Synonyms? Den, family room, game room, rec room, frog, bonus room? (agent, square footage)
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While looking at homes in Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas, St. Louis, Arizona, Nevada, and Columbus, OH, on various real estate websites, I became confused about some of the rooms listed and their purposes, especially the rooms for watching TV or playing billiards in houses with no basements
There were listings where:
Dens were family rooms in some cities and libraries/studies in other cities.
Family rooms (informal) were all over – in the basement, on the first floor, or upstairs and not always over the garage.
Game rooms (informal) were in the basement or on the second floor. However, Texas had some of their game rooms on the first floor.
Some bonus rooms were situated like “frogs” (family room over the garage) while others were big open spaces on the second floor.
Lofts could be small nook-like areas on the second floor or large open areas (20’ x 20’) for television viewing, or billiards, etc.
I know I saw some listings in Dallas with Living Room #1, Living Room #2, and Living Room #3. I couldn't make heads or tails out of that.
Recreation rooms (Rec rooms) were in the basement, but were also referred to as amusement rooms. I saw listings where the houses had a billiard room, a media room, and an amusement room in the basement.
I grew weary!
Realtors: How are rooms listed in your neck of the woods in your MLS databases? Sure would appreciate it if you all would take a look at the list below and fill in the blanks, posting what is the equivalent in your area?
Are basements common in your area? ____________________.
Family Room (informal) = _______________________.
Where is it located? __________________.
Rec Room (informal) = _______________________.
Where is it located? _____________________.
Bonus Room (informal) = _____________________.
Where is it located? _____________________.
Library/Study (formal with paneling) = ____________________.
Many thanks.
PS: Anyone can comment. It’s just that the Realtors are entering the info into their databases, so I’d like to know how they are referring to various rooms.
Family Room (informal) = This usually means a room separate from a formal LR.
Where located? Usually on the first floor, off the kitchen . It may also be located in the basement, in older homes.
Rec Room (informal) = A Finished Bsmt.
Where is it located? = Bsmt
Bonus Room (informal) = In new(er) construction
Where is it located? Anywhere
Library/Study (formal with paneling) = First Floor
Many thanks.
PS: Anyone can comment. It’s just that the Realtors are entering the info into their databases, so I’d like to know how they are referring to various rooms.
Just curious, why are you looking at homes in 8 different states? Is this a hobby or something else? Anyway, I am in the greater Chicago area.
Wow, does this take me back. It must have been late '76 or early '77. I had taken a temp job for Stan Wiley Realtors. Don't know if they still exist. I wasn't an agent in those days. Stan Wiley was a large agency in the Portland Oregon area. They were tired of looking through the MLS books for information and decided to put it on a main frame computer. (It was in an air conditioned, glassed in room, kept so cold that the techs had to wear their coats in there.) But I digress.
In order to put the information from the printed page into a computerized system, they first had to come up with standardized names for different rooms, areas of the city, roofs, architectural styles. It took us months. And I learned a lot.
Today, the systems are a lot more flexible and we are back to anything goes. But I do remember this:
Kitchens and bathroms are defined by their plumbing
Large rooms with no closets, usually at the front of the home are either Living rooms or Sitting rooms
If the room has a closet, it's a bedroom
If it doesn't have a closet, it is NOT a bedroom
Recreation rooms, family rooms, libraries are all bonus rooms. They are often called Rec rooms, family rooms, etc because of the way they have been used in the past.
There is one exception - a room with a lot of built in shelving is technically a library.
We used a square footage of 6 x 8 minimum to call an area a room, otherwise it was a closet. That's another problem we found in the old paper MLS system.
Family Room (informal) = Yes (but doesn't list "informal" as an option).
Where is it located? Often says LL, or Main.
Rec Room (informal) = If there is more than one family room, we use this code. Again, doesn't mention informal as an option.
Where is it located? Again, LL or Main.
Bonus Room (informal) = We don't use this phrase. We tend to use office, rec room, family room, den, etc to describe it.
Where is it located? Whatever level it is on.
