To give up a rent-free flat for a more baby-friendly home?

Buy and move when you become pregnant with your second. You have a second bedroom already, even if it will also be used as your office. That’s not what people usually mean when they say “space will be tight”. They mean they’re in a one-bedroom or a studio. You have plenty of space, you’re just not using it efficiently. You can share the office in the living room, both of you can share the office and make part of the living room into a baby space, or you can turn part of the bedroom into working space. You don’t need a 3-bedroom house to have 1 baby.

You be mad to leave your current situation. Babies don't need much space. Stay and save save save and move when you have an active toddler or child. Tbh I'd be making it work. Pushchair kept in car and sling to flat. Honestly for the money you saving it's worth it

It depends: Will your childcare and any loss of earnings outweigh what you can spend the next 18 or so months saving (assuming you take the full year’s maternity leave)?

Babies are supposed to stay in the same room as their parents for the first year but many don’t like sleeping in their rooms and stay in with their parents for longer. Even if your child will sleep in another room, all they need is a cot. There is no need for a full nursery.

This. Babies lie on you and drink milk for around 7 months. They don't need anything more than.... well you actually.

Save up for your new home. I wouldn't want to raise kids in a flat at all. I grew up in a flat and I'm so glad I can give my children a house and garden.

As for the buggy. DC1 didn't even have one. I slinged her everywhere. Much easier. Ring sling takes all the weight off. Used it until she was 2.

You can keep a car seat in the car or easily jump public transport with a sling baby.

Do you plan on cutting work hours post baby? If yes, you wouldn't be able to get as big a mortgage post baby - we were also asked to show our nursery bill when getting mortgage. But hopefully that would be offset by you saving more and not needing as much mortgage anyway.

You don’t need a nursery for 4-6 months (or longer!) as baby will sleep in a bedside cot in your room for easy night feeds. In your position I’d plan to stay put for at least the first year of baby’s life and stash away as much as possible into savings for a deposit. Babies don’t need a lot of stuff when they’re small.

I would continue to save as much as you can while you are in the very envious position of not having to pay any rent or mortgage!

Omg stay where you are! I say this as a very jealous Londoner - I would be very tempted to wait it out until you’re much closer to making a decision about schools! You have been given a gift from the gods tbh, so exploit it to top up that deposit pot. Under 3s don’t need much space and you do have a second bedroom so it’s not mad to hang on in there and make the most of the opportunity, even if you want a second with a small gap! I cannot stress how much you don’t need a nursery. Want is another thing, but need? No.

Seconding the idea to stash lightweight buggy in car boot. 👍

We live in a one-bed second floor flat with our 3yo (who was born while we lived here) and now have a second on the way. Space-wise it has mainly been fine, it's just the toys and stuff that begin to take up space as the baby grows...

2nd floor wasn't 100% ideal as no chance to wheel the pram in with baby asleep, it was kept in the car so always either had to wait until she woke up or wake her up to bring her inside, but apart from that it was fine.

I'd wait until you're back at work and then look to move as maternity leave is not easy financially. This is what I plan to do now we will have two, but our little flat has served us well and you have a second room so definitely no pressure to move, especially from somewhere rent free.

Madness to give up current situation. Stick at it as long as you possibly can. You won't get a chance like this again to save up fpr your next place.

You would be mad to move.

I know someone who has had free accommodation for 9 years and has saved 250,000.

I would stay and keep saving. You really don’t need much for one baby.

we were in the middle of selling our home when dd was born so we did not set up a nursery at all. We had a small travel cot on each floor of the house where we could set her down safely and that was basically it. When we did sell we spent 6 months in a tiny rental while we waited for our current home to be ready. We just kept things minimalist and it was fine. Things like using a chair that straps to a chair instead of a full high chair.

It’s MUCH better being in a flat with a baby than a house, I’ve done both and flat is much better.
buggy - leave base in the car and carry carry cot upstairs.
Baby will be in your room for first 6m at the very least - your husband can have your office to work and keep the living room clear. Once baby is bigger and sleeping in own room, he can work in your bedroom (not ideal but needs must) or rent a coworking space - much cheaper than a mortgage.
if you wait a couple more years to buy stamp duty may also be abolished!
id wait to buy until you’re ready to be looking at schools etc eg start looking when baby is 2.5/3 years.

