Is A Den Really What You Think It Is?

Is A Den Really What You Think It Is?

A den is a term that has been around in real estate for quite some time. It's definition and what it stands for has certainly changed throughout the years. It's hard today to pinpoint what a den is as the word is used to cover different types of space in a condo. When we look several decades back, a den was an extra room, usually missing a window but with plenty of space. That's what most people associate a den with to this very day, but more and more often, we get to see cases where a den is reduced to a corner or a room so small that any bigger furniture piece can't fit.

There are dozens of listings that include a den, but it doesn't exactly mean that you will be getting a den. That's why seeing a listing that says 1-bedroom+den or 2-bedroom+den can get confusing for the potential homebuyer.

How Is Den Classified In Real Estate?

A den in real estate terms does not have a standard definition, and it can mean different things to different people. Most of the time, it refers to a kind of a small room in the home that can come in handy as an extra bedroom or cozy corner or storage room, but one can never know for sure what the seller meant by it until visiting the property. It can span from a nook to a corner under the staircase in the hallway. What you are going to get depends on the seller's version of a den.

Some sellers will post a +den listing to increase the home's appeal, but in reality, you may be looking at just a few feet of extra space in the hallway or an area so tiny that you'd be barely able to make use of it. Getting a full-sized room advertised as a den seems pretty far-fetched nowadays. Still, homebuyers' first association when seeing a listing with a den is decently-sized space, so make sure you don't immediately imagine an extra bedroom until you see the property in person.

Land developers also tend to have a pretty loose interpretation of a den, so they may advertise somewhat more secluded corners in a condo or small entryways as dens to boost sales, even though they are not big enough to actually serve the purpose most of us have in mind when hearing the word den. Many homebuyers get carried away by the idea of making a game or TV room, a home office or simply their personal getaway space when they see a +den listing, but the truth is that their odds of getting what they are expecting can be very slim.

But, there is still hope. Some sellers even have not forgotten the traditional meaning of a den, so you may get lucky with a +den listing and get a space large enough to use it efficiently.

Take +den listings with caution, but don't eliminate them immediately before seeing them or asking the sellers about them. As a real estate agent, I always make sure that my clients are well-informed and draw their attention to such issues. If you need any help with your home search, give me a call.