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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:
PancakeAndKeith · 10/10/2019 17:52

But would it be worth the stress of converting while living in it?

oldfatandtired1 · 10/10/2019 17:58

My sitting room is 15.7 x 10.4, my kitchen is 9.6 x 7.8 and my main bedroom is 10.5 x 9.1. The total gross internal area is 678 sq.feet, it’s a 2 bed modern cottage with a bathroom, downstairs cloaks, the 2nd bedroom is 9.7 x 7.10, there’s a small back garden. I love my house but I live alone - I can’t imagine sharing it with another adult, let alone kids!

At the risk of sounding like one of ‘those’ mumsnetters who would only consider a 4 bed detached, 2 receptions and en-suites all round I think you’d really get on top of each other.

Ilovemypantry · 10/10/2019 18:00

By the time you’ve paid out for alterations and aloft conversion, you might just as well buy a bigger house and save all the disruption.

Whiteandblue · 10/10/2019 18:02

If you’re really asking for honest opinions- that is tiny, would be workable for a couple with a baby/toddler but even if you did the loft conversion, like everyone has said where would your kids stuff go...?
I know that feeling of getting desperate to move to an area and looking at houses that my gut says are unsuitable but trying to see if we could possibly make it work.... remember although it would be good to make money on it, moving costs, building work is always misread expensive than originally planned. And with kids that age I’d want to enjoy family time rather than live in a squashed building site and not even end up with a decent size home at the end of it. Maybe be patient, have a good look round for other properties? Good luck!

Jellybeansincognito · 10/10/2019 18:02

No I wouldn’t. We have 2 double rooms and a box room atm (I hope to extend this in the future) and 2 kids and I don’t feel this is enough.

Irisloulou · 10/10/2019 18:03

WOW, its tiny, I’m really not sure how four people can make that work.
My first flat was similar dimensions and I lived alone.

I’m going to say it would be a no for me. I’ve lived through renovations. In a big house and that was hard enough.

rubyroot · 10/10/2019 18:04

Well I think it sounds like s great plan. Just check planning permission etc. But you're converting, rather than building extra so I think its doable

rubyroot · 10/10/2019 18:06

Oh just looked at measurements of rooms etc, perhaps not!

notangelinajolie · 10/10/2019 18:06

You sound like your're up for it OP and I think you do have a vision for how it is going to be. I would recommend opening up downstairs and having one big living/kitchen space and maybe doing something with the conservatory to make it a more permanent part of the house. It's not for everyone as you can tell from all the comments on here. It won't be easy but if you can see beyond the mess I'd do it. At the end of the day - what's a few months of roughing it when the end result will mean you get a fabulous shiny new home in a great area. My family and friends all said they couldn't live like we've had to but I actually quite liked it.

Wilmalovescake · 10/10/2019 18:08

Link! Link! Link! Grin

Phoebesgift · 10/10/2019 18:10

My BIL and his wife did exactly this. 1 bed house then did a loft conversion so their kids could have a room each.
TBH the only parts of the house that feel spacious are the bedrooms!
Downstairs it's straight into the small living room and kitchen. They have a dining table in the living room where they eat which they pull put to fit 4. It feels tiny and claustrophobic.

RandomMess · 10/10/2019 18:12

I think it sounds fine but we have 4DC in a house 20' x 18'...

Location location location

TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince · 10/10/2019 18:17

I lived in a house once with these dimensions:
12ft square living room, kitchen diner and main bedroom. Other bedroom 6x12.

Means my then young ds lives there. It was a bloody nightmare, no room for anything

StarlightIntheNight · 10/10/2019 18:18

I think its doable. I know someone who bought 1 bedroom apartment with two kids. The made an extra room by using some of the living room space and put a bunk bed in there for their two girls. I never saw it. But they made it work.

Dutchoma · 10/10/2019 18:21

I would not like a house where the two bedrooms are on different levels, especially not if there is no toilet near one of the bedrooms: think puking children.

raspberryk · 10/10/2019 18:21

Sorry but no this is not doable, I lived in a cottage with the following dimensions with my XH plus DS and then by myself with DS and DD, I moved out when they were 1 & 4, it was cramped! When I sold it I had removed all of X's stuff out and put half our things in storage to market it.

Sitting Room -13' 9" x 13' 5"

Kitchen -7' 4" x 6' 7" plus a bit extra in an L shape

Bedroom One - 11' 11" x 10' 10" plus an alcove

Second Floor - Bedroom Two 13' 9" x 7' 10" at it's largest inc eaves on one side

Plus Eaves storage on one side and a secret storage/utility space with boiler, washing machine, mini chest freezer.

clary · 10/10/2019 18:22

How big is the dressing room op? And does it have a window?

Also is the en suite the only loo/bath?

The downstairs space is small for four people. We lived in a three bed with a slightly bigger living room, similar sized room as a dining room and bigger kitchen tho still long and narrow. We have three DC and one had the small bedroom while the other two shared the second room. It was never big enough and we had a whole extra room downstairs on yours. I am struggling tbh to mentally fit in space for a second bedroom, a landing and a bathroom on top of a living room less than 11 X 11 and a kitchen 7 x9.

Aridane · 10/10/2019 18:27

Get professionals to view and comment on feasibility and planning permission. You can survive the disruption! - it won't be forever!

sparklefarts · 10/10/2019 18:28

I'm sorry op but that's just too small

Aridane · 10/10/2019 18:28

What is a 4 piece bathroom?!?

EdWinchester · 10/10/2019 18:29

Those dimensions are actually very small and children that age deserve their own space.

The surveyor in me thinks converting the dressing room would make it an ‘inner room’. How would the occupants escape in the case of fire?

Ditto coverting the loft space in a very small house. Could you provide a protected stairway to the ground floor?

raspberryk · 10/10/2019 18:30

@aridane

loo, sink, shower & bath, or remove one and add bidet.

Reallynowdear · 10/10/2019 18:33

Look at 'tiny houses' videos on youtube OP, it's amazing what can be created within a small home.

TiddyTid · 10/10/2019 18:35

We have a one bed cottage and we rent it out (we will retire to it) it's too small for us with 2 cars and 2 dogs and caravan, it's:

Lounge/diner 18' x 12
Kitchen 8 x 5 plus downstairs shower room
Porch
Landing bedroom 12 x 8
Main bedroom 12 x 12
Front garden with off road parking for one car
Separate garden to the side

We intend to extend as well.