Buyers know what they want. If they are moving to a new town they not know the geography, or where they want to be in the area, but they know what they’re looking for in a house.
According to Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate the top items on buyers checklists in 2023 include natural surfaces shine (natural stone countertops and hardwood floors) craftsman style exterior, and homes that come with Smart technology.
And there is something else that makes the list. It actually comes in as the third most popular requested item. Buyers really want a bonus room!
In essence, a bonus room lacks purpose—it’s just empty space. The concept of a bonus room gained traction when the open floor plan trend took off —those huge open spaces are pretty noisy, and lack privacy, so having a separate space that could be used for just about any purpose became more or less a necessity. In some older homes attics and basements have become the bonus rooms. In this part of the world the Finished Rooms Over the Garage (FROG) make for the perfect bonus rooms.
So why is it a “bonus” room and not an extra bedroom? For one, bedrooms have specific requirements. Regulations dictate anything marketed as a bedroom has to a l have a closet and a window. Bonus rooms have no regulations. You can use a bonus room as a bedroom if you want, but you can’t list it as a bedroom when you sell the house.
Some of our past clients have used their bonus rooms for a man cave, a she-shed, a playroom, a home theater, home gym, music room, home office, craft room, and even a meditation room. The options are limitless. That’s kind of the point. A bonus room can be anything you want it to be.
The problem is finding a home with a bonus room can be tricky. Currently there are more than 3,300 homes on the market in our coverage area of New Hanover, Brunswick, Pender and Onslow Counties. Only 251 of those homes is advertising a bonus room- although several dozen others have a space that could fulfill the same need.
If your next home need a bonus room the JFB agents are here to help in the search. Give us a call at 910 202-4813.