If you are rent free right now you could save so much money towards your own place so I wouldnt move yet but plan to do so when baby is around one to two.

When my DS was a baby we lived in a small flat with no lift. I used to leave the buggy in the car boot. It was a bit of a faff but not too bad.

In the end, we only moved to live closer to DH's family when DS was 10 months old.

I agree with others who say you would be mad to leave this situation until you absolutely have to. Even just for the first few years when expenses are so high.

Wait til number 1 is about to go to school or number 2 arrives

We lived in a similar flat until DS was 3.5 and we only moved because we were having DD, and did finally need a bit more space. Don’t underestimate how much stress the additional financial pressures can bring, especially when having a baby can be stressful anyway. You’d be mad to move before you have to.

Stay and save! You have at least 6 months before baby should have their own room anyway (according to guidance) and even longer is more than possible. DH can work from the 2nd bedroom while you’re on MAT (or get a space like a gym membership with office facilities). No need to bring a pram up if you have a car outside as it will live in the boot!

If you’re rent-free then I would 100% stay - I think it’s totally the best option. Not having financial stresses in those first couple of years is SO worth it.

As and when you might have more children, then you can think about moving then - and you will have had time to save for a larger deposit, and possibly know more clearly what you’re looking for in terms of area/community/schools.

Housing wise I was in your position with my first child - no pram space in the communal hall (actually loads, but officious neighbours 🙄), and a second floor flat. One of the really annoying things was getting my baby out of the pram/putting pram in car/ and then getting upstairs all whilst trying to keep him asleep! However a game changer would have been a Najell (or similar) baby nest carrier that you just take out and walk up with, so I’d definitely research those. Or I think Babyzen buggies possibly have lift out bassinets…

Your baby will be your bedroom for the first 6 months anyway, not taking up masses of room. There’s also lots of ways you can create nifty storage/working solutions to make the best of smaller spaces too - instagram could give you lots of ideas! A small box room is perfect for 6months+ , with your husband having a desk in bedroom/sitting room?

Other pros: Cleaning a 2 bedroom flat is also a lot easier than a e.g 4 bed town house when you have limited time (!!)
It’s also a great advantage to be only on the one floor level - no stairs to worry about when they start crawling.

We moved to a large family house (and it’s a bit of a project/reno situation) when my youngest was 18 months. I do love having more space/ a garden - but I look back so fondly to those days in our cosy flat…..Life was easier 😂.
If I were you, I’d just stay put for the moment and enjoy! Xx

We still have baby in with us and she’s 14 months old! She’ll be out in her own room by about 15/16 months (once her room is sorted) but it’s perfectly possible. Once she was too big for a next to me style cot we got a space saver ‘compact’ cot instead of the second hand cot bed we got. She’ll go into that once she’s got a room to put it in!

stay where you are for another year and a half, when baby’s a similar age to mine and your work situation is settled then I’d aim to buy, finances allowing.

having a room to nursery up is a lovely idea but many of us are in a similar boat at that room just isn’t there for a while. It’s ok, there’s no sense in giving a room to a baby who won’t use it at all for at least 6 months!

Watched this recently and though it was great seeing how cleverly they use the space.

I would stay and save. House prices aren't booming at the moment so you won't miss out.

I would absolutely stay for the first few years until you are ready to have dc 2. Babies don’t need loads of space. They don’t need their own rooms. You can easily leave buggy in the car. You have parks and museums and play cafes you can get out to.

The only real issue I see is working space while baby is home. When you both go back to work, it’s fine; one of you in living area, one of you in a bedroom (I used to work from my youngest’s room until he was about 3 and we moved house). While you are off work, Dh probably will be happiest and most productive in the office or going to a co-working space. It’s hard to work with children on the other side of the door.

I’d prioritise financial security in the first few years particularly given anticipated childcare costs to go back to work. Unless money is no object, it be worth living in a flat to have an extra day or two off each week.

In my opinion it would be far better to stay put whilst you’re on maternity leave and baby will be in your room for the first 6 months anyway.

2nd floor is fine, buggy can be left in cars.

Wait until DC arrives then look at moving

And is it at least 2-4k a month because that is the mortgage repayments take into account childcare and the cost of a child I think you need to add at least another 1-2k on top of that

I’d stay and save as much as you can whilst there. Babies don’t need much room. Save and aim to buy something when baby is a bit older and needs their own space.