Box room for a child?

[orangeredpink]

I am a single parent with one DC (7). Having to move and looking for new properties to either rent or buy, I have the deposit to buy but due to the average property prices for a 2 bedroom flat in my area being ridiculously high I can't get a mortgage big enough. I can't move out of the area due to work/school/transport.

What I've found I can afford are big 1 bedroom flats (same size as my current 2 bed) where I could add a (temp?) wall/divider to the living room or bedroom to make a small boxroom, or 1 bed flats that already have a box room/study with the view of moving again to somewhere bigger in 2-3 years with a bigger deposit/salary.

I've spoken to DC and shown them how small their room would be compared to their current room, and they don't mind, esp as other than sleeping/getting dressed they are never in there. However, my mum thinks I'm bat shit crazy and massively unreasonable.

Alternatively, I could continue to rent, but would be paying £4-500 p/m extra in rent that what I'd be paying on a mortgage.

I was the youngest of 3 DCs so had the 'box room' - I liked it, took a while for DM to persuade me to move into one of the larger ones when DBs left home.

My son is in a box room with a mid sleeper bed and it is 100% totally fine. We made a little den underneath with lights and big cushions. He loves it.

To clarify, my market research conducted over the past 15 months here in my town have seen house asking vs pay drop by an average of 18.5% in the $2+ price bracket. In the $3m+ price range the drop has been 27.3%. The market below $1m hasn't been affected yet.

I think it's a good idea. Children are normally very adaptable with things like this, and at that age, they tend to go with the flow. Depending on the layout of any potential properties you look at, you can maybe make extra cubby type spaces for them, e.g. someone i know has made a little reading corner in an alcove near her stairs where her dc love to sit to catch a quiet moment etc, so you could do something like that when the time comes

good luck :)

My daughter has a box room at her dads (we are divorced) and she loves it! its 6x8. She has a lovely cabin bed with a pull out desk and a half size wardrobe / tall boy underneath and a chest of drawers as her bedside cabinet. She stores her out of season / special clothes at mine so she just has the stuff she needs day to day at her dads. She has a tv on a wall bracket and a walled bookshelf as well as a hanging storage on the back of the door so plenty of room for her bits and bobs. Shes probably more organised with her stuff at his than she is at mine as she has a large room at mine and leaves stuff all over the floor!

if she has a sleepover at her dads though they occupy the living room, so bare that in mind.

Teen DS has a small room, but has a loft bed with desk underneath.

DD has a tiny box room, with a mid sleeper bed and den underneath.

And baby DS has a bed in my room.

All I'm saying is, they are all happy with what they have, and if you have the opportunity to buy and save money instead of high rent, go for it.

Ikea is fab for furniture and storage in small bedrooms.

Good luck! Ignore your mother, do what you think is right x

In my experience kids love their own space, they don't give a cats pyjamas how big it is! Cozy, cute, functional etc all fab. I certainly had a postage stamp box room for a few years growing up and loved it! Your mum is bonkers not you!

I grew up with a box room bedroom - nice and cosy!

Going by the descriptions apparently my DS is in the box room! We just call it the smallest bedroom

A little room is absolutely fine. We are in the process of decorating our box room and found ikea very helpful, seeing the little room sets they have there are loads of ways to use the space that make the room seem bigger.

Thanks everyone, glad to know I'm not being ridiculous.

Your dc will be fine in the box room as long as your mum doesn't keep saying poor baby orange stuck in a poky Boxroom

Chances are she will, she already does the "poor baby orange can't play outside in a garden because you make him live in a flat".

Your mum sounds poisonous op I'd go low contact

I had a box room...for one child it makes little difference IMO.

When they're little, they'll play in the living room/wherever there's space.

When they're big, they'll only use their room for sleeping and lounging on the bed reading/watching TV/fiddling on their phones so it hardly matters how much floor space they have.

Make the most of the space with clever storage - shelves, under bed etc and it will be fine.

I had a boxroom up till I moved out at the age of 27.5! AND I shared it with my DS for the last 18 months of that! He'll be fine - it's small but it's his own space.

Me and my brother shared a box room when we was kids. It didn't do us any harm! In fact I've put my dd in the box room.

p.s after reading your updates, your mum sounds like a bit of a twat.

She's being a snob.. Carry on! Box rooms with clever storage are cool.

Growing up I had to share with my two sisters I would have killed for a box room on my own.

Sounds like you've found a good solution, OP - go for it. Likely to be better for your long-term finances to buy.

What do you think is really behind your Mum's objections? Is she jealous (has she always rented herself?)? Is she angling for you to move to a different part of the country? Or is she just being a snob?

Quartz "anyone who has two children who lives in a 1930s 3 bedroom has a child in a boxroom so I think its fine"

Thank goodness you have said this, there must be thousands of 1930s homes in our suburb alone with a box room (7x7ft maximum) that's used as a bedroom

I think it sounds great OP.

I chose the boxroom as a child & stayed in it til younger brother went to boarding school when I was 13.
Adults imo have a tendency to forget that children are smaller so things don't feel as small to them.

Myself and my sister shared a box room right up until we were teenagers. Room was too small to have beds side by side, so we had bunk beds. We turned out fine!

My cousin is 40 and still lives in his parents box room.

My teen ds lives in the box room, I sort of thought it was normal as most houses have a box room.

He had a high sleeper but it didn't work, it made the room very dark and most of the space below was underused. He's now got an IKEA daybed style thing with a storage headboard that has a bookshelf and pull out drawer thing. It stretches the full length of the room. On the other wall he has a tall boy and a desk. It's cosy but has a nice feel about it.

I figure it's just a bonus that both dses get their own space.

Many many kids sleep in a box room. I did as a kid, as did my brother. I,aging the things you can do with £400-£500 a month. That's a massive amount that you could buy decent furniture with as well as things like holidays, days out etc. Having a garden and a massive bedroom isn't essential. If you've cash to spare you can enjoy further afield outdoors.