To think a one bed flat is too small for a couple?

I think it’s life and you manage if you have to!

Dh and I started out in 1 bedroom flats and we had no problems. We even spent 9 months in a one bedroom with ds1 whilst we looked for something else we could afford.

I know others who lasted years longer in one bedroom flats with little ones. Sometimes there is no alternative!

Dh and I lived together in a bed sit at first then a 1 bed, where we were accompanied by the arrivals of DD and a cocker spaniel none the less. It was a huge Georgian basement flat with massive rooms and a big garden. It had a large kitchen diner and a massive living room as well as a massive bedroom where we fit a double and a super king bed with room to spare. It was absolutely fine.
we now live in a 3 bed newbuild semi, and honestly sometimes crave the space of our one bed flat!

I dream of living somewhere smaller than where I am. I would be happy with a single room, kitchen, bathroom. (A studio apartment I think they're called)

But I have to wait until DD has moved out I til I can downsize... And seeing as she's 11, I've a wait yet.

So I'd say it depends OP.

If you think it's too small and you have the capability to move, move.

If dp thinks it's just right and doesn't want to move, find a compromise.

I live in a one bed and wfh a lot. I wouldn't like to share this space and it's a pretty large flat.

If it's not got enough space for your reasonably good salary, open a bank account like everyone else.

Yeah, absolutely the new build one bed 'apartments' are way too small for two people - if you're talking about the ones with no hallway and combined kitchen/dining/living room. We already have the smallest square footage:person housing ratio in Europe.

I've lived as a couple in a modern one bed. It caused a lot of arguments because you're basically always in the same room 24/7 unless you're in the toilet...

If you aren’t happy there then move if you can afford to.

Lots of people are in homes they don’t prefer.

Too small for what?

What an odd post. This is totally subjective. It’s like saying “do you think my dress is too blue?”.

It would be too small for us. We have a lot of stuff, I work from home a lot, and we both like to spend a lot of time at home. If we were minimalists who worked long hours outside the home and could afford to eat out all the time I would think a 1 bed near work would be ok though - I imagine that's what all those poky expensive flats in central London are for.

It's about what's most important to you - we don't have off road parking for example which for some people would be a deal-breaker, for us it's a compromise we were willing to make because this place ticked most of our other boxes.

I'd like a balcony or some access to outside space. The other things you describe wouldn't be a deal breaker for me. But as others have said, it's about weighing up priorities.

I couldn't deal with that, i have had to in the past but it made me so claustrophobic and i could never truly relax. We're a couple in a 3 bed semi now, big drive and nice garden. We pay a premium for it but it's so nice and relaxing to be in. Space!

We go camping a lot, i can't cope with the claustrophobic smaller tents so ours is an 8XL person tent. apparently i like physical space around me for my head to chill! 😂

My husband and I are in a (small) 1 bed flat with our 3 year old. It's not exactly roomy but we don't generally feel cramped. There's enough room for everything we need at the moment.

I'd have thought that one bed flats were pretty standard for young couples without kids (I'm guessing that's what applies to you, though I might be wrong). That said, if you feel cramped and can afford to move, you'd hardly be unreasonable to do so.

It sounds like you think it's too small, your DP doesn't and you think because you can afford to move to a larger place, that you should.

You are not unreasonable to think it's too small, though you must know that objectively if you fit in it then it is not.

If you're both comfortable then there is no need to move just because you earn enough to do so.

I have happy memories of me and my then boyfriend living in our first one bed flat. Cosy and loved up and no need for the personal space I need now!

Having one bedroom wouldn’t bother me, but the front door opening into the living room and the only bathroom being an en suite would, unless I never had visitors.

The only loo off the bedroom would put me off. If you can afford it then move.

My DH lived in a 1 bed flat for a few years and we loved it. The mortgage was £400 between us and we lived like kings!!

We reminisce all the time about how great and free it was. We had loads of money, no kids, the flat took 30 mins to clean.

Just thinking about it makes me smile.

We lived and worked in one, even pre Covid. It was fine for us.

I'd be fine with it if DP didn't snore like a chainsaw.

Or is the issue here that you're willing to sacrifice something for a bigger place, but your partner isn't willing to sacrifice the same thing? If so, details!

Pretty much everyone would have a bigger place if it didn't mean sacrificing something else. So what are you willing to sacrifice to get a bigger place?

So for example if you're currently renting, getting a bigger place more will cost you more so will mean less to save towards a place of your own.

Or maybe you're happy to move to a less nice area or further from a town/city centre, if that means you can get a larger place without spending more.

I think the futher question is, too small for what?

You have a budget for life and only you can decide how you spend/save it. Your priorities won't be the same as the next person. A one bed flat would be perfect for a couple who work away a lot, and travel at every opportunity. No garden, lock up and leave it, great.

For someone who was a real homebody, hates travel and loves gardening, and works from home, maybe not so ideal but if that's what their budget allowed then you suck it up. It's not really a question anyone else can answer for you, with no perspective provided.

My one bed flat was 60s build, it had almost the same square footage as my now three bed Victorian terrace. It entirely depends on the flat.

Well if it’s too small then buy or rent somewhere bigger? If it’s a council property then tough?

I live in a one bed flat with dp. It’s a cute flat but small. The front door off a corridor opens straight into the living room, so you hear people walking right past your sofa. The only toilet is the en-suite. No outdoor space.

This description is absolutely meaningless.

We need a floor map with dimensions, pur-lease.