If you are wondering what is a flex room in a house? The best answer is it is whatever you want it to be. A flex space can be anything from a small closet space to a nook to an entire extra bedroom. It is an area in your home that provides flexibility in its use. This post will focus on what it is and give you some flex room ideas to jump off with.

A flex room is essentially an entire room or free space that can be used in a variety of ways throughout the life of your home. Flex rooms provide possibilities because their usage can evolve with your needs. You can even turn it into a combination room that fulfills multiple functions for you.

 

What is a flex space?

Flex space or bonus rooms is the current real estate “hot” word. It has a simple meaning: a flexible room or space that can fulfill multiple purposes. A flexible area that varies in both shape and function.

These are bonus rooms or flexible areas that can easily be changed into whatever your household needs at the time. It can be an actual room, or it can be an open area. A quiet place for your home office space. A cozy nook as a dedicated reading room.

You can easily transition these spaces to meet your needs. For example, if the area is open to the other room, you could add barn doors to create privacy or a transition.

Realtors are looking for flex space when listing homes. And now, home builders are including an extra room or flex space in new construction, allowing flexibility to adjust to your life demands. Flex rooms enable homeowners to keep their dream home and change it to their current needs.

Plus, it is estimated to increase your home’s value by 4 to 6%.

Related: How To Declutter a Home Office

 

What is NOT considered a flex space?

Any room dedicated to one specific purpose or defined role in the house is not considered a flex space. A flex space is designed to be flexible. If the space already has a well-defined role that would not be suitable for anything else, then it is not a flex room.

For example, a bathroom would not be considered a flex space because you would not like to use it for another function. For example, making work calls from a combined bathroom/home office would not be appropriate.

The kitchen is also not necessarily considered a flex space, although it would be easier to use as a study space or home office compared to a bathroom.

 

Where can I find a flex space or room?

This requires a creative approach to your home’s layout. For example, if you do not have a spare bedroom or space sitting empty, you will need to consider if there are flex spaces that could potentially have multiple uses.

Think about the space in your home and how you are currently use it. For example, maybe an unused closet could be turned into a small office space. Or is there a small nook that you could turn into a reading room with a comfortable chair?

Could you add padded floors in front of your entertainment center to create a home gym in your main living room (1)? Flex spaces can be anywhere in your home.

 

What can I do with my flex space?

There are so many things you can do with your flex room. One of its biggest advantages is its overall flexibility; you are not limited by one specific purpose or use. Instead, you can customize this space to fit your evolving interests over the years.

At first, you might need a guest room if you have a lot of overnight guests. But a few years later, you might need more space for your growing family. Or, maybe the room’s natural light is ideal for your craft room. This space’s flexibility allows you to keep your dream home evolving to meet your current needs.

Another great use of this living space is to create a combination room – flex spaces with more than one use. For instance, a home gym in a media room with free weights stored inside the coffee table (2). Or a home office that is also a guest room. One of the most important factors of combination rooms is storage availability.

It is also possible for flex rooms to have a different purpose depending on the time of day. Similar to combination rooms, it would have multiple purposes that vary depending on time. For example, it could be an exercise room in the morning and a media room at night.

Here are a few flex room ideas to get you started:

• a hobby or craft room
• music room
• home gym or fitness studio
• game room
• an extra family room
• playroom
• media room or private movie theater
• home office
• library or reading room
• study room
• pet room
• dressing room/extra closet space
• guest bedroom
• mud room
• meditation or prayer room

Related: The Ultimate Guest Room Essentials List and Living Room Essentials Checklist

 

Why would you want a flex space?

You don’t always know what you or your family will need over the years. Your needs change over time, and what you need now may not necessarily be what you need in 5 or more years. Will you need a dedicated study room? Or a music room to practice in? It could also be a game or craft room for your newest hobby. What you can turn your flex room into has endless possibilities.

One way to really take advantage of your flex spaces is to have hybrid furniture pieces throughout your home. An office space that doubles as a guest room is convenient if you have a bed that stores away completely. You could also have a storage cabinet with a built-in desk for your hobby, allowing you to put it away when not in use completely.

If you have a flex space, you can easily adjust what the room is used for depending on your current needs. This space might have multiple functions at once or transition from one purpose to the next. It can start as one function, like an entertainment room or guest room, but convert into a home office or private movie theater. It is designed to meet your needs even as they change over the years.

Related: What is a den in a house? Den Room vs. Family Room vs. Living Room

 

What is a flex room in a house FAQ

 

What is the purpose of a flex room?

It is a bonus room or space that provides flexibility in your home. Its purpose is whatever you need it to be – maybe it starts as a space dedicated to your favorite hobby right now, but it could be a guest bedroom in a few years. Its flexibility allows it to evolve into whatever you need it to be.

 

Do flex rooms have doors?

Not always. Depending on the house’s layout, the flex room could be an actual room with a door, but it could also be a small nook or a large outdoor living space. How you use the extra space in your home is what makes it a flex space.

 

Does a flex room have a closet?

Unlike other rooms, flex rooms do not usually have defining characteristics like a closet, built-in storage, or plumbing, which might identify its specific purpose. Of course, you can still consider it a flex room with or without a closet, but the key is it can be utilized however you want it to.

 

How do flex walls work?

It is a temporary wall you can install with the use of pressure. It is commonly used to divide a larger open space into two, allowing the homeowner to have a more dedicated space in an open layout. These are common in places like New York City, where maximizing area is vital for homeowners.

 

Is a flex room a legal bedroom?

The legal requirements can vary from state to state, but the overall size and layout of the room are the most significant indicator of whether or not it is a bedroom. For example, a flex room can be a legal bedroom if you deem a bedroom a flexible space; however, you would not list it as a flex space instead of a bedroom.

According to Realtor.com, these are the six ways that you can quickly determine if your room is considered a bedroom rather than a flex room:

1. minimum room size
2. minimum horizontal square footage
3. two ways out of the room
4. minimum ceiling height
5. minimum window size
6. heating and cooling

 

Are flex rooms common in New York?

New York City’s real estate market is an entirely different market to most. Flex rooms or “flex apartments” are another way to describe an open layout or studio. You can design them into more defined areas with free-standing bookshelves or add flex walls/sliding doors.

 

Conclusion

When you first move into your home, it is hard to know what you will need five or even ten years from now. It might fit your wish list now, but it could seem small in a couple of years. And although most people might love to have more space in their home, it is not always an option to move to a bigger house or build an addition to the current one.

Looking for and incorporating a flex space into your home is a great way to do more with what you have. Flex rooms change with your needs. Maybe it is an office when you first move in, but then a hobby room in a few years. It could even be a dedicated mud room and pet room.

This flex space is nice because it can provide you with whatever you need – room to study or work, a place to work out, or just more room for you and your family. It provides you with options. It allows you to change your space to fit your needs as they evolve. By incorporating flex spaces into your home, you will find that it can still fit what you need or want as your life evolves.

 

Sources

(1) – https://home.howstuffworks.com/home-improvement/home-diy/flooring/what-makes-sports-flooring-different.htm

(2) – https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/what-to-know-about-free-weights

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