We have no bedroom and it's stressful

[Fishandchipsareyum]

Hello

We have a small 2 bedroom house and the girls each need a bedroom as they are both autistic and eldest is a pda and 7 years older than the youngest. The girls don't get on my eldest needs a lock on her door inside so her sister isn't allowed in. We are going to put a little latch on it for her.

We initially thought it was going to be ok, we bought an expensive sofa bed from ikea. It was hideous to sleep on so had to replace with a day bed that pulls out to a double but the sofa is in the way so it can't be moved to pull day bed out ( it's a tiny livingroom also) we have so much stress and we have no adult space and all my clothes are mostly in box's under the day bed. Husband sleeps on a mattress.

Guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has no adult bedroom because the children need a room each.

We can't afford to buy a bigger place. So we are stuck.

All that fits In the living room is the seating and the day bed ( single size pushed in) and a small unit for my things. Tv is on the inbuilt fireplace.

Youngest room is large but awkward so I'm not sure it could be split into 2. There is her bed and toys and books and I need to store towels and husbands clothes in her room.

I just can't help dread getting older in this place. I try and be positive but I feel quite down. I work 24/7 ( minus the sleeping tike lol) and I would have enjoyed a place to call my own bedroom for rest.

Ooh you're sooo much better than everyone else

🙄

Can you divide the large room with furniture at all?

What's the age of the girls and what's your long term plan? Staying in a 2 bed is not feasible indefinitely so you do need to have a plan to move etc?

Murphy beds and splitting rooms all options or there's that video online where someone took a bunk bed and made two individual private spaces for his two children.

I thought the same...ditch the sofa, just have a bed and use it as a sofa in the day with lots of pillows/thick throws etc.

Alternatively, section off a bit of the biggest bedroom for your bed.

It does sound stressful op but with the right storage you can hopefully make it work better for you.

I wonder if there is a way to reconfigure the whole upstairs so you can make 3 smaller rooms. It might take some creativity but I bet it could be done. What sort of house is it? New with stud walls or old with brick walls? Newer would be easier ( and cheaper)

Can you post a floorplan, OP? I wonder if there's a way to do it.

You need Kirstie Allison to have a look!

If the oldest is a teenager buy a summer house for the garden that they can live in

You need a disabled facilities grant, you should be eligible given your description. Sometimes it takes a fight but it's 100% your best option

www.gov.uk/disabled-facilities-grants

Could you get a dfg (disabled facilities grant) based on your daughters needs? It usually to make properties more wheelchair accessible, wet rooms etc, but occasionally can be used to make an extra bedroom if need can be evidenced, do you have an OT who can support you in applying?

Rent somewhere bigger in a cheaper area

I came to suggest looking at a disabled facilities grant too, it's a fight but it's a fight that's well worth having.

Long term strategy looks like the best option is to covert the attic.... can you borrow for this?

Hi op @Fishandchipsareyum can you tell us more about the layout? How many rooma downstairs and what are they used for

If you do go down the grant route DO NOT START any work towards it until it's approved.
Also look into bringing any savings under the savings cap by spending it on disability related expenses. A good way to do this would be sensory equipment.

Is the room big enough to split with a screen or IKEA kallax unit? Lots of ideas on Pinterest.

How big is your kitchen? Could you put TV on wall in there and creating a small seating area and then have current living room as your bedroom?

That is absolutely not an option 🤣
God I hope you don't have any disabled kids

If you don't have the floor space, do you have the ceiling space? If you have high-isb ceilings, maybe something like this would be good storage and that would then free up the floor space and make you feel like you had more room:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tandefio-Overhead-Organization-Supports-Container/dp/B0CKTC2YQP

Look also at loft storage options. Boarding the loft and getting some big boxes or something like this for your clothes:

https://www.loftzone.co.uk/shop-loft-wardrobe/loft-storage-wardrobe/?attribute_quantity=One+Loft+Wardrobe&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=TSM_PMax_Regular_Product_Focused_All_Products_Remarketing_V2&gad_source=4&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8qizzeeqiwMVGppQBh1dljTBEAQYCiABEgKv__D_BwE

if money is too tight for a move/loft conversion or extension I’d look at dividing the two rooms and very meticulously researching cabin beds/storage solutions etc. or could you two have a pull down wall bed in the lounge?

You can have the attic boarded for a few k. I’d be sleeping up there before having no private space.

It's old with brick walls. 1 large bedroom and 1 medium sized. We own the house.

Well, if it makes you feel better, it's how I grew up. I had the bedroom and my parents the living room. Just set it up properly, no temporary arrangements. Get a proper Murphy bed, look online on ideas how to reconfigure the rooms and get on with it. The sooner, the better. Ad hoc temporary changes don't work for long.

All that fits In the living room is the seating and the day bed

Why would you have both?

Surely the idea of a day bed is that it turns into seating during the day.

You could get a couple of bean bags or fold out chairs for extra seats.

Or get a decent sofa bed, like a corner sofa that pulls out into a bed.

I wouldn’t bother having both seats and a bed if you can help it.

Are you both working?
Is there scope to upsize in the future?

Assuming no big jobs can be undertaken due to money (me too!) I think your best option is to divide the larger room and get a bed with built in storage for the smaller room to make the most of the space (if this is unaffordable a cheap bedframe raised off the floor with boxes underneath works just as well!)
I understand why you have done what you have done but as you are finding out this is not sustainable. Your girls will be fine in smaller rooms and you need your own private space.

@Fishandchipsareyum can you scribble down a floor plan with a rough idea of size? Also useful if you know which way the floor boards run upstairs so you know which are load bearing walls