To want to live in a two bedroom cottage with three kids?

[sobigle]

It's in the area I love so much and feel so settled in and it's all we can afford there.

Anyone else live in a tiny place with lots of kids?

Nothing wrong with kids sharing rooms.

Yes partner too

Renting or buying? If buying could you extend in the future?

What's the age and sex of the children? Have you figured out where everyone would sleep long term?
Sharing a room can be fine but I can't imagine one room containing 3 mixed sex teens.

Well, 3 sharing a room is done by lots of families, however generally because of their finances meaning they can't do "better" rather than by choice.
So, without knowing all the circumstances all I can say is it isn't what people usually aim for.

I do!
Moved to suit my life, job and it worked well with school too
Teen daughter has one room, 8yr old son and my things in the biggest room and I sleep on a double sprung sofa bed in the living room
The children are with there dad half the time mostly, some weeks more, some weeks less
I'm much happier, have zero miles to travel daily and more time

Ages 8, 6, 2. Boy boy girl.

It's to rent initially with a view to buying within a year.

We could afford four bedrooms in a very different (non-London) area.

I think it would depend on the size of the bedrooms and the age of the kids. Could you and your partner get a sofa bed and sleep in the living room?

So your DD will have to share with her brothers?

How tiny a cottage are we talking?

Thanks canthave, my instinct is so that it's the right thing for us but some family and friends think I've totally lost the plot, and I can see on paper it does seem a bit bonkers...

Is loft conversion a possibility when kids are 10/12?

Is there room to extend? Are you planning on staying for the long term? How would you sort bedrooms in 10 years time?

Can you fit three beds in one of rhe rooms? It's going to be cramped. The kids will grow up and get bigger and need space. It's doable, just might not be pleasant living conditions.

I had 2 ds and 1 dd similar age sharing at one point. Didn't go well.

Backforgood yes that's the sensible view and will I feel really guilty that the boys will share when they could have loads more space if we moved area?

What are the schools/commute like?

I have a 4, 3 and 1 year old and really would not want to do that as presumably the living space is fairly small. I would only do it if the schools etc were beyond amazing or a commute was only doable from that specific house - i.e. There was a very specific benefit to the whole family rather than my personal preference

Can house be extended or loft conversion etc ? If not then I think you are silly because it's unfair for 3 kids in one room

Op what do you mean you feel guilty the boys will share, where will your daughter sleep, surely she is sharing too?

Does better area mean better school for DC?
I can see benefit in buying not do much if renting unless it's for the above reason.

If you can afford larger accommodation in a different area then YABU. The two year old will disturb the others or vice Verda and no one will get a good night's sleep. With one boy starting secondary school in the near future that's not terribly fair I don't think

*versa, obviously

I think if you are single with no kids and you want to live in a studio somewhere much posh than you can afford, thats perfectly fine. I think if you have chosen to have 3 kids you need to grow up about what is practical and realistic, and will give you and your children a better quality of life. I really think you need to think practically instead of pretending you can afford to live in an area for richer people than you.

But then I sold a flat in Kensington for a giant detached house somewhere less fancy but much safer, with more green spaces, better schools and the same length of commute. So I generally find the nitwits in London who give up their children's comfort and lifestyle so they can feel more posh/trendy to be facile and shallow.

What does your partner think?