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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think this house IS big enough

284 replies

Coconutsandpalmtree · 23/06/2024 11:28

For 3 kids and wfh (needing an office)

im not sure it is, but surely it should be and I’m missing a trick as to how we can make it work, DH and I have decided we’d like another child.

it’s a new house (6yrs now) so I took a pic of the floor plan from the developers. It’s pretty generic but it’s tight on space.

the front double is our bedroom, built in wardrobe and the space by the ensuite is a chest of drawers that we really need.

the smaller back ‘double’ (on floor plan) is more a single tbh, but that’s my eldests room. Front single youngest. Other double is a guest room/ office.

we really need an office for wfh. There’s no place for stud walls due to the windows.

we do have a garage though and a classic new build garden aka small.

what do you think? Can another kid fit here?

yabu- no way
yanbu- yes with some outside the box thinking that I’ll share :)

OP posts:
Coughsweet · 23/06/2024 13:15

I work home and use an alcove in our kitchen/family room but I don’t have many meetings and DCs that are in their rooms most of the time

Coughsweet · 23/06/2024 13:12

Do you need three bathrooms? Remove the en-suite as is probably easier to have a toilet downstairs and that frees up space for a small office (plus storage). I have two teenage DCs and our second shower has been out of action for years, discovered it was a handy place to dry washing and found we didn’t miss it as long as we still had a second toilet. My friend has 3 DCs in a house with one bathroom (inc) toilet and a separate toilet - initially had one bathroom and put the second toilet in, I think you’d be absolutely fine with two bathrooms and 3 DCs.

Wonderfulstuff · 23/06/2024 13:12

I think it's fine. And people manage with a lot less. My BFF growing up was one of 4 living in an old school 3 bed Taylor Wimpey home. Amazingly they all successfully made it to adulthood without have 2 separate living rooms.

The key will be keeping on top of kid crap... she says surrounded by kid crap herself! :D

MistyMountainTop · 23/06/2024 13:11

What about a fold down desk in each of the 2nd and 3rd bedrooms - one that can be put away at the end of the working day? The children will have to be in the living room when they return from school but it would only be for a couple of hours. The office chairs could be used by the children in the evening or weekend. As for guests, bunk beds in one room, trundle bed in the other so 2 children share when you have visitors and the visitors have a double or 2 single beds.

SallyWD · 23/06/2024 13:09

ThePoshUns · 23/06/2024 11:43

Or build an office/ summer house in the garden?

Yes, I'd do this if there's space.

buttnut · 23/06/2024 13:08

Honestly I think it’s fine. Mumsnet is like a different planet sometimes, but in reality I know lots of people with 2 or 3 children and this is a completely normal house for a family. Yes two living rooms would be nice but it’s not reality for most average families.

Luxell934 · 23/06/2024 13:07

Move the office to the single room at the front surely?

Then two children could share the biggest double and the smaller double for another child.

then you have the biggest room with en-suite.

Original poster
Coconutsandpalmtree · 23/06/2024 13:07

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 23/06/2024 13:04

Do you mean it’s on the deeds that you can’t
or
the roof structure is trusses

Show quote history

It’s to do with the actual build of the house

OP posts:
IWantThisSoMuch · 23/06/2024 13:05

People saying it’s too small, don’t realise that people are limited as to what they can afford. op we also have a new build and you can’t build in the loft as they have W shaped frames and the insulation means a floating floor for storage. Doable but a lot more difficult.

watchuswreckthemic · 23/06/2024 13:05

Another vote for a garden office, I saw someone quote £11k, mine was quite a lot less then that so might be a regional thing. Deffo worth getting quotes.
Also going to use it for homework for the kids in the evening in the coming years if they want some space.

