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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To buy a 3 storey house

39 replies

Trillis · 25/04/2018 10:41

Posting for traffic.

DH and I seriously looking at buying a 3 storey new build. It has a master suite on top floor, other bedrooms on middle floor and enough living space on ground floor. However, DH is a bit concerned about the layout. It's plenty spacious enough, but he isn't keen on us being on the top floor, mainly because he would prefer to be between kids and any intruders. And because there isn't a loft (our current one is full). It's also next to a big patch of open grass, which could be a good thing (the garden is like a postage stamp) or a bad (local kids congregating there).

Would any of you have concerns about the layout? Would a 3 storey house put you off? Or the open land at the side? There are loads of new builds going up in the same area if that makes a difference.

For background, our main issue is that the house isn't actually where we want to live so we'd want to sell up after about 8 years. We're therefore really concerned about saleability. We are only considering it because we've been looking for several years now and haven't found anything we can afford which has enough space and is on a bus route. We are in a rural county, very poor bus service and I currently spend up to 2 hours each day ferrying kids around (thats driving time, not waiting for them time). Kids are secondary age so could get themselves around if there was a bus. We also have nightmare neighbours we are desperate to get away from.

I suppose my AIBU is AIBU to buy a house that has a layout we aren't sure will put people off buying it in the future, in an area we don't really want to live, just because it's convenient for DCs schools?

Thanks!

OP posts:

cazinge · 25/04/2018 10:44

We live in a 3 storey. 1970s build & different layout to this; kitchen / diner on ground floor, lounge, study/bed 4 (altho accessed from lounge) & bathroom on middle floor, 3 beds (2 doubles & 1 single) & shower room (bathroom at a push) on 3rd floor.

Ours is a road of 3 storeys and there are various layouts as people have made changes, they can be v flexible & you do gain in space but they are for a specific market and sale may be harder.

Ginger1982 · 25/04/2018 10:47

We're about to move into a 3 storey house. Kitchen, lounge/diner/we on ground floor, 4 beds/bathroom on 1st floor and 2 attic beds and shower room on top floor so we wouldn't have the issue about being on separate floor from kids. The patch of land might worry me more. Is there a neighbour you could check with to see if local kids do congregate there? Of course if you have kids it might be a blessing that they have somewhere to go within shouting distance!

AnnieOH1 · 25/04/2018 10:48

We considered something similar but over 4 levels, it really was a lovely property but on a postage stamp. Instead we looked elsewhere and found a more traditional detached. At the time we had our 1 year old only and we could see advantages to the townhouse for older kids but like your DH we had concerns about the kids being on a different level.

Grassland wouldn't bother me although it would depend how secluded it is. My parents have a playing field on their back garden that has fields to the other side and is surrounded by homes on 2 sides. It is very overlooked so there's never any trouble so to speak. Something similar would be a bonus IMHO. But if it was more secluded I would be concerned about it becoming a magnet like a similar patch near my MIL that ends up with teens doing the whole sex, drugs and drinking thing on there by night. That I would avoid.

nocake · 25/04/2018 10:48

We looked at this type of house and decided it didn't provide enough living space. They tend to be cheaper than similar size houses because some people don't like the layout so if you can live with that you get more for your money.

I hate buying houses so I wouldn't consider something that would mean I have to sell again in 8 years. We were so determined not to get stuck in that position that we rented for 6 months just to get the right house. So... I would say don't buy it and wait for the right house in the right location (or at least a better house in a better location).

Bluntness100 · 25/04/2018 10:50

I also live in a three story house albeit a very old one. However I'm not sure I'd have done it when my daughter was young, she's currently at uni and only home for hols, but obviously lived here full time before that, her bedroom and bathroom is on the top floor. I'm not sure I'd have been keen for us to be at the top and her in the middle and when she was younger I would prefer to be on the same floor as her.

However, sometimes you need to compromise and it sounds like you've come to that point.

SluttyButty · 25/04/2018 10:55

We live in a 3 storey new build. Dd is in the top floor because at 18 she really needed her own space to study. We have open ground next to us and that's great because no one can hear me yelling at DS to get up.

As for the lack of a proper loft, it's really not been an issue for us and I've found it very liberating to only have attic cupboards with limited space to only store suitcases and Christmas decorations.

