Investor · Delaware, OH · Member since 2013 · 224 posts · 64 votes
12y
When I think of a den, I think of what Andrew says - something like a living room. And a living room to me is generally something with 2 or 3 walls, that is open to other rooms.
But in real estate terms, I'm not sure that's what they always mean. I know I've read some posts on this site indicating the term is used for a room more like a bedroom - with 4 walls and a door that closes - but lacks the closet that people expect for you to call it an actual bedroom.
Maybe a California realtor can specify what it means in CA.
Rental Property Investor · Northern, CA · Member since 2012 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
12y
I don't think it has a legal meaning and could vary by region and/or the person using the term. Basically, it's a room in the home. Could be a bonus room or just another way to refer to a living room.
The house I grew up in had what we called a "den". It also had what we called a "formal living room". Both were about the same size, but furnished differently and used for different purposes.
Rental Property Investor · Morgan Hill, CA · Member since 2012 · 212 posts · 64 votes
12y
The houses that we lived in where we had a den was always a room, some the size of a bedroom, with four walls and a door. One had French doors to it. One may have a had a very small closet, but others had book shelving and a credenza. All of the ones with a den also had a separate formal living room and family room. The formal living room never had doors.
The best way to describe a den is to call it an office in a home. Some new construction seems to have small versions or they end up being bedrooms.
Investor · Fort Lauderdale, FL · Member since 2012 · 1k+ posts · 465 votes
12y
I would probably interpret it as a room without closet. Down here without a closet a room cannot be classified as a bedroom if no closet so it cannot be included in the X bed / Y bath description.
I have also seen illegal conversions classified as dens. One such example would be a back patio enclosed to be an office, another one would be a master suite with two large walk in closets and they closed one off, the closed off closet now has a door to the hallway, but its a closet.
Does it have windows? If it has no window and a single light bulb in the middle its a closet in disguise.
Investor, Entrepreneur, Educator · Springfield, MO · Member since 2009 · 21k+ posts · 12k+ votes
12y
Yes, I'd think a den area in an apartment would be more like a sitting area off the living room, we have some older apts that have a turret type corners in the building that provide a small sitting area with windows, probably about 8 or 10 feet in an arched floor space. I can see this being called a den area, a study, a sitting room, a sun room but den is only three letters on the listing. :)
My understanding of a den is also a much larger room as others described, can't see that in an apartment! 16x32 is a nice size den. Often you'd have smaller formal living rooms too, the look don't touch or go in there room. Then we went to the great room concept.....anyway, it's a man cave :)