Does a downstairs bedroom really count as a bedroom?

[devsigner]

We want to extend our cottage to add a bedroom.

It currently has 3 bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs but planning probably won't let us have an extra bedroom upstairs.

We're arguing about it as I say a bedroom downstairs isn't a bedroom!

Hubby says it counts as a bedroom if it has a bed in it :)

Opinions welcome!

My house has two bedrooms downstairs and one upstairs (along with a bathroom and mezzanine). They are most definitely bedrooms - they are divided by the hallway from the living accommodation.

I just sold a house with three bedroom upstairs. Downstairs was an extension with en suite wetroom that I used as a bedroom. Also downstairs were two reception rooms, one was the sitting room and another was also used as a bedroom but was, originally, a dining room. This did not count on the particulars as a bedroom.
The house was sold as a four bedroomed with two reception rooms
I couldn't really understand how it was calculated, both downstairs rooms had beds in them and had been used as bedrooms for many years. However I guess the estate agent thought that having so many bedrooms and only one sitting room may look odd.....anyway the house sold in a week so I wasn't unhappy

Thanks for the fantastic replies!

I've booked an estate agent next Wednesday to add their two pennies :)

It's sounding like how the house is put together has a big impact. e.g.

self contained room & ensuite = bedroom
room off corridor = make up your own mind
room off kitchen or lounge = not bedroom

The house is an L shape so DH's suggesting we have the option to put the bedrooms upstairs and downstairs in one part of the L and the living accommodation in the other (living room up-stairs to take advantage of the view!).

We'll need to extend upwards to be able to do this though as one part of the L isn't tall enough and that's a lot of cost!

I don't know if this would be a little too far "out there". We're not very conventional but later buyers might be put off?

I see bungalows in another category for some reason and I can see why people love them.

I guess some of my worries are about if our bedroom is downstairs and the kids are upstairs, how do we help them if there's a fire?

Also I've always been worried about security with having kids bedrooms downstairs.