Library/Study (formal with paneling) = This is usually a main floor room off the foyer or adjacent to the master bedroom. There is no specification for formal or paneling. It is usually comparable to the size of the bedrooms but is without closets or has built in desk/cabinetry. I think most people here call it an office, but Library and Study, I believe are options too.
Are basements common in your area? daylight ones yes, older homes have basements (ie early 1900's)
Family Room (informal) = family room
Where is it located? main floor, or daylight basement
Rec Room (informal) = only if there is a living room and family room already
Where is it located? usually second floor or daylight basement. Most people advertise this space as "possible theater room" these days.
Bonus Room (informal) = bonus room is a rec room
Where is it located? usually second floor or daylight basement, but can be anywhere
I'm not a realtor, but some new construction have extra rooms they call Sunrooms and Keeping rooms. I am in Charlotte. Hopefully a Charlotte area realtor will come on and explain these to the OP. I understand what the Sunroom is (the house with the same floorplan as mine has one), and there still is the den/library and bonus room, a living/family room in the floor plan. I have no clue what a keeping room is although a neighbor has it next to the kitchen.
Today, the systems are a lot more flexible and we are back to anythinggoes. But I do remember this:
If the room has a closet, it's a bedroom
If it doesn't have a closet, it is NOT a bedroom
Hope this sheds some light!
In my area, a closet is not a requirement for classification as a bedroom.
And nothing below gade, regardless of closet or window, can be classified as a bedroom in the bedroom count.
While looking at homes in Texas, Minnesota, Missouri, Arkansas, St. Louis, Arizona, Nevada, and Columbus, OH, on various real estate websites, I became confused about some of the rooms listed and their purposes, especially the rooms for watching TV or playing billiards in houses with no basements
There were listings where:
Dens were family rooms in some cities and libraries/studies in other cities.
Family rooms (informal) were all over – in the basement, on the first floor, or upstairs and not always over the garage.
Game rooms (informal) were in the basement or on the second floor. However, Texas had some of their game rooms on the first floor.
Some bonus rooms were situated like “frogs” (family room over the garage) while others were big open spaces on the second floor.
Lofts could be small nook-like areas on the second floor or large open areas (20’ x 20’) for television viewing, or billiards, etc.
I know I saw some listings in Dallas with Living Room #1, Living Room #2, and Living Room #3. I couldn't make heads or tails out of that.
Recreation rooms (Rec rooms) were in the basement, but were also referred to as amusement rooms. I saw listings where the houses had a billiard room, a media room, and an amusement room in the basement.
I grew weary!
Realtors: How are rooms listed in your neck of the woods in your MLS databases? Sure would appreciate it if you all would take a look at the list below and fill in the blanks, posting what is the equivalent in your area?
Are basements common in your area? ____________________.
Family Room (informal) = _______________________.
Where is it located? __________________.
Rec Room (informal) = _______________________.
Where is it located? _____________________.
Bonus Room (informal) = _____________________.
Where is it located? _____________________.
Library/Study (formal with paneling) = ____________________.
Many thanks.
PS: Anyone can comment. It’s just that the Realtors are entering the info into their databases, so I’d like to know how they are referring to various rooms.
Frogs are not "family" rooms over the garage, they are "finished" rooms over the garage.
Are basements common in your area? Only in some areas of town
Family Room (informal) = We don't really have "formal" and "informal" family rooms. We do have "formal" and "informal" dining rooms.
Where is it located? Main floor or downstairs
Rec Room (informal) = No Rec rooms here. My grandparents had a "rec room" in Idaho Falls, but that was because they already had a family room, living room, dining room, and bonus room. It was a big house.
Bonus Room (informal) = Again, no "formal" or "informal" bonus rooms, but bonus rooms themselves are very common here, especially on new construction. They are often upstairs, but sometimes on the main level if there is already a family room. Sometimes used interchangeably with living room. Basically, this is just a "second living area". And I've never heard of "frogs" Must be an eastern thing.
Library/Study (formal with paneling) = Very rarely do our dens have paneling unless the house is old. Many have built in shelving. They are offices, or dens, or sometimes libraries or studys. Quite often, bedrooms near the front door are given this classification, even if they have closets.
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