Which house with three kids?

[ivegotthisyeah]

Hello
So I'm currently going through a divorce and have realised that I most probably will have to sell my lovely family home. I'm over this and know it's the right thing to do sad for the kids but I rather have more money to do stuff with them then be tight staying in this house and paying the mortgage and maintaining a large garden etc.
So currently I have a large living area 2 living rooms a playroom large kitchen however just three double bedrooms one of which my daughters share. My question is when I downsize should I go for less living area and four bedrooms so they each have one or three bedrooms with more living area. I'm just thinking as the kids get older they will want their own space and do older kids tend to spend more time in their room? Also if they have friends over least they could have some privacy.
I have three DC 9,6&2 help me decide! I'm thinking long term for this house x

I think less living area and a bedroom each...life will be more harmonious once they are teenagers if they have their own rooms I would imagine.

Less living area and a bedroom each but only if there is enough room in the living area for everybody to sit down.

Definitely prioritise bedrooms.

Bedrooms.

If you're planning on your new house being your forever home I'd go for the 4 bedrooms. If not go for the bigger living area.

If you can afford a four bedroom house I would think it would be best option. Each child will have there own private space & with 7 years between them the youngest can move into a bigger bedroom as the eldest leaves home

For me it would depend a little on how much of a compromise downstairs is to get the 4th bedroom. And the size of the bedroom. One child having actually a tiny room can be a problem as they may encroach on downstairs anyway. Are you happy at them spending a lot of time upstairs? What happens when partners come on the scene? Are they with you full time? A family room that has the electronics etc might be better than a fourth bedroom although each of the rooms upstairs doesn’t actually have to be a bedroom. You could have a shared space there.

Bedrooms. Ds is nearly 13 and spends most of his time in his room

Are they all girls? That would give you a bit more flexibility to play with. I don't think it's the end of the world for kids to have to share bedrooms, even as teenagers. A larger bedroom to share rather than two tiny bedrooms might work well. The age gaps aren't huge, either.

Look at actual houses though and try to think about what kind of family life you want and need. I wouldn't absolutely rule out 3-bed houses.

Definitely a room each, but they all have to be decent size.

You could also look at a house that had the potential to have a dormer put in? So 3 bedrooms for now, and then save up to get the 4th bedroom on a new level.

I don't like the thought of them being upstairs all the time just can see from friends with older children they like to go in their rooms. I would hope there would be a big enough living room for us all. I have a partner but no plans to move in. Just wanted to get thoughts before I start looking. Ideally if four bed I would want a living room kitchen and somewhere to sit and eat

Definitely bedrooms, teenagers spend a lot of time in their bedrooms. Would you get more for your money with a new property?

Have you looked into SOLD prices of houses in the area you want to live?

If you want to spend significantly less than you are now, what can you actually get for your money?

I would go for the bedrooms personally. We are in a 4 bed now and when we first moved in the boys chose to share but a couple of years ago they asked for their own room. The oldest ds asked for the smaller bedroom because he doesn’t play with toys as much now and he’s rather have a small room of his own than a large room to shares. Ds2 is in a pretty big double room which is great for him because he can spread out playmobil and leave it out for days while he’s playing. We did look at the option of a three bed last year in a much more practical location and plenty big enough rooms to share but the boys didn’t want to share again and there would have been many plus pints for them that would have outweighed the room sharing but they preferred where we are now but with own rooms.

I think the layout/space downstairs and general vibe of the house makes a difference to how much time kids spend in their rooms. Personally I like to make the living space somewhere everyone wants to be and the bedrooms nice, but with the focus on sleeping. Obviously they’re all individuals so make their own choices about where to spend their time, but you can definitely influence it by how the house is laid out and utilised.

We have a 4 bed with a small living room and large kitchen diner oldest 2 (15 and 13) spend most of time in bedrooms youngest is happy to play in kitchen which is more like our family room.

Bedrooms definitely a priority as teenagers hibernate in them most of time with occasional trips out in search of food.

Another vote for bedrooms. I get what you are saying about you not wanting them to be upstairs all of the time but when they are older they will need their own space. A family living room will be a lot more appealing to them if they also have a private space to retreat to.

Have you aßked the two that share

Thanks! Yes I'm asked them they like sharing at the mo but would be happy to have their own rooms in the future especially the eldest and before the baby brother came they had their own x