Is 60m2 too small for a family home?

[Ud72u2eye]

We are looking to move and have found a two bed place that ticks all the boxes but it's small (60m2). Dh thinks it ridiculous to even consider it but I think it could work. We have one DC and this ticks both the location and school boxes. Caveat - not sure whether we could afford to move again or assume we could. We are in SE so even 60m2 aren't cheap. Has anyone successfully lived in a small place indefinitely? Are we mad to consider it?

DC is currently 6 and I am reluctant to move for the biggest space because around here that would either mean rubbish schools or rubbish commute

We live in a 55m flat with garden. We use the garden as an extra room in the summer and only use the small bedrooms for sleeping. We went up from 35m so it feels quite big to us! We do have a big storage shed mini garage thing for bikes, tents and DIY stuff which makes it a lot tidier. It would be too small without that.

We live in a safe neighbourhood with lots of kids. The small houses mean the kids play out and there's a playground at the end of the row. Parents take turns watching. If we were all in the house all the time it would feel very small

I don't know how you could possibly fit 2 people, their stuff, and a double bed into a 7sqm bedroom considering one of the walls have windows and the other a door. 7sqm is quite a small room even for one person. Unless you are truly minimalist loving people and all your personal belongings fit in a standard suitcase I would not do it.

I think it is doable with a small child but the reality is once your son gets older, if you can’t afford to move he will probably choose to hang out at friends’ bigger houses when he can as there won’t be room to have his mates round. It’s hard to imagine what living with older kids/teens is like until it happens. Obviously some people would be happy with that but I always preferred being the host parent as it kept me in the loop.

But you say you work from the living room, so how many days a week would you actually have to go into the office if you moved further out?

We were one adult one child in 55m2 I think 60m2 is enough for the three of you. Location is important.

Some reallt good points here. I've lived in a house that size for years with 2 DC and storage would be my only question here.

We live in ~65sqm 2 bed and I feel like it’s plenty of space for 2 adults, toddler and a medium sized dog.

We do have a garden and loft for storage (and possible future conversion) which makes a huge difference both now and to longer-term prospects. If you can’t afford to move again, consider if there is opportunity to expand through extension/conversion. Need's change.

Our last place was a ~45sqm 2 bed (with no garden) which felt huge when we first moved in but we had really outgrown that by the time DC was 1.

I’m a big fan of living (relatively) small. For us it means we can live near friends/family near good parks and amenities and have a relatively low mortgage which gives us some flexibility around our careers.

Just a few ideas for a long but narrow bedroom. Although, I would take bed that is 2 m long, 1.8 wide that connects two walls, so there is place for drawers under the bed and there is at least 50 cm free space around bed. And a wardrobe on one wall.

I know it sounds a bit crazy, but trust me, I had a bedroom like this and it was much easier to make bed like this and have plenty of storage. You just have to think out of the box.

Although, depends where is the window and door...

I live in a 56m2 home with DH, 2 DC and 2 cats. We find it fine, small, but we prefer not having to heat and clean a large home. We have 5 acres of land and that is the compromise, outdoor over indoor space.

@kavalkada thank you these are great ideas. I think a storage bed would be a must.

I do worry about when DC is a teen - some people suggest they need less space while other say more. Cant imagine mine as a teen right now

We are moving from a 5 bed house to a 2 bed flat as our eldest son has now moved away and will just be moving with his brother who is 17. But we have been through teenage years and that space when they are teenagers is much needed especially when they can't stand the sight of you lol

Mine are also not teens, so I'll have something to report in 2028.

I do! Is it a Victorian conversion with the kitchen and living room in what would have been the outside toilet/ copper boiler?

How high are the ceilings? Is there a hall and is it wide enough for shelves?

I had a 60m 2 bed house - upstairs was fine, rooms were both doubles (a small and a larger double), plus bathroom. Downstairs, was an OK (small, but not too small) kitchen, but a very awkward shaped living room. Having a garage meant that at least I didn't have to keep things like bikes in the house, which would have been a squeeze.

Overall, for 3 people, it was fine. I wouldn't want more than 3 if I could help it though.

@SunThroughTheCloudsAt6am we should have a garden and a shed there - bike storage. So stuff like that can go there.

These are the government recommendations (not compulsory) for space standards:
assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1012976/160519_Nationally_Described_Space_Standard.pdf

They are minima, and very tight. It's 61m2 for 3 people in a 2 bed flat with one double and one single bed. For a house, it is 70m2. For a 2 bedroom house which would take twin beds it's 79m2. As I say, these aren't generous sizes though.

I read your OP thinking well what’s the alternative???

It sounds better to me than rubbish commute for sure.

Rubbish schools - they can turn around (as can good schools!!) so I’d investigate that carefully.

But yes I think it’s doable, especially if you have a garden and lots of amenities on your doorstep.

We live in a 65msq 2 bed flat. 2 teens.

Would take a garden over extra space and long commute.

I would point out to DH all the things he would have to do extra if you are commuting for extra time and all the extra costs and anything you won't be doing because you are stuck on a train.

Ex's family got I his ear about me going back to work. "Fine," I say, "But you will have to cook every night, drop off and pick up children from nursery and do more housework" He went off the idea quite quickly and no more was said.

I live in a 52 square metres 2 bed flat with DH (London) and its just nice for us. For a child, i am looking to move into a flat that is at least 79 square metres with an extra bedroom and not planning to have more than 1.

For me, outside space makes no difference as I am not a 'garden' person but we do have a communal garden and a place to store bikes. plus an external store cupboard.

I live in a 65sqm apartment with my son, it's a ridiculously expensive area, and that's an average 2bed apt size here. The only thing I wouldn't compromise on is an outside space, I have two balconies and being able to get outside is a godsend.

My son is now 10, I also wfh four days a week at a desk in the lounge which is fine until he brings a friend home from school, that's been my only issue so far, I'm currently looking to buy and my only requirement is a small outside space and a sunroom/small study area so he can have friends over and I can close the door, my bedroom is too small for a desk, as one end is wardrobes built in and the other is patio doors.

I lived in 52sq metres with my parents and my sister. We're fine.

Yes this is why i am looking to buy a slightly bigger flat with a box room for my study and my pet gerbils. Otherwise my 2 bed flat is fine and i love our area. I prefer communal garden over balcony personally :) When I bought our flat, i was in the office 5 days a week so was out of the house from 7 am to 7 pm daily. The pandemic has changed things. DH has a desk in the lounge but he likes going to the office as he cycles there and as he manages people, it is easier from the office.

Do only rich people post on mumsnet or are UK standards that different from the continent ? Where I'm from, 60sqm for a couple and child is close to luxury. It all depends on the area of course, and you can get bigger if you're willing to have a car and a longer commute. But having everything close by is REALLY nice.

That said I agree clutter can be an issue, but in that sense I see a smallish place as an advantage - accumulating clutter just isn't an option. I prefer a more minimalist approach anyway (my mother is a bit of a hoarder).

All that is moot though because you need your husband to agree. You could point out to him that a smaller house is easier to clean and cheaper to maintain, and personally I would enjoy organizing the space to optimize it.