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Original poster

2 bed flat with 2 young children

51 replies

peanutbutterontoast7 · 20/10/2022 12:03

I just wondered if there was anyone on her who had a 2 bed flat with 2 young children (single parent so only one adult) and how they found the space/quality of living.
I'm aware that all flats are different sizes etc so it's a bit of a strange question but I am just after some real experience.
Been offered a 2 bed flat via social housing. I know nothing about the size of the rooms etc so I have no idea what to expect. I know this is all I'm entitled to. I am very greatful for the offer! But I am just wondering how realistic is living comfortably in a 2 bed flat?

OP posts:
DuckTails · 20/10/2022 12:06

How old are they and are they the same sex?

BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz · 20/10/2022 12:07

We did til ours were 6 and 8. Worked fine - both dc and all their toy storage in the biggest bedroom and we took the smallest. Could fit a dining table in the lounge so the space worked well.

SpinningFloppa · 20/10/2022 12:09

You will be fine, outside of mumsnet children sharing a room is very very common and 2 beds are all you would be entitled to with 2 young children in social housing.

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Property
Incrediblebuttrue · 20/10/2022 12:09

I lived in a 3 bed with 3 children and dh and it was fine. Not sure what you're asking really. It all depends on the flat!

wtdse · 20/10/2022 12:13

Currently live in a 2 bed with 2 kids, 3 and 6. Very lucky we have a garden too. Can be challenging with storage space but have sheds that act as our loft! The flat is a good size with dining table in lounge. It’s not forever but we are happy. Only note is that in a flat I’m very aware kids can be noisy and I’m always worrying what neighbours think but that can happen in any home I guess!

Breathmiller · 20/10/2022 12:19

I brought up my oldest two as a single parent in a 2 bedroom flat and it was fine. It wasn't a huge flat by any means but the biggest room had space for two high sleepers so they each had their own space. I took the smaller room. It helped that they were the same sex and got on well.
We only moved out of of there when I married and had another child. The older 2 were 15 and 12 when we moved.

I think it was much more common in the city as space is a bit more at a premium than where I am now (rurally) , in fact if I remember most of their friends also shared with siblings. I do have to say that at 15, I was glad that they had their own by that stage for studying but if it hadn't have happened then I'm sure we would have all managed.

Do your children share at the moment? How do they feel about it?

If the sharing is the only downside of this place then I would say go for it. I have really fond memories of just us 3 in that flat.

emmathedilemma · 20/10/2022 12:28

Lots of my neighbours have 2 kids in our 2 bedroom flats so they must manage fine. We have 2 decent sized, but not huge, double bedrooms and space in the living room or kitchen for a dining table. We've also all got our own front door so direct access to outside and they play out together a lot in the communal grounds. The top floor flats have loft space but I'd imagine that bikes and scooters could be a nuisance as just one bike fills my hall.

gogohmm · 20/10/2022 12:37

We had a 2 bed until they were 5&3, it was fine - moved to a 4 bed and they wanted to carry on sharing, which they did until 8&6 when we moved again, younger wasn't keen on her own room but it was the right time.

Original poster
peanutbutterontoast7 · 20/10/2022 12:38

Two boys ages 2 and 5!

OP posts:
Original poster
peanutbutterontoast7 · 20/10/2022 12:40

Sorry I pressed send to soon! You can rent a garage separately via the council and there is a communal garden but when I've drove passed I can only see abit of grass to the front of the property which sits on a main road so if this is the communist garden not sure how much we would use it!

Great to read the happy memories ☺️

OP posts:
WheresMyDodo · 20/10/2022 12:41

We’re doing it. Just downsized from a gorgeous 4 bed detached. 😭 You get used to it. The main thing we did is to give the kids the bigger room as they have more toys etc. Lack of garden is crap but otherwise fine.

Original poster
peanutbutterontoast7 · 20/10/2022 12:42

At the min my youngest sleeps in my rooms they will share when my youngest sleeps better but at my parents room the rooms are very big, I'm just worried about the size of the rooms.
All I'm told is the flat is "a good size".
I can't find any info online as the building has been occupied for a long time so no recent sales or rent adverts. I have read online it's 59m2 but I'm not sure how accurate this is as found it on a very old website!

OP posts:
PeekabooAtTheZoo · 20/10/2022 12:43

59m2 is quite small. But if you take it can you then possibly get a swap later on if you need to move?

Breathmiller · 20/10/2022 12:44

We had a tiny shared garden to the back. It was concrete though but it gave a bit of space for trikes and being outside in the summer.

The garage sounds a good idea for storage.

