How would you allocate bedrooms in this situation?

[juliantwo]

We are moving house. Our current house actually has 5 bedrooms, but it is 3 storeys and the main bedroom is in the first floor with a further four on the 2nd floor. We all (me, dh, ds1 and ds2) sleep on the second floor so that we are on same level as
Dcs and the bedroom in the 2nd floor is the spare room- it has an en-suite so means guests have their own bathrooms although we don't have overnight guests very often at all nowadays - before dcs were at school my mum and dad would often help out with childcare and would sometimes stay over but doesn't happen very often. The 5th room is v small and we actually have it as a walk in wardrobe.

So, the new house only has 4 bedrooms but 2 are en-suite and have "dressing rooms" between the bedroom and the ensuite. 3 are double but the smallest one is probably only big enough for a single bed.

So the obvious thing to do it to put us in master, and dcs in double rooms each. But that would mean that we didn't have a double guest room, but I don't think that is a problem given we don't have guests v often. If we did have dc in a double bed, then they could vacate their room when if we have guests?

But, the boys are keen on these high sleeper beds with a desk underneath, so if we had one of those in a big bedroom it wouldn't be as easy to use as a guest room if dc vacated.

The other thing is our current house has a playroom. New house doesn't but we could allocate the smallest bedroom
As a sort of playroom. However, they are starting to get into gaming a bit (just mariokart, minecraft, fifa etc on the Nintendo switch) and I think if we kept games console
Downstairs in living room then we'd be able to keep and eye on what they are on (they aren't online, linked to friends or anything like that). We haven't ever allowed TVs/screens in bedrooms and don't plan to.

Just asking for advice on how to configure things.

Sorry, should say in our current house bedroom on 1st floor is the guest room.

Would the high sleeper fit into the single room for the youngest?

In the small room, could you one of those narrow double beds?

My eldest DD has one in her 'single' bedroom. She still has room for desk, drawers and book case, with a bedside table beside the bed. She has a built in wardrobe.

Give the boys the big rooms and sleeper beds if that's what they want. Occasional guests are last on the list of priorities. Double sofa bed in the living room for guests? Or would one fit in the single room? That's what we do - not much space when the sofa bed is pulled out but it's OK.

Personally I would do the set up as you have it and allow the boys to have the beds they want. I'd have the spare room as I day(bed) room/study/play room whatever suits your needs more. On the odd occasion you have guests have a blow up at the ready or a sofa bed or similar. I don't see the point in having a guest room for guests who don't really ever stay. It just seems pointless particularly if it is as the expense of what your DC would like, who live there. If your parents did stay for more than an odd night then I'd offer my bed up if necessary. But that's just my thoughts.

I would take the master and give the dc the double rooms with the beds they want. When you have guests give them your room , one of you sleep in single bed in spare room and one of you sleep in one of the dc high sleepers. The dc whose high sleeper you take can sleep on an air bed on their siblings floor.

Yes I think we will give The boys the big rooms. It seems indulgent to want a guest room But I suppose we have got used to having one.

People must think we are mad moving a smaller house but location wise and layout wise it will Work out better for us as it isn't 3 storeys.

I wouldn't be worrying about a guest room to be honest.

I wouldn't say it is mad to move to a smaller house. If it suits your needs then it makes sense. I've never understood why people want massive houses... All that cleaning

I agree with others, give the boys their larger rooms. Unless you had a grandparent/friend/relative living there or staying every weekend, seems a shame for 1 kid to compromise to a smaller room.

