Kim Kardashian's handbag room. Photo: Instagram / Kim Kardashian
If you've ever been tempted to try to emulate the Kardashians with floor-to-ceiling shoe storage, or have a velvet sofa to recline on in your walk-in wardrobe like Victoria Beckham, the idea of a "dressing room" might hold some appeal.
But while it's been reported that converting a bedroom into a dressing room could add GDP40,000 (NZ$90,964) to a property's value in the UK, the investment is less clear here.
British media reported estate agents estimating that a dressing room could add 14.5 percent to a purchase price, or about GDP40,000 on average.
Trade Me said "dressing room" was not a common search term for New Zealand property buyers. There were a handful of searches at the start of last year and around October.
Walk-in wardrobes were more sought-after, with about 70 searches in a month in February.
Ed McKnight, economist at property investment firm Opes Partners, said dressing rooms were more likely to be attractive in higher-end houses.
"A friend of mine converted one of the bedrooms in their house from third bedroom into a dressing room connected to the master bedroom. They're about to sell their property and will likely advertise the property with the dressing room, but with the option for the successful buyer to ask them to convert it back to a bedroom," he said.
"On one hand, people are having fewer children and having them later. So, like this couple, some people don't need three bedrooms, so the dressing room can appeal to them. Another benefit is that if you add a dressing room it increases the space in the master bedroom."
He said because the person buying the house almost always used the master bedroom, adding extra features there could encourage buyers to be willing to spend more.
"That's another reason why ensuites are so popular. People will spend on themselves.
"But, again, I think this only really works where people have discretionary spending power and have the money to bid up the price for a home. Whereas for an average house, a couple with two kids doesn't want a two-bedroom house and a dressing room, they'll often want a three-bedroom home."
