definition of a bedroom. If any of your home's rooms do not have closets, and they are not legally considered bedrooms, you may be getting over taxed or even paying too high a water bill. Confirming with your local assessor's office that the number of bedrooms on your tax card is correct and checking your local water company's water assessment details could save you some money.
Tags: your home, freestanding wardrobe, building codes, property taxes, square footage, Washington state