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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To buy a 1 bedroom house with two children

108 replies

FavaBeansAndANiceChianti · 10/10/2019 15:51

Looking at buying a rather small house with 1 bedroom as it has the potential to convert it into 2, possibly 3 with an attic conversion.

It would save us a lot of money per month with such a small mortgage but am I underestimating this?

Anyone with experience living in a partly renovated house with kids?!

OP posts:
FromEden · 10/10/2019 17:17

Those dimensions arent "spacious" at all, not for a family of four. Confused

Disfordarkchocolate · 10/10/2019 17:18

That sounds very small, I don't think it sounds viable to me.

lyralalala · 10/10/2019 17:19

It sounds like it was a two bedroom house, but the second bedroom was turned into the dressing room and en suite.

Is it big enough to convert back without losing the ensuite or will you have to remove that as well?

ColaFreezePop · 10/10/2019 17:20

The bedroom is small. It may have been bigger before the extra toilet and dressing area was added but it still doesn't sound large enough for splitting.

@MargotLovedTom1 No one bedroom houses really exist. I've been watching property porn randomly for the last decade or so, and every now and again they show a one bedroom house. They never go into why they exist.

Josephinebettany · 10/10/2019 17:22

I'm surprised everybody is being so negative. I think it sounds lovely. We built our own house. We have two kids. Downstairs we have a sitting room and kitchen in one room. Upstairs we have a tiny wc and our kids bedrooms are tiny but perfectly fine. We're all very happy Smile

Whattodoabout · 10/10/2019 17:22

No, I wouldn’t. We bought a 4 bedroom house and are currently converting the loft into two more bedrooms. It’s a nightmare. I wouldn’t want to do it if my children relied on the conversion to comfortably sleep. You will have a period where the four of you share one bedroom unless you’re planning on living elsewhere whilst the building work is carried out. Sounds awful.

ColaFreezePop · 10/10/2019 17:23

@Josephinebettany because some of us have lived through the "joys" of building work.

Amanduh · 10/10/2019 17:28

Those dimensions are small.

purplelila2 · 10/10/2019 17:31

For all those saying don't do it by contrast these are the measurements of a 3 bedroom house in my area

Lounge12' 1" x 11' 4"

Kitchen/ Diner14' 6" x 10' 7"

Landing
Stairs from hall, cupboard, loft access

Bedroom 112' 1" into wardrobe x 8' 3"

Bedroom 211' x 8' 4"

Bedroom 36' 10" x 6' 1" plus reccess

MatildaTheCat · 10/10/2019 17:33

It’s very small.misnit currently being cleverly displayed with minimal furnishings and belongings? Four people require a lot of storage. They have stuff.

I have a flat with extremely similar dimensions plus a small second bedroom (11x7) and it is great for a couple and a bloody squash for a family, especially one with dc who are on the verge of getting big.

notangelinajolie · 10/10/2019 17:34

I'd say it sounds like a plan. If it's in an expensive area then you have as good a chance as any to improve and add value. We've lived through renovation work on all our houses. We did it before and after kids. Twice with the kids in tow, it was messy and not much fun for the grown ups but the kids sailed through it. I don't think they even cared to be honest. And now we have a house we could never have afforded otherwise.

Taxtaxtax · 10/10/2019 17:35

That’s more living space than I have! It is cosy but it’s certainly liveable.

The dimensions wouldn’t worry me (as long as you can fit a double room for kids in the proposed area) but the building work might. Do you have a plan for when this is ongoing? Could you stay with family and get the second room done prior to moving in?

Loft conversation may not happen so keep that in mind, but kids can share anyway so that wouldn’t bother me either.

Worst house best street etc, if you like the area and the shell then go for it!

Passthecherrycoke · 10/10/2019 17:36

Not sure what you mean @purplelila2? The house you’ve described is much bigger than OPs

Ginnymweasley · 10/10/2019 17:36

It doesnt sound that big tbh. Our house is a 3 bed end terrace and the box room is 9ft by 6ft (in an L shape) and once you get a bed and some drawers in you cant fit much else tbh. How big is the dressing room? I would be concerned about downstairs space. We moved house recently cause our living space downstairs was about the same as that and with 2 kids it felt crowded.

StatisticallyChallenged · 10/10/2019 17:36

Purple the dimensions there add up to about 500sq ft. There will be a bit not accounted for (bathrooms, hall, cupboards) but say 600 is still a very small 3 bedroom house.

And the kitchen on the one you've listed is twice the size of OPs. I know she says there's a small conservatory for dining but unless it's a good one there will likely be many months it's useless due to being too hot or too cold.

MindatWork · 10/10/2019 17:36

Have you had a conservatory before OP? We have one with a dining table in it but it’s only really useable for a few weeks of the year in spring and summer due to the heat and cold coming through the glass. The people we bought it from insisted they sat in it all year round Hmm

We’re looking to convert to an extension as it’s pretty useless space at the moment...

TeacupDrama · 10/10/2019 17:36

I think you need to look at tiny house threads for getting ideas as i said the ensuite and dressing area may make a 2nd bedroom a 2 bed house only needs 1 bathroom but the question is for the loft to become a bedroom it needs a proper staircase with fire doors not a hatch and ladder so you risk losing space from 2 already not big bedrooms
if both kids are the same sex with good design they can share bedroom until adulthood despite what many say on MN it is perfectly ok for 2 sisters or brothers to share , I shared with my sister in bunks until I went to uni at 18

steppenmum · 10/10/2019 17:37

That's tiny! No way! The living space isn't nearly enough. Your 2 must be very young. The stuff multiples fast. You'd be nuts.

TeacupDrama · 10/10/2019 17:38

kids stuff generally gets smaller as they get older

Dontsweatthelittlestuff · 10/10/2019 17:44

Yes stuff gets smaller as the get older but they need space. Teens take an awful lot of room up with clothes storage, desks to study at, friends hanging out etc.
I think even whilst they are still young it would be a struggle.

PancakeAndKeith · 10/10/2019 17:45

In my last house that was the size of my living room. With two of us it was far to small. No way for a family of 4 unless you have a second living space.

purplelila2 · 10/10/2019 17:45

@Passthecherrycoke those dimensions aren't that much bigger and they're for a 3 bedroom .

purplelila2 · 10/10/2019 17:47

and you could put a tiled roof on the conservatory which means you could use it all year round

FiddlesticksAkimbo · 10/10/2019 17:49

I'm not going to post a link because I've already shown a couple of people and although it's probably already a bit outing anyway, I don't want to be very outing!

They won't be happy! As a concession you could always try posting a parking diagram, that might appease them for a few hours Grin

Original poster
FavaBeansAndANiceChianti · 10/10/2019 17:49

Its not intended to be a forever house but if we could convert it we would make decent money given the area its in.

OP posts:
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