What are the measurement of the smaller bedroom? Would a sofa bed or futon style that folds out work in there? Like this:

www.dunelm.com/product/mito-double-futon-1000110905?defaultSkuId=30282329&plaCategory=Futons&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpZT5BRCdARIsAGEX0znHIwPAUSqzBEvJSzpGjOdWuBBjj2Gl4LGFe0pvjjTeB8pQyEJJ5l4aAruJEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Or 2 of these:
www.muji.eu/pages/online.asp?ukupd=y&sec=19&sub=122&pid=782&gclid=cj0kcqjwpzt5brcdarisagex0zkpkasmlgz09lbjdgld8rkasd4afhauyps2iieyja64tkcjv8maatmvealwwcb

Or this:
www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/askeby-2-seat-sofa-bed-beige-10411789/

I would always prioritise people who live in the house over guests, guests can stay in a B&B or make do but your children have to live there all the time. I don't think it's reasonable to ask children to move out of their bedroom when you have guests - would you move out of your bedroom for guests?

I'd let the children have the double bedrooms with the beds that they want.

Would something like this fold up bed work for the small guest room so you can use it as a playroom too? You can get them as just a fold up bed or a bed that turns into a desk:

www.hiddenbed.com/space-saving-furniture/#what-we-do

How old are the DC? Do they still use the playroom a lot to play together (rather than on their own in the same room)? Is the oldest at an age where they are starting to grow out of toys? If they use it every day, you could use the biggest double as a playroom with a good quality sofa bed (the type that is suitable for daily use) as that will be where they spend most time. The eldest could have the next biggest room as they will stop using the playroom first and need somewhere for studying and the youngest then has two rooms effectively (playroom and bedroom).

Yes we would move out too for guests.

Dcs are 9 and 6.

Some kind of sofa bed in smallest room is a good idea.

When kids were at playstation stage, we had an IKEA sofabed in the small spare room they could sit on for their games. It was amazing how many kids could pile on to it There was just enough room to open it out as a double on the rare occasion we had guests stay over, and it was pretty comfy to sleep on.

You seem really preoccupied by where potentially guests would sleep. Cross that bridge when you come to it I say and get the house sorted for every day life. Sounds like you are going to be really pushed for space after being in a big house.

It's not that much smaller. It's a 4 bed rather than 5 but as I say we used one as a dressing room whereas 2 of the 4 have dressing rooms anyway in the new house. The dcs will have bigger bedrooms in the new house as both doubles.

@pickingdaisies that's a good idea thanks. And do you think that is better than having console in the living room?

Check whether you could actually fit a double bed in that room even if it was a 'small' double (can you still get 3/4 beds?) We used to have a room where we managed this, and there was no room for pretty much anything else, but if it's only used for sleeping over, and not a room someone actually 'lives in', it doesn't really matter.

We held a double room for guests while our youngest ds got the single room, this year we realised how mad it was as when people stay it is often for only a night or two and we were wasting a decent sized room. We moved ds into the larger room and the smaller room now has a small double in it which although small will be fine for guests.

I think I would either say no to the high sleepers (they are a pita to change the sheets in anyway) or find out a way to fit a comfortable bed in the spare room for occasional gusts. An Ikea day bed could fit the bill as it’s a single most of the time. You could set it up so it doubles as a gaming room when your DC are older and you feel more comfortable them being away from you.

I'm not a fan of sofa beds TBH as I've never seen a comfortable one. The one recommended above from Ikea is only 110 cm wide as a bed. That is NOT big enough for 2 and gains nothing over a single bed, therefore. I'd give the kids the doubles but if possible either find a way to get a proper double in the spare room (even if that's all that's in there), or insist that one child has a double bed, or single with trundle under, in their room. If not then perhaps get an airbed for the lounge - a million times more comfortable than trying to squish 2 adults onto a lumpy tiny sofa bed.

I don't think it's reasonable to ask children to move out of their bedroom when you have guests - would you move out of your bedroom for guests?

I think that attitude is quite strange. I would and have done on several occasions. And I would expect a child to move in with a sibling for the odd night too.

You can buy really decent blow up beds nowadays, we have a double one from Costco that blows up to almost the height of a normal bed and is perfectly comfortable for the odd occasion we have guests (about 4 times a year.) We just put it in the living room and job done.

Like this one

www.costco.co.uk/Sports-Spas-Leisure/Camping/Bestway-Queen-Comfort-Elevated-Airbed-with-Built-In-Pump/p/228790