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Original poster

Anyone in London and surroundings living in a 2 bed flat with 1 or more DC?

27 replies

Marghe87 · 29/05/2019 11:58

We are TTC and still rending and the truth is that when we will be able to buy (definitely not before 4-5 years time), we will only be able to afford a small property. We rent in a very nice area just outside London and would like to stay here also when buying as if we have a child he/she would go to school here etc...

I am thinking it's not the end of the world to raise a family in a 2 bed property given the incredibly high prices in the south east. Anyone is experiencing something similar?

OP posts:
sleepismysuperpower1 · 29/05/2019 12:46

I think it would be fine OP. Your child would have their own bedroom, you would have yours, and then you will have a living space/kitchen too. you can always play in the garden (or any outdoor space you have near you, parks etc). all the best x

Hereforthecake · 29/05/2019 12:52

We live in London in a 2 bed with 1 DC - it’s absolutely fine while they’re still small - and actually easier in some ways without having to lug baby and all their things up stairs! Many other couples in our building in the same position too. It’s the compromise for living very central.

MyDcAreMarvel · 29/05/2019 12:57

A family of four in a two bed is absolutely fine. Too much emphasis is put on children needing their own rooms.

Original poster
Marghe87 · 29/05/2019 13:18

Well it seems that having a 3-4 bed house with garden is a must have if you have DC.
We couldn't afford a property like that where we live in a million years :(

OP posts:
sleepismysuperpower1 · 29/05/2019 13:31

Well it seems that having a 3-4 bed house with garden is a must have if you have DC.
Not at all OP. if you have green space nearby (IMO) you are good to go :)

StillIRise87 · 29/05/2019 13:36

We did do this and it was a massive relief when we left London and moved to a proper house. We didn't really appreciate how stressed out we were living in such a small space. It was fine with a baby but awful as our DC grew up. I would think about your five year plan and see if leaving the South East is a viable option .

Pipandmum · 29/05/2019 13:36

My neighbours brought up 4 boys and a girl in a three bed house with one downstairs bathroom, small galley kitchen and no dining room. The girl had the box room, the 4 boys shared and the parents had the middle sized room. Three of the kids stayed until early 20s. Not ideal but needs must.

Teddybear45 · 29/05/2019 13:45

It’s quite common for Indian families with 2 kids to rent a one bed flat in and around London until they can afford to upsize. Usually achieved by having a sofa bed in the living area where the parent sleeps, and bunkbeds in the bedroom. There’s so much free stuff and activities to do in and around London that evenings and weekends are often not spent in the flat unless it’s to sleep / eat.

greencurry · 29/05/2019 13:50

We live in London with 2 small DC in 2 bed flat. Totally doable so long as you're walking distance to a park with a playground!

merrymouse · 29/05/2019 14:03

2 bedrooms is absolutely fine to begin with - depends on age and sex of children, but I would say definitely OK till about 7.

However, the layout is really important if you are in a small space - I think it's best to be on one floor as you can use all the space all day and no space is wasted for stairs.

Outside space is also really important - not just whether you have a garden, but whether there are parks/shops/places to escape with the children near by.

Original poster
Marghe87 · 29/05/2019 14:40

Moving away from the SE is not an option. Our jobs are linked to London and being from a different country in the EU, I like being here and wouldn't feel at home moving in a different part of the UK.

In Europe is very common for families to live all their lives in a 2 bed flat, not sure why it's seen as such a big deal here?!

OP posts:
daisypond · 29/05/2019 14:48

I’m in a two bed but it’s a house not a flat. We have three DC, now teens, who share one room. It’s been completely fine. We do have a garden, so some outside space, and two rooms downstairs, not including the kitchen. The vast majority of people I know have brought families up in two-bed places. Some are in one-bed places and I also know some, with only one DC, in studio flats.

JoJoSM2 · 30/05/2019 14:09

If that's all you can afford, then I'm sure you'll manage. However, it isn't ideal as space is limited and your lifestyle will be a bit compromised. For example, if you have a garden, then children can just be outside while you're doing housework inside. If you need to go to the park, you need to go too so your children will spend less time outside. It's also difficult to fit everything into a flat: there's tons of laundry, bikes, scooters, toys etc. Much easier in a house as even small ones tend to have 2 living areas. Having said that, some people manage and are very happy.

ClannLir · 30/05/2019 14:15

We did this in London with one child, and it was both fine and not particularly unusual -- I can think of several other families we knew for whom the good things about living in central London outweighed living in a small space. I knew a family of five living in a tiny, gorgeous two-bedroom flat in Soho because they liked it.

We moved to the country and while we have a large house and a garden, I'm not sure the extra space compensates for the loss of London.

butteryellow · 30/05/2019 14:21

We've lived in a 2 bed (or 1 bed at times) since our kids were babies - it's fine!

I can imagine once they're teens it's going to start feeling cramped, and we'll need another room - probably not for sleeping though, more just for living (especially if they get as tall as DP), but it's actually really nice that they share - it means the little one has never been scared, because he's always had his big brother with him.

Plenty of people share.

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 30/05/2019 14:41

We lived in a 2 bed flat in SE for 11 years with 2 adults and 2 children. We have split one of the rooms now so same flat, three bedrooms. Living in a small space is fine. Much rather that and live central than live further out in a house.

