Bedrooms on different levels - how do you arrange things?

[LaTristesse]

So we've seen a house we like, but only 2 of the bedrooms are upstairs, the 3rd is downstairs. We'll have a toddler and a newborn by then so are wondering if we could make this room arrangement work for us somehow, or whether to keep looking.

Do you have your children upstairs while you are downstairs? How do other people deal with weird bedroom arrangements?

[nelliesue]

Well, we don't have exactly the same problem but we do have a funny bedroom arrangement and only one bathroom which is downstairs (but that's another story).

Presumably the newborn will be in with you for a while so it won't be a problem. Could the two DCs share once the baby is a bit older? That is how we do it. My thinking is that by the time they want their own bedrooms it won't be such an issue. If they decide they prefer to share, then they can use the third bedroom as a playroom/study which then keeps a lot of the clutter out of the bedroom.

If you really like the house then you will make it work somehow. I was really wary of our layout but it actually works well for a toddler and a baby.

[SparklePrincess]

I have a chalet bungalow. My bedroom is downstairs, my girls bedrooms are upstairs. I am right next to the bathroom, kitchen & sitting room. I LOVE it!! Would highly recommend it! :) I will be moving soon to a so called "proper house" it will be weird going upstairs to bed.

[LaTristesse]

Thanks ladies,
Yes sharing may be an option, particularly if the new baby is a boy too, and I like the idea of having a playroom then too...
I think if the children were odler I'd be ok about them being upstairs and us down, but as they're so small I'd be worried about what they're up to up there!

[nocake]

We have a four level house with the bedrooms on the top two floors. DD is at the very top and we're one floor down, which we were initially concerned about but have found that it works really well. When she's older she'll have the bigger room at the very top which means the mess stays upstairs.

[hophophippidtyhop]

We have 3 bedrooms on one floor with our bedroom on the top floor. Dd1 just comes upstairs and finds us when she wakes up, dd2 is still in with us, so it usually ends with all four of us crammed in the double bed!

[Flum]

We have a communal floor - ground floor, kitchen and play room

our floor which is 1st floor our bedroom, our bathroom, Dhs study and our sitting room

Their floor 2nd floor girls room, boys room, spare room, their bathroom, poor, poor guests

It works well now youngest is 2 but they don't like bedroom as we are far away and can't here them, but I quite like that

We also have the cellar which is my damp office where freezer, recycling, washing machine and dryer and cleaning equipment are located, also where I used to do my secret smoking. We also have a shed ( mine Dh never been in) and attic (mine too)

[Flum]

HeAr them of course

[stealthsquiggle]

Our children are on the floor above us - youngest is directly above - we can hear her as soon as she moves so probably better than if we were on the same floor, IYSWIM.