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Original poster

Are these bedrooms too small?

26 replies

Herewegoagain1990 · 04/10/2022 22:15

Hi,
So we've been racking our brains for ages on the best use of the space we have in our house... At the moment we have two double bedrooms upstairs we really need to get another two bedrooms. We can't move or borrow more. My husband has come up with a suggestion and I'd love to get your views please! He suggests splitting the largest double into two rooms we had a builder round and he said the two new rooms would be 3.1 m x 2.3 each. Is this too small? That would of couse give each of our children a room each and he suggested getting a Strachan wall bed for our living room for us I must admit they do look beautiful and come with proper mattresses but where would our clothes go!? We do have a garage we want to convert but we'd have to save up for that for a good few years. Moving we definitely can't do and can't borrow anymore. What would you do? 😊

OP posts:
HighlandPony · 04/10/2022 23:01

I’m not good I’m metric but my two front rooms are 8ft9x9ft1 and 10ft1x9ft1 and yes they’re small. Both have high sleepers in them to maximise space and are fine for kids. Changing the beds is a pain and the smaller one the bed partially blocks the window but it works for now. My son actually prefers it because he’s got his gamer station underneath his bed and I strung up curtains in the youngers one to make it a den

Zonder · 04/10/2022 23:03

What sex are the kids? Can't you have two share each room and get bunk beds? They'd have more space that way. Could you go for a very basic garage conversion for your bedroom?

imnotwhoyouthinkiam · 04/10/2022 23:05

HighlandPony · 04/10/2022 23:01

I’m not good I’m metric but my two front rooms are 8ft9x9ft1 and 10ft1x9ft1 and yes they’re small. Both have high sleepers in them to maximise space and are fine for kids. Changing the beds is a pain and the smaller one the bed partially blocks the window but it works for now. My son actually prefers it because he’s got his gamer station underneath his bed and I strung up curtains in the youngers one to make it a den

I've think my DCs bedrooms are similar sizes to this.

DS1 (18) has a high sleeper with a desk under. Wardrobe and drawers on the opposite wall with a TV on the drawers.

DS2 (15) has a mid(?) Sleeper with the desk and wardrobe built in underneath. Drawers with a bookcase on top and big kallax unit.

The rooms are small but they have plenty of space.

Ikeameatballs · 04/10/2022 23:06

They are small rooms but probably doable.
How old are your dc, what do they need to use their rooms for?
what will the new layout look like in terms of windows and doors? Could you use sliding barn style doors to reduce incursion into the rooms?
How would they feel about the compromise in space?
How soon could you save up to convert the garage?

RandomMess · 04/10/2022 23:16

I'm sure the DC would rather have a small room each than share!

Original poster
Herewegoagain1990 · 05/10/2022 00:46

Thank you. That's true, they are 6 and 4. To save for garage conversion would probably take 2 to 3 years assuming 18 k will do it!

OP posts:
ChiefWiggumsBoy · 05/10/2022 00:57

We've recently done this. The bedrooms are not massive but are big enough for beds and furniture.

I would do it again in a heartbeat, I'd just choose a different builder as our one was absolute shit <whole other story!>

ItsDinah · 05/10/2022 01:02

The new bedrooms will be 7 1/2 feet by just over 10 feet. That is fine. There are modern houses with double bedrooms that size ! For clothes,if you've a lot you'll need to pack some away in the garage. I would suggest using a chest (box) as a coffee table and clothes store in the living room. I would also look at building in a very shallow wall cupboard inside the house for hanging clothes. 9 inches deep with pegs at the back to hang clothes hangers on. Sliding doors for the cupboard. Wall beds are great.

200degrees · 05/10/2022 01:05

It’s not clear from your post how many people are in your household. 2 adults and what, 2/3/4 kids? If there’s just 2 adults and 2 children, why are you considering sleeping in the bedroom if you’ll have 3 bedrooms after the room split?

Not to be rude but ultimately presumably you thought about this before having more kids. You may need to move or renovate

MarmiteCoriander · 05/10/2022 01:06

This is the guidance for an HMO. Not really relevant, but might have a baring if you ever sold the house. Based on your measurements (7.13 m2), the split room would still be large enough for someone over 10yrs.

The minimum sleeping room floor area sizes are:
6.51 m2 for one person over 10 years of age
10.22 m2 for two persons over 10 years
4.64 m2 for one child under the age of 10 years

I'm confused though- if you only have 2 children, and you split the largest room for them- then why can't you stay in the other double bedroom? Why would you need a strachan wall bed in the living room???

200degrees · 05/10/2022 01:07

That should say, why are you considering sleeping in the living room?

User686545677 · 05/10/2022 01:12

An AS says there is a baby on the way.

I wouldn’t make lots of modifications to your house for such small children unless you have to OP. Sharing is reasonable. You’d be better not spending that money but throw it into the pot to start saving for an extension / to move.

MarmiteCoriander · 05/10/2022 01:17

Would something like this work to divide the larger room?

Are these bedrooms too small?
Zonder · 05/10/2022 05:21

Herewegoagain1990 · 05/10/2022 00:46

Thank you. That's true, they are 6 and 4. To save for garage conversion would probably take 2 to 3 years assuming 18 k will do it!

I'm confused. I thought from your OP you had 4 kids so wanted to make 4 bedrooms for them. But from your last post it sounds like there are two kids?

If there are two they can keep sharing for now. They're only 6 and 4. Then you keep a bedroom for you.

In a couple of years hopefully you will have saved enough for the garage conversion and you can move in there, giving them a room each.

Kids don't have to have their own room, especially when they're small and don't know any different.

ApolloandDaphne · 05/10/2022 05:37

At 4 and 6 they don't really need their own rooms yet. Keep saving and do the garage conversion in a few years time and just keep things as they are for the moment.

fallfallfall · 05/10/2022 05:42

What a fab find @MarmiteCoriander! excellent use of space.
I find small bedrooms cozy and nicer to sleep in as long as there is decent ventilation.

EntertainingandFactual · 05/10/2022 05:51

I would definitely look at split room ideas first.
sliding walls, beds that separate spaces.
There are some amazing ideas out there..

Zonder · 05/10/2022 05:54

At 6 and 4 if you keep one bigger room with bunks they will have space to play and keep some of their toys.

luckyRhino · 05/10/2022 06:15

We are planning on doing similar for our biggest bedroom.
I love @MarmiteCoriander idea!

ChampagneCamping · 05/10/2022 06:19

7 foot by 10 foot is fine for a room. Bigger then a box room also

Original poster
Herewegoagain1990 · 05/10/2022 07:52

Hi, we have two children and are expecting another.

OP posts:
Original poster
Herewegoagain1990 · 05/10/2022 08:14

Thanks you all for your comments it's great to hear what you would do! We've decided that we will keep the bedrooms as they are and save for a couple of years as it wouldn't take us long to save for the conversion and we could get two bedrooms out of it and in the meantime our two can continue to share the largest room.

OP posts:
Zonder · 05/10/2022 08:37

That sounds sensible @Herewegoagain1990 and baby can be in with you for quite a while.

PuttingDownRoots · 05/10/2022 08:43

Remember you can always put up a temporary divider in the meantime, like using a curtain or furniture (such as those square units from IKEA)

Dirtylittleroses · 05/10/2022 09:24

Why would you need to sleep in the living room then, the new baby can be in with you for a couple of years. They wouldn’t need their own room