It seems that just a year ago, my wife and I were decorating our kids’ rooms with princesses and bunny rabbit characters and little toy cars. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a year ago. It was fifteen years ago. Now, with our first one already off to college and our last two deciding which college they’ll be headed off to, it’s time to start reimagining what “home” means to us. Will we downsize to a new home? Or will we transform our current home into a home that’s just for us two? This new article from The Wall Street Journal highlights one way parents with college-aged kids are making the transition from full home to empty nest.
Forget bedrooms that are shrines to a childhood past. After the children head to college or move away, some empty nesters are quick to reclaim and repurpose their rooms into yoga studios, gift-wrapping rooms, workout areas, home offices and dream closets. Increasingly popular are “snore rooms,” an escape for when a sleeping bedmate reaches the decibel level of a leaf-blower.
Something important to keep in mind before you make the decision: repurposed bedrooms can affect resale value – positively and negatively.
“If you could make a grand master suite – with bigger bathrooms and closets – and have three bedrooms left over, that could add value,” said Ron Shuffield, president of EWM Realty International in Miami. But more personalized choices pose a marketing challenge.
Chris Christensen, owner of Regal Real Estate in Orlando, said he recently marketed a home in which the owner had removed bedroom closets to set up shelves for sports memorabilia.
“The majority of buyers cannot imagine what a room could be,” Mr. Christensen said, adding that remodelers should consider leaving closets intact so rooms can be staged as bedrooms when it comes time to sell.