There is no problem on reselling them here either, I love a good rightmove nose so I've seen them selling relatively quickly.

OddestSock · 25/04/2018 10:55

No, we rented a place where we had the attic conversion & the kids had a bedroom on the floor below & it was something I knew I didn’t want when we bought a house.

Allmyshilldren · 25/04/2018 11:02

We have a similar set up in our Edwardian terrace with the loft converted, but we have a good sized room on the middle floor which we use and put DC in the loft. I wouldn’t have it the other way round because I Iike to be able to hear what is going on downstairs in case of intruders. I also like that if I did hear someone downstairs I could quickly run upstairs, grab DC and lock ourselves into the en suite. Makes me sound really paranoid but my husband is abroad a lot!

BarbaraofSevillle · 25/04/2018 11:07

We live next to a big patch of grass. It was wasteground when we viewed the house, but by the time we'd bought it, it had been landscaped into a 'neighbourhood green'.

Children do play on it, that's one of the reasons it’s there for and they’re not doing any harm. It’s nice to see them playing out, when so many kids don’t seem to do this any more.

There's picnic benches and sometimes people have barbecues there in nice weather. Sometimes there's teens 'hanging around' and one of our neighbours seems to use it as an outdoor office as he's often on the phone out there, but I assume that he likes the fresh air or has crap reception in his house.

On balance, it doesn't cause any problems and is a positive rather than a negative. The council (or similar) maintain it - cut the grass, clean up rubbish etc.

Queenie8 · 25/04/2018 11:09

I live in a 3 storey house, master bedroom and en-suite are in the loft conversion and the DC rooms are on the middle floor. I worried about the kids being below us in the event that we were burgled, (I was broken into twice and attempted break in in my previous house), but we increased security measures, and my OH pointed out that if there was a fire, the kids would be able to get out being on the middle floor, and they would unlikely think or be able to climb out onto the roof if they were in the loft conversion.

MothershipG · 25/04/2018 11:18

In my street in London and all around this area at least 50% of houses have a loft conversion, usually with master bedroom and ensuite in the loft.

Personally I love being on a different floor to my teenagers, it gives everyone an added sense of privacy.

Fruitbat1980 · 25/04/2018 11:23

We had a 3 story, we moved before children so yanbu. I know three other families who moved out of town houses for same reason. Not even just kids being separate floor but also because buggies/ rowdy kids / toddlers/ shopping and multiple stairs is a nightmare. To be fair ours probably was worse as lounge was on middle floor.

DonkeysDontRideBicycles · 25/04/2018 11:41

I like the look of 3 storey townhouses, they usually look pretty smart. Unless a prospective buyer has mobility issues I wouldn't imagine resale being a problem.

in an area we don't really want to live, just because it's convenient for DCs schools you are already finding it a nuisance having to drive so much and it doesn't get easier as the DCs get older. Perhaps once the new era of Not Having To Drive So Much takes off and you settle in, you will decide the area is not that bad.

We downsized last time we moved, it forced us to take a hard look at what we were storing. What is in your loft and can you get rid of some of it? Is there a garage single or double at the new place?

Whatthefoxgoingon · 25/04/2018 11:50

I live in a 3 story house and it’s a pain when you’ve left something on the ground floor... my kids are old enough to be left on their own floor though.

The problem with 3 storey new builds are that they tend to be on postage stamp size plots to maximise the developers profits. If you buy a good number of bedrooms, you need the correspondingly similar amount of both indoor and outdoor living space. New builds tend to be very mean with both. And then if there’s no loft for storing everything you have to for a largish family...it’s looking not so attractive now iykwim.

If you buy a 3 storey make sure you look at the overall square footage and how it is divided VERY carefully. Otherwise you could end up with a very top heavy house.

ConciseandNice · 25/04/2018 11:55

We live in a 3 storey, but it’s Victorian and very roomy and also our kids are on the top floor so being below them feels more secure. I wouldn’t worry about resaleability as I’m sure it’ll be fine, but I wouldn’t want to buy knowing I’d have to move again anyway in 8 years.

Also all the stairs are a right pain in the arse (literally).

FleurDelacoeur · 25/04/2018 11:58

We bought a three storey townhouse and it was not right for us. We were swayed by having three large bedrooms with a loo on each floor, but the living space on the ground floor was just not enough for a family with small children.