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 23/06/2024 13:04

Coconutsandpalmtree · 23/06/2024 13:02

We can’t due to the build apparently

Show quote history

Do you mean it’s on the deeds that you can’t
or
the roof structure is trusses

liverpoolgal82 · 23/06/2024 13:04

We stopped at two for a similar reason plus price of clubs, sports, meals and days out etc…. now they are teens I often wonder how I’d manage if I had an extra teen to ferry around , pay for an extra person to go holidays, feed and support through uni. Think hard on it. Love them to bits but looking forward to the next stage of a calmer, cheaper life. 😁

Original poster
Coconutsandpalmtree · 23/06/2024 13:03

Viviennemary · 23/06/2024 13:02

A lot of new houses are notorious for being small with no storage. And I read they make the furniture smaller to make the rooms bigger. If it's space you want I wouldnt go for a new house.
I

Or they are very strategic with how everything is placed in the show homes.

we already live here so too late for no new homes lol.

given that we’d do it again, we didn’t have many problems

OP posts:
Original poster
Coconutsandpalmtree · 23/06/2024 13:02

BrownTroutBluesAgain · 23/06/2024 13:01

What about going up into the roof space OP
Whats the pitch like

We can’t due to the build apparently

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 23/06/2024 13:02

A lot of new houses are notorious for being small with no storage. And I read they make the furniture smaller to make the rooms bigger. If it's space you want I wouldnt go for a new house.
I

Original poster
Coconutsandpalmtree · 23/06/2024 13:01

Darkfire · 23/06/2024 13:00

Convert the garage into a study/guest room. Thants what I’ve done, it also has a projector with a large pull down screen so is a mini cinema too.

Oh how cool!

OP posts:
BrownTroutBluesAgain · 23/06/2024 13:01

What about going up into the roof space OP
Whats the pitch like

Original poster
Coconutsandpalmtree · 23/06/2024 13:00

TheManWhosDeprivedFromTheDecentKillingOfAThing · 23/06/2024 12:56

Yes I do think you're being unreasonable, changing your house you're wasting a huge chunk of your money.

Could you elaborate?

i think I may agree, if we think this isn’t our forever home what’s the point of sinking a lot or money into it , is that what you mean?

OP posts:
Darkfire · 23/06/2024 13:00

Convert the garage into a study/guest room. Thants what I’ve done, it also has a projector with a large pull down screen so is a mini cinema too.

guinnesschocolatecake · 23/06/2024 13:00

If you are super keen on an additional child, I would create a nook in your bedroom or lounge for one and the other one works from the kitchen table. Whoever has the hardest to move set-up gets the 'fixed' place.

Alternatively, move somewhere bigger. WFH does give more flexibility location-wise.

Original poster
Coconutsandpalmtree · 23/06/2024 12:58

somethingwickedlivesnextdoor · 23/06/2024 12:55

Bloody hell, the rooms are small. There's hardly any floor space once beds and furniture are in. Storage???

I’d show you pictures of what it’s actually like but that’s quite outing.

tbh if we didn’t wfh and both of us do, there’s enough space. The back double is just a standard double, a good amount of space, the 2 others are singles realistically.

storage, there’s 2 spaces, one off the lounge and under the stairs, garage and loft excluded

OP posts:
BrownTroutBluesAgain · 23/06/2024 12:58

I’d reduce the size of the ground fl wc.
Move the wall to the ‘cupboard’ on its right and make this a wfh space.
Then the upstairs fourth bedroom to be a bedroom.

Appreciate the proposed ‘office’ will be tiny but unless the kids share bedrooms that’s all I can think of.

In the long term have you considered converting the garage into an office. You’ll have to check your deeds as some new builds have a planning restriction on converting garages

TheManWhosDeprivedFromTheDecentKillingOfAThing · 23/06/2024 12:56

Yes I do think you're being unreasonable, changing your house you're wasting a huge chunk of your money.

Original poster
Coconutsandpalmtree · 23/06/2024 12:56

tara66 · 23/06/2024 12:50

You would have to move anyway as this is clearly a house with small rooms - because in a few years as DC become older they will be needing space, storage and privacy - somewhere to do homework etc. Also the kitchen seems to be too small to be able to provide for so many too.

You mean if we stuck @ 2 as well?

OP posts: