Downsizing to 2 bed flat (with children) for a good school's catchment.. anyone done this?

[confusedperson]

Hello, my question is in the thread name. My DC are in a great primary at the moment, but I just worked out that to get into a preferred secondary we need to move. The secondary area is a much better area than we are now, so the best move without increasing our mortgage would be an average 2 bed flat (2 bed and open plan kitchen/living room + large balcony). We are now in a 2-bed spacious house (2 up 2 down +conservatory).

Ideally I would love 3 bed house, but I would have to increase my mortgage which I could do but after 10 years DC will (hopefully) be in a university and I will not need the 3-bed then. So.. squeezing in 2 bed flat with 2 boys until they grow up, for one of the best secondaries in the area... possible?

Anyone has done it? Was the move worth it? How did you settle in the smaller space? Any experiences would be very welcome!!

[noisytoys]

I haven't downsized so can't advise on the reduced space, but I live in a 2 bed flat with no garden, me, DH and 2 DDs. Honestly the only problem we have is nowhere to do laundry. Other than that there is no problem with the space at all. We are all very minimalist though and just have what we need. It is very important to keep a small place tidy and clean or it will feel like you have no space to move around.

Also we found with the flat, as it is leasehold, the ground rent and service charges make it not much cheaper than a 2 bed house would be

[poppyboo]

If you're quite minimalist/prepared to declutter then I think it could definitely work for you. I agree with above poster, with a small space you have to keep it tidy, not have tons of stuff etc otherwise it will get chaotic quickly.

If you go onto the Mothering.com boards and go to the decluttering forum there is a lot written their about downsizing, it is much more popular in the states then here! They also have a tiny house movement going which is very popular there and it hasn't really come over here yet.

I think you could definitely make this work for you. It comes down to something quite simple really, the more stuff you have, the more space you need, the less stuff you have, the less space you will need.

[footflapper]

Hi :)
I've just moved from a 2 bed bungalow into a 2 bed ground floor flat. I've only got one ds. The only thing i'm missing is the conservatory, otherwise i'm happy in my new home. I moved to a better area which is closer to friends and family.
I did need to de clutter, and give away some furniture. Getting rid of stuff made the moving day easier though, less to transport!!
Have you got any pets? I'd imagine pets in a smaller home would be a bit difficult..
I've given ds the larger bedroom, he's got far more stuff than I have.
Personally I'd say go for it :)

[FishfingersAreOK]

Not quite the same but we moved from a 5 bed detached to a 3 bed semi to be in a better secondary school area. Primary was great and DCs are still young - but secondary awful where we were.

New house needed a complete refurb though - so we have actually been living in a 3 bed static caravan. You find that actually you do not need all that stuff (most of ours in in storage) you have accumulated.
Things I have missed - a comfy sofa. A comfy bed. A freezer. Frozen peas . Our stuff is coming out of storage on Monday. I am dreading it. I feel like I am going to be swept away by a tsumani of crap I do not really need. (apart from the sofa and bed).

Yet amongst this I can sleep better knowing my DCs will not be going to the godawful school they would have had to go to had we stayed where we were.

[confusedperson]

Thank you for all advices so far. Firstly, it got me thinking - I was planning to buy some new storage boxes for my current home, but now I'd rather declutter!
The flat I am looking at (I am targeting one particular housing development) has a large terrace and a garage, so I guess that's a plus. We do not use our current garden anyway, as we are out on full-time basis. What i am worried is a walk-through living/kitchen space, small kitchen space, where to accommodate guests/parents when they visit, where to hang laundry inside the flat.

And the fact that I could possibly afford 3 bed house in the same development.. I just don't want to stretch finances too much and think that I'd rather spend that money on DC's afterschool activities.

I do hope I am thinking the right thoughts!

[avivabeaver]

10 years is a heck of long time. I have dds who are 18,15 and 4. You cannot understand the need (if it can be done) for space that hormonal teenagers need. You cannot contemplate how much crap they keep and how much mess they make.

if you can afford a 3 bedroom home by increasing your mortgage do that, seriously. Otherwise you may buy a 2 bedroom flat and then pay to move again. Or buy a 2 bedroom flat and move when dc are in school.

[Madmog]

There's no guarantee you will get an immediate place if you move into a catchment area. My friend's son was in catchment area 1 and didn't get a space. Her son was placed 7th on the waiting list, so she was lucky to get it overturned in an appeal and get an immediate place, so there's a small chance you could move and have to go through this.

[OneLittleToddlingTerror]

I don't know about living in a 2 bed with 2 teenagers. But I can chip in on the laundry side. You do not hang laundry up in a flat. They'll never dry and take up too much of your floor space. It's 'clutter' if you look at it another way. You simply tumble dry everything. It's better for your health this way too. See this
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-20176376

[Frontpaw]

Declutter! Sally is doable, but how sure is a school space if you move?

[Frontpaw]

Sally? Smaller! Oops autocorrect. Poor Sally - it's just not true!

[confusedperson]

What I meant by the "catchment", it is rather distance based criteria, and we are moving while DC still in a primary, so the acceptance will be by distance. Unless there is dramatic change in the number of applicants, we should be safe with this move.
I have never had a tumble dryer in my life, and not looking forward to having one....
I'd love 3 bed but I don't want to compromise on quality of life, i.e. traveling, afterschool activities, investment to DC's future, and when I think of that our parent generation used to live in more cramped conditions.... I shouldn't be greedy!!

[Bonsoir]

If you live in a flat (I do), drying laundry is an issue and you really will need a separate washing machine and tumble drier (you can stack them). If you have an open plan kitchen/living room, don't even think of not having a dishwasher.

[poppyboo]

Tumble driers are brilliant, hanging washing in a small space would really get on my nerves, I think a tumble dryer would be a must if you do this move! In terms of space saving I know washer/dryers don't have a good reputation but Bosch are meant to do a good one, and if you get it with a guarantee then someone will come out to fix it.

[OneLittleToddlingTerror]

Problems with washer driers I found is that the drier takes about half the load of the washer. It's a logistical nightmare when you are doing a lot of laundry! But then I worked FT when I lived in a flat so I wanted to simply move the full load from the washer to the drier and be done with it. Also maybe the new washer driers are better than the ones I've used.

[tricot39]

Nope. Washer driers are still rubbish! Go for separates. Cheaper and more reliable.

[MaggieW]

Can you convert the garage to become a guestroom/"playroom" for teens/laundry and storage room. If so, it sounds a winner.

[confusedperson]

Feeling a bit exhausted at work so decided to update my thread. I have made a decision to move and downsize, so now onto de-cluttering and putting my house on the market from next spring and hoping that the right flat will come up at the right time. I am looking into a very tiny area ? fingers crossed my plan will work out. I live in a beautiful spacious 2 bed Victorian terrace which ticks all the boxes but have never warmed up to it.. I would be happy if I make the right decision this time and never have to move again.

[Startail]

Don't do it, you need space.

Just trying to dry two lots of games kit will drive you mental.

Schools change, birthrates alter and avalible schools change. Parents attitudes to education are just as important as the school.

DCs spend more time at home than at school. If yours is too small they will escape to their friends and you will have less idea what they are up to.

There is only one reason to do it and that's if you live in a truly rough area and feel teens would be truly unsafe.

[ClareMarriott]

Noone has raised the possibility of the school possibly taking a dim view of parents moving into an area just so their children can get into a particular school. Confused, have you spoken to the school you would choose to see what they say ?

[TalkinPeace2]

Noone has raised the possibility of the school possibly taking a dim view of parents moving into an area just so their children can get into a particular school.
None of the schools business why you live where you do.
They have to apply the admission rules. Full stop.

[noisytoys]

As OP is buying a flat, the school won't care that she is moving into the area. When renting, if you are new to the area, you may have to prove you will still be in the house between application deadline and school start (jan-sept)

[ChinUpChestOut]

confusedperson I don't want make you more confused, but just how much more per month would it be to have the 3-bed house? The thing is teenage boys tend to hang out in their rooms, and unless your two are really close in age, there will be plenty of times when one DS will want to be in 'his' room with 'his' friend. A bigger mortgage might be difficult for a year or two, but then you might get enough of a pay rise to make the bigger mortgage payment more comfortably. I would have another think about the 3-bed. Play with some numbers!

[Teeb]

I was going to ask the same thing ChinUp how old are the boys now? Ultimately I think teenagers need to have space/privacy of their own to um....have some quiet time. If they are having to share a bedroom then I can see the bathroom being taken up for long periods of time which might become rather annoying. I really really would go for the three bedrooms if you could, I think it would be the most fair for your two boys.

[confusedperson]

I really, really do not want to increase my mortgage. It makes me stressed even to think about it, so not worth it. Life is tough already after having to pay for swimming classes, for football classes and football kit, etc.
As I am looking into a very tiny option, there are 2 types of flats available:

1. 2 bed which I have seen in one occasion (thanks Zoopla) converted into 3 small bedrooms (9, 7.5 and 6 sq.meters), although virtually no storage left except from the detached garage.
   
2. the other type is 2 bed non-convertible, but has proper room for storage and direct access to the garage, which is useful if I want to put there boiler, washing machine and anything else.
   Not really sure at the moment whether I prefer 3 smallish bedroom or plenty of accessible storage. Probably, will be happy with any of it if it comes at the right time.
   
   The funny thing, I do not thing we will miss the garden. We have had our current easy maintenance, mostly patio garden for 3 years and barely use it. We always prefer going out.
   The flat will have a good size terrace where I can have my coffee and flower pots. The boys will hopefully be out doing their activities because my mortgage should be less than it is now.
   
   Oh, and about moving into the area - I am moving permanently and hoping to never move again if I can avoid that, so no reason for the bad comment!

[confusedperson]

P.S. 3 bed, as much as it would be my ideal home, would be about 40k more. This makes a big difference to me. The mortgage would have to increase from 120k to 160k...