Might be useful set up for families with older children who are spending time in their rooms rather than in the family space, but we found that the space was very difficult with two toddlers. In fact, when we moved away, top of the list for any new house was more downstairs space.

NotNiceReally · 25/04/2018 12:07

Our house was a new build and sounds similar to your description. We bought it before we had DC. Our master bedroom is on the top floor.

It’s been fine tbh, however, I did co-sleep with each of the DC when they were newborn so I was with them on the middle floor.

Now they are 10 and 6 and are absolutely fine in their own rooms on a different floor. In fact it means we can do whatever we want (ahem ) without worrying that they might hear something.

MadisonAvenue · 25/04/2018 12:08

We have a three storey new build and love it, it's very versatile.

Ground floor we have a lounge, kitchen diner, large hall, utility room and cloakroom. The lounge there has proved very useful for when the kids have friends around.
First floor has the main lounge and across the large landing is an office and our oldest son's bedroom, which is mostly unused as he's away at university but being on a different floor allows him more privacy.
Top floor we have our room and en suite, the family bathroom, younger son's bedroom and the spare bedroom.
There's also a full sized loft.

LillianGish · 25/04/2018 12:13

I don't think three storeys is a problem at all - every house in London seems to have a loft conversion these days (or if it doesn't have one now, gets one as soon as it sold on) - lots of benefits to having your bedroom on the top floor (no kids need ever to up there so it can be a complete oasis even if the rest of the house is a sea of chaos). Alternatively you can put the kids on top so they are not disturbed (or don't disturb you) in the evenings. Personally I think it's a bit of a slog having three floors when you have small children, but then I live in an apartment which many people in the UK would consider less than ideal with kids. I don't think three storeys would put off future buyers, but I think your reservations about the house are about more than that. Not having loft might be a problem for you if you are big hoarders, the spare ground is an unknown quantity - might be ok might be a problem (bit like you nightmare neighbours) - but more than that the house isn't where you want to live (don't really understand that). Why not look where you do want to live?

EssentialHummus · 25/04/2018 12:14

It's also next to a big patch of open grass

I'd worry about another house/development going up here, and the associated noise/disruption to you. Otherwise it sounds fine to me.

Original poster

Trillis · 25/04/2018 12:18

Thank you for your responses. I really appreciate it. For info, this house does have plenty of downstairs living space so that isn't an issue (it's why we are looking at this particular one). Interesting that several of you wouldn't buy if you had to move again after 8-10 years. I suppose we don't have to if we find we like it, but DH and I have always liked village life and are used to having countryside around us, so moving to a new build estate on the edge of a town just isn't what we envisage long term. However the convenience while the kids are at school would be very useful. But this is why saleability is a concern and it's good to know some of you would rule out a house with this layout so it may not be as easy as we hope to sell on.

Thank you again.

OP posts:

Osopolar · 25/04/2018 12:22

We live in that layout with the master at the top (although we do have loft space) and then other bedrooms on the middle. DS being below us doesn't bother us as we feel that the risk of an intruder while we are in the house is very small and they will likely stick to the TV, PlayStation etc in the sitting room.

We plan to be here for another 9 years until DS starts secondary school but that's due to area not house layout.

Kezzamo · 25/04/2018 12:25

We live in a 3 storey house. In the main we love it. But kitchen and lounge on the middle floor. The layout of yours sounds much better and if I were to buy 3 storey again I would definitely go for your layout. It drives us crazy carrying everything upstairs and bbqs are a pain in the bum.

sonypony · 25/04/2018 12:25

We live in one which sounds similar layout. We sleep on the top floor and DC on the middle. No problem. Moved in before DC was born and having a second, I think it's fine for small children. The only reason I wouldn't buy another is because we intend to stay here until kids left/retirement time so will want something smaller/bungalow then I guess.

nobutreally · 25/04/2018 12:26

Like others here, we live in a three story Victorian with a loft conversion. We moved here when your two were 8 and 10, so (imo!) old enough to be on the floor below us without any concerns. I love it: I have a quiet bolt hole away from mates/carnage/teenage drama! I suspect it wouldn't have worked so well for us when they were younger, but for older kids it's a great set up. We have a shed and a sidestore so haven't missed the lack of loft (I expected to!)

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