Original poster
Marghe87 · 30/05/2019 14:55

Agree I'd rather compromise on size than on location.

People here tend to consider a garden like essential for kids. I grew up in a city flat (not in the UK) and pretty much every family in other European cities live in flats, not a big deal and children are happy.

I think it's I'm feeling pressure from the society as most people I know have a big house with garden in the suburbs.

OP posts:
BasicsOnly · 30/05/2019 23:58

We have lived in a couple of 2 bed places with 2 dc.

Really disagree with the poster who said aim for flat on one level. We are in a 2 level place now and it is great, the separation gives us the feeling of more space and privacy.

Sharing a room is no problem as children but once they are teens we will upgrade so they have their own room .

Have never missed a garden. That is one less thing to take care of.

Choose a nice safe location with green spaces nearby.

DustyDoorframes · 31/05/2019 10:00

We lived in a small 2 bed flat with a lovely communal courtyard with two (they could run down to play with other kids from the block with very little supervision from about age 3). If we hadn't had the second we'd have stayed forever, we loved it. We moved because a miracle happened and an affordable three bed came up nearby, so we leapt at the chance, otherwise we'd still be there!
You don't need half the stuff people say you need- be really picky about what you let into your house. We had no big pram, just a sling to age about 1 when we got a small stroller, no bikes but scooters (much smaller!), no jumperoos or other behemoths, trip trap high chairs which tuck in like normal chairs, and avoided big plastic toys like the plague. The hardest thing was laundry- we had a washer-dryer, but a balcony for a drying rack would have helped a lot. You will be fine! I'm expecting a third now, we need to fill the extra space...

mightskys · 01/06/2019 01:32

We live in London and just moved from a large 2 bed flat to a 3 bed house. The 3rd bedroom is so small it's ok for the baby but if and when we have anymore they will both share the bigger second bedroom which is currently being used as a spare room. In some ways the flat was bigger and more convenient for us (bigger bathroom, more storage and better transport links).

Doesn't matter if it's a flat or a house but what matters is if it works for you. This house will do us for the next 5 years when we will either extend or move again but we needed a spare room for visitors.

DH was bought up in a similar sized house the other end of the country and because of the small 3rd bedroom always shared a room with his brother. Although if his brother had been a sister it might be different. My cousin also has a similar sized house and quite happily lives with his 3 children.

What I'm saying is, sometimes the 3rd bed is so small it's almost useless.

NightDew · 01/06/2019 02:17

We live in a 2 bed flat in Zone 1 with 2 dc. It's been a challenge at times (I'm not a natural declutterer!) but it's been worth it to be so close to everything. We have a large lounge where we spend most of our time, and our youngest dc is still sleeping in our bedroom. We will probably move within the next few years as she'll need her own room (large age gap between dc and opposite sex, so sharing not an option), plus we want to be close to better schools, but we plan to stay within zone 1 or 2, and we're looking at a 3 bed house/flat. We're not bothered about having a garden at all. But there are some aspects about having a freehold house which we'd prefer, over having a leasehold flat - not having to deal with service charges, management company, freedom to change layout etc.

I think we feel the same pressure as you, as there is lot of middle class flight to the suburbs nowadays (or even quieter/cheaper bits of zone 2/3). We don't have many friends who live so centrally any more, as many of them have moved further out. It is really worth it though when you're able to take advantage of all the activities nearby without making a big deal about travelling into town (lots of it within walking distance), or taking advantage of last minute opportunities that wouldn't be practical if we lived further away. And DH has a really short commute - 25 mins walking, so he can spend time with DD in the morning before work, and be home by bathtime, and never has to worry about transport delays.

Gin96 · 04/06/2019 13:21

It’s what you’re used to, I personally need space and I love our garden, my son is 28 and still lives at home, so i’m glad our house is big enough to accommodate adult off spring

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 04/06/2019 13:36

It's totally normal around here (East London). How well it works is dependent on how good you are about getting out about - luckily there is always lots on here. Also how tidy and careful you are about limiting unnecessary stuff in the house. If you had a tendency to stay most of your time at home and hoard bicycles and large toys and leave piles of laundry everywhere, it would be stressful.

I have no intention of moving further out for a bigger place, but many of my friends have done so, and more plan to as the children start school. It's worth considering this, and whether your current friendship network will be moving on, and how this will impact you in the long run.

DreamingofSunshine · 05/06/2019 13:15

We're actively choosing to swap a large 4 bed house in the suburbs for a small 3 bed flat in zone 2. The amount of free/easily accessible by public transport stuff in London is ideal for us. We're near a great park and it's very much the norm where we are that people live in smaller flats and spend a lot of time outside.

DragonTrainer3 · 05/06/2019 19:40

We decided that the only way to get on the property ladder was to downsize to a 2 bed flat with our two pre-teen/teenage boys. Two years later and it's fine. They (mostly) get on well sharing a room. When they have sleepovers the visiting kid/s sleep in the sitting room with our kid/s. Even when we were renting a bigger place they'd want to sleep with us or each other half the time anyway.

We're still keen on getting a bigger place as soon as we can afford it though (hopefully next year!) but it's not terrible living in a smaller place by any means.

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