Tiny bedroom size

[Unicornspirit]

My daughter's bedroom is 6.8 long by 6ft wide. She really struggles in there. No room to swing a cat. She has a single midsleeper, a tallboy and a clothes rail that takes up all the space. No room to play, do homework or anything. It's getting her down and it's getting me down. I know in HMO standards her room is too small to be allowed for a child but this is just a normal housing association flat. No one wants to swap because the 2nd bedroom is so poky.
So if it's too small for HMO standards is there anything about it being too small in other housing situations. It seems bloody unfair.
I've really tried to make use of storage units under her bed etc but it's not really working.
Any ideas.
I dread being stuck here for years because I'm "suitably" housed.

Is it just you and your daughter?

No, my husband too.

Is there any way you could swap rooms with her. But keep a wardrobe in your room for yourself for storage of your things.

Would a double bed for you fit across her room? Do you need a double or could you do with a 3/4 size? I imagine a double would take up the whole space given dimensions you describe.

Otherwise change her bed to a high sleeper so she has all floor space and hang clothes/put a desk underneath it.

Or get a double high sleeper for you in her room?

Ahhh was going to say you and your daughter could of swapped bedrooms but clearly you can't. Have you thought of a high sleeper?

How old is she?

Midsleepers are the worst - not tall enough to give good floorplace under for play/furniture and not low enough to make the room feel more open.

www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/smastad-loft-bed-frame-w-desk-and-storage-white-50454036/

Would something like this work better? It would mean the tallboy can go, along with any other storage boxes, desk for writing/drawing and a small stool which could be tucked under the desk to leave floor space.

Also no bulky ladder eating into the floorspace.

What’s under the mid sleeper, is it drawers? Could you get one where it’s open space so she can have a little den beneath?

I'm disabled and have bad mobility problems and my daughter is a sleepwalker. A mid is the highest we can go for her as she has a habit of falling out/ stumbling around sleepwalking. I had to sign the tenancy to accept the place without viewing it due to "Covid". It's not something I ever would have accepted if I'd seen it first.
My husband has spina bifida and so he kicks around all night. I don't think room swapping is an option really.
I'm trying to save up to move up North but I'm doing 3 jobs and it's taking forever to get the money saved. Until I get there I'm stuck but my daughter is struggling. She constantly bangs her head, legs etc when sleepwalking as there is barely any room.

Wish I could get a bed like that but if she decides to do walkies and skydiving at 3am she would really hurt herself from that height. She's 9. Very tall for her age.

Could you put her bed in the living room?

I sympathise with the sleepwalking! If your room is bigger Could you partition/screen off a bit of your room for a desk or play area, rather than completely swapping.

Not really, the living room is small too. We'd have to get rid of the sofa. It's a ridiculous flat. It sounds like I'm throwing obstacles in the way but because of my mobility I can't have too much stuff as my walker won't get through.

Or get a very low bed and store her stuff over it using wall cabinets? And then she could play on the bed and floor

Do you have a support worker or use any external providers who could write a supporting statement to your Housing Officer? Even a GP letter. This could be added to your file and you could then be considered for a more suitable property.

It certainly sounds like you and your husband would be anle to justify a move on medical grounds.

She does use a fold up table and I have a kallax unit for her toys in the living room. I'm hoping I can save enough as quick as I can but the whole relocating bit is going to cost me as I will need at least 6 month's rent up front as I will have to find a new job when up there. No one will touch me otherwise.

How does your housing association handle property allocations? Is there a bidding system? If so, get bidding.

Do you think I might be able to get them to write a letter? I didn't think they would. It is hard here with space and my rollator and grab rails but I might see about a letter. It's getting me down because I feel trapped in this place and all the council keep bleating is that I'm "suitably housed".

They won't allow me to register for bidding as they say my flat is suitable with the 2 bedrooms. I would be bidding like mad if I could get on the system.

Sofa bed for you in lounge? She has your room. Her room becomes your dressing room?

Tbh it sounds ok to me but then I have 2 boys sharing a box room and my council says that’s fine so at least it’s only one child, just keep trying for an exchange, someone may want to downsize.

You may be suitably housed in a black and white tick box world, but give that you and dh have mobility issues, this should be factored in.

Yes, letters from external sources will be considered on a case by case basis, the mire the better. If your and dh GPS can both write, plus any additional support networks you use.

It's also worth contacting your MP at their next surgery and explaining that you disagree with their judgement and would like to be considered for somewhere .ore suitable for your mobility issues.

I worked for HAs for years and this sort of letter sent in is commonplace.

How old is she?

Make the bedroom for sleeping/dressing and homework/playing is in the living room. My dc all have big enough rooms but rarely play in them. Dd1 is a teen so does use her room more but only to have space from her sisters. She generally lays or sits on her bed with her laptop. I don’t think dc need much space so maybe you’re over thinking it. Main thing would be not to allow a build up of clutter as that will make it feel smaller.

Meant to add, dd3 has small room and she has bunk beds so she sleeps on one and uses the other for playing occasionally. She uses that more than when she had a high sleeper.

I just wanted to say that we had a two bed with a small second room and ours shared for a long time, they had very little floor space. We just used bedrooms for sleeping or quiet activities and set up space in the shared rooms for homework etc.

I think if you can't swap then you have to make the best of it. Try not to make negative remarks and talk about how fortunate it is have her own room at all as lots of children have to share. I laid it on thick with my kids that we lived in a great area, even though the smallness of the space bugged me.

I do think a lower bed might be better as then at least she can sit on her bed. We had excellent storage under the beds and so needed hardly any other furniture, and they would sit on their beds to read etc. We had small fold up tables to do drawing on.

Couldn't she store some of her things such as her clothes elsewhere, e.g. your room?