Learn the difference of opinion between a living elbow room , a family elbow room and a hideout in a house when you see it mentioned in a belongings listing .
You might have a way in your home plate that you refer to as a den , but do you know what the term means when it appears in existent demesne listing ? Just as there ’s adifference between a class room and a animation way , a lair has a distinct purpose in the home .
“ A den is a second living space that can go as a family room or home office , ” says Stayce Mayfield , a principal agent with Redfin .
Credit: Annie Schlecther
Of naturally , there ’s a bit more to it than that , include where the room typically appears in a home ’s layout and what is need for it to officially be considered a den . With help from the experts , we ’ll explore everything you postulate to have sex about a den , whether you ’re considering a dimension with a den or wondering if you’re able to foreground thepresence of a denin your own home in your listing .
Stacye Mayfieldhas been working in tangible landed estate for more than 20 years .
France Katzenof Douglas Elliman is a real estate expert in New York City .
Credit:Anne D. Schlechter
Minette Schwartzof Compass is an agent in Miami Beach .
Anne D. Schlechter
What Is a Den?
Aden in a houseis a way typically used as a secondary support space or power . It is often a small-scale , cozier room than the primary living blank and can function as a library , household moving picture theater , or any number of other recreation spaces . The name comes from bear dens , which provide shelter to hibernating bears in wintertime ( hence the emphasis on snugness in many consumption of a den ) . Dens are their own rooms , clearly delineated by walls — you wo n’t often see dens as part of an unresolved - construct floor plan .
The way itself must have both a window and heating and cooling to be considered a hideaway , according to Mayfield , though expert or legal requirements may vary by locale . ( Some people might even argue that the absence seizure of a window makes the elbow room cozier . )
What Defines a Den?
“ It ’s mean to be separate and independent from living and dining room and , traditionally , media rooms , ” say Frances Katzen of Douglas Elliman . Unlike with bedrooms , there are no stately requirements for dens in New York City — the full term is more descriptive than anything else , and dens ( and most surviving space ) are n’t subject to the same variety of legal requirements that bedroom are .
Minette Schwartz of Compass in Miami agrees that dens are n’t typically define in her realm . In both of these areas , you wo n’t necessarily see a lair listed in the right layout or description in MLS , but photos and your tour of the home will show a variety of bonus room used by different owner for various things .
Schwartz points out that dens offer a unique layout solution in homes .
Credit: Rett Peek Photography Inc.
“ For new home , dens are a path to minimize corridors or hall , ” she says . “ So for the second floor , you would enter an open space with a lounge arena or tv elbow room and each bedroom would be connected — by door — to the den . Historically , you would climb stairs and infix a inner ear of hallway to get to bedrooms [ or else ] . ”
Whether it replicate as a transitional way or is simply a secondary living space , dens are becoming more common .
“ Dens have become more and more popular , ” Mayfield suppose . “ I did n’t arise up in a house that had a den , but I finger it ’s a great addition , as it allow for more space , and when you have guests over , they run to sit in the conventional keep room . It ’s skillful to have the extra room . ”
Credit: John Bessler
How Do Dens Hurt or Help Property Listings?
Like any kind of bonus way , a hideaway is bestow space that is certain to hike up your plate ’s resale potential . In some cases , a small hideaway might not be a major bonus if it compromises outer space you might have otherwise enjoyed as part of the living or dining room , for example . But most home with a layout that includes a den have plenty of room to spare .
“ People will even count at it as an extra bedroom , pending the home base layout , ” Mayfield says .
To boost appeal , the way can bestaged to show potentialbuyers how they might use the space .
“ It can be staged as many things : family roomwith a comfortable lounge or sofa , boob tube sphere , game room , play way for kids , office blank space , artwork studio , euphony room , etc . , ” Mayfield says . “ Anything your heart desires . ”
Schwartz intimate a home gymnasium or yoga studio as other potential uses for a den . In today ’s body of work - from - home years , presenting a den as a home office could be a major selling stop .
“ People require space to themselves and hunger secrecy , so a den offers another home for that — it offers a blank slate to compensate for lose social function elsewhere in the nursing home , ” Katzen says .
