A colleague has just asked me this and I though I'd open it to the floor:
Two years ago they bought a house and did it up for young-couple type living:
- knocked through the two smallest bedrooms to make luxurious master bedroom
- knocked through downstairs to make funky open-plan living/entertaining space
- made remaining bedroom into study/home office for the DH, who works from home one day a week.
Now they're considering TTC, but are loathe to give up the well-located house they've worked so hard on.
However, they're aware that open-plan living may not be ideal with small child, and that they'll need to re-divide the master bedroom (and maybe the downstairs), so will lose the sense of space that made the house so lovely.
She's also worried that her being home with a baby would disturb the DH when he's working.
They can't extend into the loft as there's not the roof height.
They can't extend into the garden as it's tiny.
They can't afford to buy a bigger house in the area so would need to move further out of town into what she referred to as 'the suburban ghetto' - get the feeling this does not appeal.
So, should they
a) move to the ghetto
b) bankrupt themselves to get a bigger house in the same location
c) wait to TTC till they can afford a bigger house in the same location
d) stick with the current layout and hope open-plan works
or
e) adapt the current house and quit whining about losing the 'spacious feel'?
Discuss...