Half a Bathroom Can Be Better Than One

Research shows that an extra half-bathroom can increase a home’s value by almost as much, if not more, than an extra full bathroom. A survey of listings on Realtor.com in late July shows the median price for one-bathroom single-family homes was $85 per square foot, but that price jumped 15 percent to $107 per square foot with an extra full bathroom or 10 percent to $93 per square foot with an extra half-bathroom. However, the added value for half-baths was higher than that for full baths in properties with more than five bathrooms, with the median list price for homes with 6.5 bathrooms exceeding that of homes with seven bathrooms by 10 percent. National Association of Home Builders director of economist services Stephen Melman says, “You get to the point of diminishing returns with the full bath.” Experts note that extra half-baths in luxury dwellings tend to be attached to high-end features that boost prices, like home theaters and pool houses. | Read More