Many different reasons might inspire your next family home purchase. They can include relocating for work, finding a place that’s more affordable, or taking advantage of new financial power to upgrade. However, your own family might be dictating the move if you want to get into a better school district or be closer to relatives for your growing family. One question you shouldn’t forget is how many bedrooms does your next family home need?
By Square Footage
According to Financial Samurai, a typical American family needs between 1,800 and 3,000 square feet of total space for a family home. In general, individual people are best with 600 to 700 feet of individual space. That would mean a family of three people would need 1,800 to 2,100 square feet in total. A family of four would conversely need 2,800 to 3,200 square feet.
Good Rule of Thumb
If you just want a quick rule of thumb when looking at homes for sale, if you have a family of three, look for four-bedroom homes. This would give parents their own bedroom, and two kids could each have their own room. The final bedroom could be a guest room or used as an office. If you have more than two kids, you might also just have kids of the same gender share a bedroom.
You can also add two to the number of kids you want to have their own rooms; if you have three kids, add two (for the master bedroom and an office/guest room). But, as you’ll see below, finding a five-bedroom home can be easier said than done.
Five Bedrooms Are Hard to Find
Over the last several decades, four-bedroom homes have dominated new construction. However, their overall market share has declined a few percentage points. If you need five bedrooms, you’re going to have to look really hard. You might also pay a premium.
Office Included or Not
The digital age has meant the rise of remote work and home offices for personal projects and self-employment. A home with a dedicated office creates such a space, but homes without offices often wind up seeing bedrooms turned into a home office. Consider whether or not you need one. If need be, use the same space as a guest room when people are visiting but a home office when they’re not around. After all, it’s really up to you to decide whether a room is a bedroom or not.
As you can see, there are different ways to answer the question of how many bedrooms your next family home should have. It all comes down to your family size and its unique needs. Having said that, you should now have a few ideas about how to determine the right answer for your family.