I think two boys these ages would be fine.

xyzzyx · 20/10/2022 12:45

Due to complications in my own life I had to move with my 2 dc 1 and 4 to my dads house which is a 2bed flat. Three of us sharing one room at the time. Room not that big. After about a year my dad moved out and in with his gf so I transferred my 2dc into my dads bedroom. We were there for I think 3 years and we managed fine. Now they are older and we live comfortably in a bigger house

mamabear715 · 20/10/2022 12:46

Take it! With the way things are at the mo, I'd jump at it..

JenniferWooley · 20/10/2022 12:51

I'm currently in a 2-bed flat with DD20 & when DS14 comes to stay it's definitely cramped.

The kitchen storage/worktop space is abysmal - no idea how they expect a family of 2 adults & 2 teens to live here (which is possible if teens same sex) as I couldn't even store a full weekly shop along with the required crockery & cooking utensils to make proper dinners and that's before I attempt to use the less than 1mtr of useable worktop to prepare/dish up and no space for a table.

My living room is a decent size but not big enough to have a 4 seater dinner table.

Although both bedrooms are double, layout wise due to positioning of doors, wardrobes & radiators only the smaller of the 2 rooms would be able to have 2 single beds which then limits floor space so for sharing I'd need to have bunk beds so that's something to consider.

So in theory 2 same sex children and one adult should be ok in a 2-bed flat but that depends on the actual space available along with the layout and how that will adapt to fit an adult and 2 teens/young adults in the future if this is a long term thing.

Original poster
peanutbutterontoast7 · 20/10/2022 12:51

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 20/10/2022 12:43

59m2 is quite small. But if you take it can you then possibly get a swap later on if you need to move?

It does doesn't or, however it is a shared hallway so at least those measurements are the flat alone and not the stairs etc if that makes sense!

These may be wrong. I found a listing for another flat which is 1 bed and apparently those measurements are more which doesn't make sense to me!

OP posts:
JenniferWooley · 20/10/2022 12:54

PeekabooAtTheZoo · 20/10/2022 12:43

59m2 is quite small. But if you take it can you then possibly get a swap later on if you need to move?

I wouldn't bank on this - in my area every listing on the swap sites state no flats or 4 in a blocks.

LynneBenfield · 20/10/2022 12:56

mamabear715 · 20/10/2022 12:46

Take it! With the way things are at the mo, I'd jump at it..

I agree. The benefit of a smaller space is that it will be cheaper to heat (assuming things like the windows are in good condition) and you will have less to manage in terms of housekeeping and decoration/furnishing (especially if you have to carpet it). Obviously there are downsides like no private outside space and that’s not ideal with small children, but you will cope and presumably there are parks and green spaces locally you can access?

SpinningFloppa · 20/10/2022 12:56

Your children are tiny and they are both boys they will be expected to share until the oldest is 16. I wouldn’t count of getting a swap most people only want more (better!) than what they already have

Meadowbreeze · 20/10/2022 12:59

That's kind of how I grew up but with 3 bedrooms and 4 siblings and single mum. It was fine, lots of my friends were the same and unlike some of my friends in houses, ours was always lovely and warm. I would say it makes a difference if you have a separate living room and kitchen. Some older flats have separate toilet to bathroom which also helps. The new open plan thing is hard in flats with families. You ideally want one room where people can relax and it doesn't smell like cooking etc. 56m2 sounds small for a 2 bed though. I would definitely see if you can afford the garage. Bikes, camping gear, suitcases etc are all difficult to store. You should also look into getting a storage bed, ideally one where the mattress fully lifts up and you can use that storage.

emmathedilemma · 20/10/2022 13:04

There's a 2 bed flat in the block of flats down the road from me and that's showing as 60.2m2 and they're a decent size so I don't think 59 is particularly small. As an example this one is:
living room / dining room 4.8x3.51m
kitchen / breakfast 3.73x2.44m
bed 1 3.05x3.05m (plus built in wardrobes)
bed 2 3.35 x 2.82m (plus built in wardrobes)
plus entrance hall and bathroom with bath and storage cupboard.

Tea94 · 20/10/2022 13:18

I live in a 2 bed, 3rd floor with 2 children who are 9 and 2 and with husband. We love it! Cheap and cheerful, we use the local parks for outdoor space and we Home Educate so make room for that as well.
Good storage is your friend!

Zizou04 · 20/10/2022 13:22

I don't think it's the two bedrooms that's an issue, it's more the fact it's a flat and not a house. I stayed in a 2 bed rented flat for years, it was a new build and the bedrooms were massive etc.

But I hated the shared garden. My neighbour I shared with was just horrible. She would argue with me at every opportunity and shout at the children playing in the garden etc.

I wish I'd held out at the time and waited for a house with my own garden. Two bedrooms would have been fine, but I needed my own garden space, definitely.

I tried to get a swap for years and years and nobody wanted a flat, even a new build.