To think this house IS big enough

[Coconutsandpalmtree]

For 3 kids and wfh (needing an office)

im not sure it is, but surely it should be and I’m missing a trick as to how we can make it work, DH and I have decided we’d like another child.

it’s a new house (6yrs now) so I took a pic of the floor plan from the developers. It’s pretty generic but it’s tight on space.

the front double is our bedroom, built in wardrobe and the space by the ensuite is a chest of drawers that we really need.

the smaller back ‘double’ (on floor plan) is more a single tbh, but that’s my eldests room. Front single youngest. Other double is a guest room/ office.

we really need an office for wfh. There’s no place for stud walls due to the windows.

we do have a garage though and a classic new build garden aka small.

what do you think? Can another kid fit here?

yabu- no way
yanbu- yes with some outside the box thinking that I’ll share :)

Floor plan

I mean you’d all fit with 2 kids sharing but there is no storage and it looks really tight. Depends how much stuff you and the kids have.

Can the garage be turned into the office or a bedroom for an older (teen) child?

Having a guest room/ office upstairs is just taking up a perfectly usable bedroom. Make an office area downstairs?

out of interest what is that tiny space next to the downstairs loo?

Small single is home office, two childcare share the double and other child in the bigger single.

Technically yes you'd all fit although the two youngest or two oldest (depending on genders and gap etc) would have to share after baby left your room. However it doesn't look like you have a lot of storage space so it probably feels quite squashed already.

Both those small boxes off spaces are storage.

i just don’t know where downstairs though, living room is less than ideal as post school / mat leave that’s where we all are, you know

Would either child like sharing? What I would do is either office in garage or a garden room and have them all in singles

Honestly no.

Also you need more downstairs space as kids get older, they want friends over or sharing an Xbox etc, effectively you need two lounges with teens.

The bedrooms are too small for sharing, so you need to free one up.

Options:

You put a small office space in the garage (stud wall?)

You put a small fitted office in the cubbyhole by the downstairs loo (fold up desk, clever shelving). If you can take the wall down there so it is like a dogleg corner of the living room, that would work.

You don't have a third kid.

You move.

Why are you using a double for a home office? Do you really need an entire room as an office? Use the single as a guest room with a sofa bed in, if you do need a room for the office then that can be in there as well. Any way you can make a work station under the stairs as an office area. If you can the you could use the single guest room as additional storage area.

Those two small boxed off spaces are storage, slightly bigger than they look. The one by the loo, so off the living room is where all the toys live.

under the stairs, general crap, lol pushchair lived there. We’ve got a few boards in the loft so suitcases but you couldn’t store much there, you can’t convert up due to potential mould.

then the single garage that’s probably the dimensions of the lounge

And yet there are THREE bathroom spaces. Honestly new builds are ridiculous on that front.

I would convert the garage to an office space. If for whatever reason that can’t work I would lose at least one bathroom area and convert to an office space.

Move the downstairs loo to under stairs and then knock through existing one to the cupboard behind to make a an office.

Yes I concur with the bathrooms ^ You could turn your ensuite into an office. You have a downstairs loo.

One of your children would have to share a bedroom which would make it harder for them to have their private space and study their homework. Not ideal.

Could you remove the door /wall of the living room cupboard and make that an office area? I wouldn't waste much needed bedroom space on one.

I think the second double is probably big enough to share, because it’s got a double, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe and 2 sets of desks and a filing cabinet in atm and it doesn’t feel to cluttered.

ive wondered on the garage, but I’ve heard you need planning permission

Do you have many visitors? Do you really need a double to be a spare room? I’m not sure the house is big enough for a third child unless two share the office.

You could manage - lots of people manage in smaller - but it seems a bit cramped to me

Just turn the garage into an office, and park on the drive. Or what about the loft? would that be feasible for either an office or bedroom?

Or build an office/ summer house in the garden?

Yeah, you don't need an ensuite, convert your ensuite to an office. We have one bathroom with 4 adults and it is fine. Have always only had one bathroom / toilet never Neen much of an issue.

I have a garden pod that I work from. It's my favourite space because it's mine!

I think the only real option is a garden office or the garage becomes partly an office. I do think the downstairs space would be tricky with 3 children though.

Have a desk space in your bedroom? That's what we did when we were both working from home.

Or lose the en suite and turn that into an office?

Or a little office pod in the garden?

Or two children share?

Ooh lovely.