To turn my spare bedroom into a walk-in wardrobe?

[RowenaRavenclaw]

I have a spare bedroom that has a single bed at the moment, with another mattress that turns into a double bed underneath. We never use the room unless guests come because there's no space for a wardrobe/computer table or anything else.

My mum, sils, sister and family, niece nephews etc used to come and stay, but last year I sort of stopped having as many people round. Mainly due to financial problems + stress, and previous years we have been far too accomodating to MIL, BILs and every member of family possible. I'm so over stay-over guests. I never stay round anyone's either so it's all pretty one-sided. I've been thinking of making it into a walk in wardrobe (break down wall from our main bedroom to spare room). Have more space and a proper dressing table for once in my life.

However, my mum who currently lives in a flat by herself atm thinks this is another attack on her. She thought us turning the larger spare room into DS's nursery was a bad idea as she preferred that room and was the main guest room until ds came along. My sisters/sils and rest of the family are interpreting this as a 'no more guests allowed idea' rather than my dream wardrobe room. It probably is a bit of both but aibu to listen to my heart?

YANBU. I would do that if I could. You can always buy an air bed for visitors.

Only thing I would consider is that it might devalue the house if you want to sell.

I've done something similar. I had a junk room (the middle sized room) and the small room was used by my eldest two. When the baby came along we cleared out the junk room and made it into their room and have put their clothes into the small room, along with the bath unit and washing basket. When baby is a little older, I plan to get bunks to replace one of the single beds, maybe move that one into the small room to replace the bath unit.

Your day to day living trumps potential over night guests. Maybe you could get a Z bed, store it in your new wardrobe and bring it out when you have guests?

Oh and if I owned this house I'd make some massive changes to the rooms. The bathroom (which is adjacent to my room) would become my wardrobe and maybe a shower/basin in there ir could even free up space in my bedroom for a bath. The small room would become a decent sized bathroom with actual real light. The toilet we currently have would be incorporated into the girls room to give them space for the wardrobe they're losing in this deal

Good grief. It's your house and your rooms. Not theirs!

Some people!

I think it sounds like a great idea - both turning it into a walk in wardrobe and having fewer overnight guests!

I'd go for it.

wow, sounds fab. i'd go for it too. yanbu.

Losing a bedroom would probably hit the value of the house and knocking through may be messy and costly with plastering decorating carpets etc,

The permanent loss of the room would put me off unless it was really a very tiny room, or if I had a 6 + bedroom house then it wouldn't matter!!

However you aren't obliged to keep a guest room, lots of people don't have spare rooms at all, keeping a room for guests that visit very rarely is a luxury if you think you can use the space on a daily basis.

I can sort of see your mums pov but she should understsnd that if she isn't a regular visitor she can't really expect you to keep a room for her.
It's not as if you have said that she can never visit you it's just she will have to put up with an air bed / sofa which is what many other people who don't have spare rooms do anyway,

Unless your mother is willing to pay rent to permanently baggsey the room go for it

Do you need the space? Yes.
Is the room a necessity? No.
Is the room used on a regular basis? No.

End of discussion.
You do whatever you want. It's your house!

I'd turn it into a wardrobe but leave it as a room at the moment. I think it would devalue your home if you lost a bedroom.

My DD has 5 DC and has two DD's sharing and uses the spare room as a "laundry room".

She pops the washing in there when it comes off the line and has lots of shelving and hangers everywhere. Each DC knows where their particular spot in the "laundry room is"

Also keeps the ironing board and iron there as well. (Not that it gets used all that often)

Don't worry about what your DM thinks. It's pointless having a room in the house that can't be used on a daily basis.

We're viewing houses atm and we saw one with a massive walk in wardrobe (which the whole family shared) opposite the bathroom. Bedrooms only had had chest of drawers (presumably with underwear in). The room was big enough to be a bedroom but there was only a tiny window. We thought it was a really good idea, would really work for us as a family and was definitely a plus point for us.
If the future value of the house is a concern, do you have to break the wall down? Could you not just put an interconnecting door through and keep the other door in situ? Then it could still be usable as a bedroom for a family with a baby or young child?

YANBU.

We have one

It was already in when we bought the house, but it has it's own access from the landing rather than through a bedroom, so if you rip out the built in wardrobe bit then it's still a separate room.

A separate, useless room, as it's not big enough to put as much as a cot in if you want to actually open the door.

Agree with others about losing value on the house, but apart from that it's an excellent idea! It's your house so do whatever you want.
Does a lot of your family live quite a while away? If not then I can't see any reason they would need to stay over.

I would LOVE a walk in wardrobe if I ever had enough clothes and shoes to fill it!

thanks everyone, I was thinking that I'm being a selfish moo! sommmewhereelse an interconnecting door sounds like another plan. I will look into that. The house has scope to extend, so we plan to always live here and extend over the garage oneday. A few other houses on the street have done that, and extended backwards to have bigger bathroom. I think the room is too small for anyone to really sleep in it properly. It used to be a sort of computer room/spair shoe mess room before dc. Then turned into his nappy changing cot room. I will have a look at some doors. I like those japanese style wooden ones that slide.

I have been considering one of those log cabin type of rooms in the garden for guests! I've shown my mum pics and they look fab, but she thinks that's putting her in the garden. There's no pleasing some people. She had a chance to stay permanently round the corner from me in her own house, but passed up to live somwhere else so that she can remain as a 'guest'.

No you are not being selfish, it's your house!

We have 5 bedrooms and none of them for guests!!! Just the way i like it.

Since the two eldest have moved out, the smallest room is currently being used as our dressing room, (Have considered knocking through but is still seperate at the moment) and the other rooms are occupied.
If any of the rooms were to be kept unused, just in case someone might want to come back or stay, i'd be charging rent!

You have your dressing room if thats what you want, Bugger to anyone else!!!

You may well need to check with your morgage provider. Ours certainly says that we can't alter the number of rooms without consulting them. If it's going to devalue your house to less than the amount you owe on it, I think it is fair enough for them to object.

Personally I'd rather have a guest room than a walk in wardrobe, but it's your house.