Half-Assed Rooms
Posted February 26th, 2009 in Real Estate, Sharing the Experience | 
Birdie Bits
The phrase “all Greek to me” suggests that terms used by groups of people to describe an entity may not be understandable to the population at large.
Deya Bautista an intrepid Realtor® and contributor to the Montreal Real Estate blog initiated a discussion about understanding home descriptions in that city. She provides a road map that helps to clarify this issue.
Not What It Seems
Be clear, if a move to Montreal is in your future, this information is critical to the meaning of home descriptions. If you are not sure, engaging Deya as your guide will be a bonus.
Deya describes it this way: “If you are new to Montreal, you’ve probably seen the descriptions for the living space, apartments or homes, signs with 2 ½, or 5 ½ as opposed to “one bedroom condo/home” or “3 bedroom apartment…”
Prefacing her interpretation she notes that “first and foremost, remember that the “1/2″, always refers to a bathroom. After that, every room is counted.”
Exception to the Rule
Referring to “closed rooms” she further notes that “if one of those closed rooms do not have its own window it should not be considered a bedroom.”
1/2 Confused?
You need to read her post “What’s a 3 and 1/2″ to garner the essence of this nomenclature.
Clarity
Many practitioners of Vancouver real estate make a true effort to diffuse this type of secular lingo. As the world of the web has expanded into real estate the necessity for clear precise language that helps consumers understanding is paramount.
Surmised, is that it is not logical to name something anything other than that for which it is used. A bedroom is a bed room, with or without windows. A bathroom is as the word implies a bath room – one containing a tub. It’s not a 1/2!
Variations exist with names that better describe a room’s use. Amongst them are washroom, a powder room or a rest room or where only a sink and toilet exist – a half bathroom. Some bathrooms may contain a bidet. Noted is that you can’t be 1/2 committed to the process when using one of those – it’s a full on event.
While not frequently used, history has given this room another name. In 1852 Edward Jennings, the man responsible for inventing the toilet was metaphorically speaking, flushed by Thomas Crapper. Today, it is Crapper’s name that has became synonymous with the toilet albeit incorrectly. It is this name that is sometimes associated with a bath room. The crapper is however, a fundamental appliance in a room so named – 1/2 or otherwise.
The take away from Deya’s post is that describing a “bathroom” as a “1/2″ – just seems half-assed! Today’s consumer demands clarity sufficient to ensure that even a seagull gets the message.
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I’m always happy to answer your Vancouver Real Estate question. Call or send me an email Twitter or Skype me at YatterMatters.
Larry
* Deya Bautista is an Affiliated Real Estate Agent with McGill Immobilier and can be reached at 514. 917. 7889
Larry,
Thanks for the mention.
This is quite an informative post, who would have known the word Crapper was actually a last name?
On a related topic, there’s a huge trend right now in the condo market, where all spaces are open or “soft loft” style. Hardly any walls, and if there are, some of them are all made out of glass. What worries me is that maybe in a near future, that “half” room is going to be just as open as the rest of the unit. So much for a little privacy while engaging in the “full on event”
Cheers