Tips for Determining How Many Bedrooms You Need

When you decide to move into a new home or apartment the first thing you have to determine is how big your new place needs to be. When figuring out how large your home should be, one of the most important determinations you must make is how many bedrooms you need. You might think that you need one bedroom for each of your family members, but that is not always the case. Families grow and shrink all the time and it is important for your new home to be able to meet all of those needs. You cannot anticipate every family need that may require a bedroom, but you can use certain information, such as whether you plan to have more children, to get a rough estimate of how many bedrooms you may need at any given time. You can use the tips below to calculate your family’s bedroom requirements and select a home that is an appropriate size for you.

Start With a Basic Count of Bedrooms Required for Sleep 

You may think that counting the number of bedrooms your family requires for sleep means counting your family members, but that is not necessarily true. If you have children who like to share a bedroom, then one room for two children might suffice. Additionally, if you and your spouse share a bedroom then you only need one bedroom for both of you. Therefore, you must determine a starting number of rooms based on which family members will be sleeping together and which family members will require their own spaces.

Consider the Occupancy Rules for Your Area

Your kids may think that sharing bedrooms is fun, but your area may have rules regarding occupancy. Such rules exist for safety reasons. Therefore, you must check with the local housing authority in the area where you plan to live to see what the minimum number of bedrooms your family must have is. You must also keep in mind that, if you choose to rent a home or apartment rather than buying one, your landlord will have his or her own personal occupancy requirements for the property in addition to state or local occupancy laws. For instance, an apartment building may limit the total number of occupants based on the number of bedrooms in the unit, such as four occupants in one-bedroom units and six in two-bedroom apartments.

Decide Whether Your Family Will be Expanding

If your family is expanding, you should consider this before purchasing a home. A home that has the right number of bedrooms now may be too small later. It is also quite common for adult children to move home when they experience upheavals, such as divorces. If you have an adult, you may want to consider that possibility. Family expansion does not always occur because of children. Your parents may move in with you to be closer to their grandchildren or for medical reasons. That change in your family dynamic may also require an additional bedroom.

Determine Whether Any Family Members Will be Leaving Soon

Families do not only expand, they also shrink. If you expect your family to become smaller shortly then you will not need as many bedrooms as you may have originally anticipated. If you have an adult child who is getting married or leaving for college, you may not need to factor them into your bedroom calculations. It may suffice for them to sleep in the guest bedroom or on the couch when they visit. You may also be able to purchase or rent a smaller home or apartment with fewer bedrooms if you must move an elderly or disabled family member from your home into an assisted living facility.

Make Sure You Have Enough Guest Bedrooms

How many guest bedrooms do you need? That is an answer that varies from one family to another. If you have a lot of siblings or friends who like to visit then you will need several guest bedrooms. Extra guest bedrooms are also required if you plan to host family holiday gatherings or parties. On the other hand, you will only need one guest room or no guest bedrooms at all if you are the one who tends to visit other people, rather than hosting them in your home.

Remember That Spare Bedrooms May Also Be Needed for Purposes Besides Sleep

When purchasing or renting a new home you must also decide how many extra bedrooms you need for non-sleep purposes. For example, any of your family members who work from home may require home offices, which can be set up in spare bedrooms. You may also need to use one spare bedroom as a child’s play room, library area or a room for your family pets to have to themselves.

Calculate the Total Bedrooms Needed

After you have considered your family’s size and immediate needs, factor in any additional room requirements, such as home offices or guest bedrooms. Then you will be able to calculate the total bedrooms needed for your family. By doing so, you will guarantee that each family member has enough space while helping to keep your family healthy and happy.