And as such, gets to expect to have the home to live in, without being invaded.And, imagine what it would be like to have a horde of complete strangers (and in SF right now, any open house will be a mass infusion of strangers) walking through your home, perhaps looking in your closets, your jewelry box, you medicine cabinets, checking out your stereo, your televisions, your computers....As an owner, do you really want that liability? 

No skeletons in our financial closet so hopefully the bank won't say no once we go back.

The problem is we start to have standards in life, we want the open concept, walk in closets, granite countertops etc. 

Some people I know use portable A/C's to help cool the rooms that are too hot.

Still others say if you can buy a two bedroom for a lower price that has a "bonus room" or "office" that you can convert into a bedroom by adding a closet then that's even better because of forced appreciation.....then rent that out as a 3 bedroom 2 bath.  

So I was considering moving the washer/dryer hookup in the downstairs unit to a closet off of a hallway near the living room. 

It looks like there is only a stairwell for one of the apartments, and the other has access, but looks like a closet?  

But, I think if someone was to see that space across from the washer, as a little office space with a desk, and could fit beds and bedroom furniture in the bedrooms - the closet in the one at the back of the room is problematic.  

As soon as they asked about a multi-year lease without even seeing the house.Major red flag.My experience with applicants who are ready to negotiate or sign on the dotted line without even seeing if their stuff will fit in the apartment, or look at how big the closets are or what kind of stove it had or if it has a shower and/or tub, or where they can set up their home office, etc., etc. - those are people who are ready to take anything.  

This can easily be re-drywalled and converted back to a bedroom (closet is still intact where arch was made), making it a x-bedroom home.