to think maybe we'll never have enough space?

[LoveBomber]

We currently live in a smallish (900 sq ft) 3 bed semi with three children. The dses share a room (one pre teen and one toddler) and dd has the box room. We have one bathroom, no second loo, small garden.

So cramped and cluttered as you'd expect.

We are very fortunate to be able to buy a bigger house, and should be moving this time next month. The new house has 4 double bedrooms, 1400 sq foot, ensuite and downstairs loo, family room, study. I have spent many happy hours planning furniture layouts in all the glorious space.

However, my mum has just reminded me that I was just as excited when we moved into this house from our tiny flat, and its only taken us 5 years to outgrow it. She said that we'll never have enough space as we'll expand to fill the space we have. That unless you buy a mansion, all houses feel too small eventually.

Is she right? Please tell me that when you've moved into your 'forever home' it feels spacious and right and not eventually cramped and small. We aren't having any more children, my mum just means we'll accumulate stuff.

no, dont agree.

our 4 bed house felt a bit squeezed for a year or 2 but now dd1 is at uni for 9 months of the year, it is fine. and yours is bigger than ours ( one bathroom, downstairs loo)

i dont believe in forever homes though!

Well I'm never bloody moving again, this has been too stressful, so they'll be taking me out in a box. Hence 'forever house'

I think a big house MUST feel big even after you've lived there for ages. It won't wear off, will it?

I am just aching for more space. I have ridiculous dreams where I find extra rooms and secret cellars. I'm a bit obsessed.

No, she's talking shite.

4 double bedrooms? You'll have LOADS of space!

What are you going to fill it with?

That's brilliant Lovebomber, I thought I was the only one to have those dreams!

Nope, my family (and me) collect more than enough clothes, books, shoes, outgrown toys, hobby related equipment, craft stuff, art materials, etc. etc. etc. to clutter up decent sized 3 bed house (only 2DCs) with a dinning room, study, large garage and ~5 sheds.

They also clutter up the garden with trampolines, swing frames and stuff too.

I'm 100% certain they would clutter up a 12 bed mansion. The DDs might one day go to uni., but DH is by far the worst offender, so it's not likely to improve.

Waaah, don't say that, Nocomet! That's exactly what we're like...

Beingblonde I have those dreams all the time. And then wake up half believing it was real and get crushingly disappointed.

Joff, mostly Lego and musical instruments, I think.

Hm, ive lived in 900sf Victorian 2 bed plus attic for storage, then moved into 1400sf 4 bed (1 loft conversion double, 1 box, 2 double beds) with garage and... It didn't feel much bigger. The hallways are much more cramped, the bedrooms are much smaller too albeit still double.

I think it's more about having built in storage, especially in what would otherwise be "dead space" in hallways.

When we moved into our house (four double beds, interestingly, though only one minute bathroom and over four very steep stepped floors) we didn't have enough furniture to put in all the rooms.

We are completely overflowing now.

LoveBomber

Of course it's possible to fill the space and overflow if you're that type of family. We aren't because I can't stand clutter, use it or lose it in our house with less things meaning less cleaning and less money tied up.

She's talking nonsense.

I have 3 teen ds's, 1 bathroom and two of them share a bedroom.

Good on you, house sounds fab.

You lucky spud!

I think you tend to use the space you have, so you could go down the path of buying more furniture, hoarding etc... and you will feel cramped.

On the other hand each DC will have a room, and you have spare bathrooms.

We moved into the biggest house we have had recently and it feels too big for us. DH keeps carping on about our crap, but we actually travel light (we move around for work). I have however, looked at our 'crap' with honest eyes and things we really, really don't use/need I have been either sending to the charity shop or selling. The DC have some spending money for our summer vacation as a result!

What I find helps to keep the sense of space, is putting everything away where it belongs, When there is clutter, or toys everywhere, that is what your eye sees and it feels cramped/too full.

It helps to have massive storage as well. This house has the BIGGEST cupboards I've ever seen, I could store several orphaned nephews under the stairs and another in the downstairs loo cupboard. It has walk in wardrobes in each bedroom which I love too, I could fit bunkbeds in each and rent them out to lodgers!

I've had 3 'big' houses around 1400 to 1600 square feet and they have stayed feeling big to me so I disagree. I also have 3DC. I am quite strict with stuff though, if I buy some new clothes I do try and get rid of at least one item, don't let old magazines pile up, give away old toys etc. I also try and do a big clear out of at least one room every 6 to 12 months. Your new home sounds lovely.

Your Mum is right - you expand into the space, of course you do. In the same way your spending increases when your income does, and the thought of existing on the income you had 5 years ago, becomes a worry.

Of course, this is exaggerated if you are hoarders, and possibly not an issue if you are some sort of a minimalist, but most people grow pretty quickly to fill the space they have got.

Sigh. I love storage. Nearly as much as I love stationary.

The high point for me was when the dc were younger and there was just so much stuff everywhere. Now they're teens we're much less cluttered and although not perfect, generally much tidier too. Enjoy your new house. Moving is a great opportunity for a radical de-clutter.

We ran our business from home and squashed three kids into one bedroom for a couple of years. Moved to a bigger house and only the girls had to share. Finally moved to the five bedroom we have now with grand plans for a guest room/playroom and immediately discovered we were expecting DC4.

We moved to a big (forever) house and it's stayed feeling big. I too ached for more space and now I have it it's precious to me. However I am much stricter with myself and everyone else now about clearing out the crap. Bin bag in hand and a regular whizz round when you start to see those 'piles' creeping in works wonders. I never used to be like that; I'd dither and keep things just in case or for sentimental reasons. Well I learned a big lesson on that when we moved and shifted a ton of things which I don't miss one bit.

I can see what she means though, like my handbags, does not matter how big it is I never have spare space as I fill it with more crap.

Tinkly don't go moving to a 6 bedroom house, you know what may happen!

The best storage we have for (my) shoes and bags is the bed. We bought a new bed and got one that lifts up with storage in the base. It's brilliant.

Ok, you need to declutter massively before you move, and regularly once you have, and you'll be fine. But don't take anything with you that you aren't absolutely sure you want to hang on to.

I see what your mum is saying. There are people who full their houses with stuff and no matter how much space they have, it will never be enough.

Mil moved to a slightly bigger house and is complaining it's too small. In her lounge, she has 2 huge sofas (they are really deep), plus an arm chair and a huge foot rest. It's far too much for the size of the room. She is planning on moving somewhere bigger, but I suspect she will fill her new place with more stuff.