Potential new house - suitable layout with a baby?

[Gollymissmollypleasesleep]

I’m having difficulty deciding whether this would work or not so would really appreciate your opinions.

We are relocating to a new area on the other side of the country. Looking to rent for 6 months to a year. We saw a house today which in many ways is great: perfect condition, great location for DH’s work, proximity to shops and cafes, great rental price... however two smaller bedrooms are on the ground floor, and the master bed in the loft (two floors above, kitchen and living room on middle floor). Would you be happy to have your 8 month old sleeping so far away?

On the one hand, it’s a great property for a few months to get to know the area, we’d get a video monitor, and to be honest she’s in bed with us every night anyways so it’ll inevitably end up with her cot in the attic with us anyways for a while/ the whole time we live there.

On the other hand, I can see me getting in a massive panic about DD being so close to the door while we’re all the way upstairs and thus being unhappy with the situation, which isn’t conducive to trying to move DD to her own room soon and we are definitely increasingly feeling like everyone’s sleep will improve with her in her own room so want to try this when we can (we’re currently in a one bed so haven’t got a room to move her to!).

Would going for this house be a good or terrible idea? Help!!

That layout is not for me! We looked at them when DD was a baby and we wrote them off because I knew I'd be a nervous wreck.

If the house is perfect in all other ways and there isn’t much choice for rentals, you could all sleep in the two bedrooms downstairs and use your master bedroom as a dressing room? Might be a bit of a pain traipsing up to get changed but I’d prefer that to having DD two floors away from me.

If it’s just a short term rental I would take it and keep the cot in the master bedroom. My kids both stayed in my room until they were 6/7 months old anyway.

My kids slept on a different floor from day one, but it was one floor up. Later I did have a similar lay out to the one you describe but the kids were 6 and 8.
I think I’d be happier if a baby was two floors above rather than below - something about being on the ground floor and not hearing if anyone breaks in I guess.

Scenario..dd vomits in the night will you hear her?

Are you happy with a toddler getting up wandering to kitchen before you realise?
Sleep downstairs next to her

@VeThings one of the bedrooms downstairs had French doors to the garden, which is very open to the neighbours, not sure I’d want that as my bedroom which is the issue. We’d use it as an office/ spare room.

I think I’d have to be happy with us all being in the attic realistically... anyone think sharing a room until DD is 18 months or so is a workable plan? 😕

We’re looking at some houses in a nearby village tomorrow. Not as great a location, further from DH’s work and more isolated but that might be a reasonable pay off... argh why did the layout of this house have to be so kooky??

How big are the "two smaller bedrooms" ?
If one is a double, then there is your obvious answer - you all sleep on the ground floor.

@Pipandmum exactly my thoughts! It seems like she’d be too close to the front door for my liking.

I doubt it will help you get her settled in her own room. I would end up taking her into my bed every night just to save the hassle of having to traipse downstairs. I also would not cope well with the fear of Break ins
I think it’s too far
I’d Either sleep downstairs or just allow her to sleep in my room

Oh dear, you’re all confirming my misgivings about this house. Such a shame as I was so impressed today viewing it! Let’s hope we find somewhere more suitable but just as nice. Luckily we have a month or so until we move but we’re up here for the weekend viewing some places now.

Our house is exactly as you describe, well almost, it’s built into a big hill, so you come in on the top floor, master bedroom with en-suite, then living room kitchen on the middle floor, and two bedrooms on the ground floor, plus bathroom and utility.

Our daughter has been in her own room downstairs since 8 months. I initially slept down there for a few months for all the night wakings, but I’ve been in the master, two floors away for 2-3 months now.
It’s fine. She sleeps beautifully, we have a video monitor and can hear her.

I think some traditional houses the master bedroom wouldn’t be in hearing distance anyway, lots of people rely on monitors. I do check the doors are locked religiously, and won’t run the tumble dryer etc when she’s down there. But it’s fine.

@fefifoefum is there a door to the outside on your DD’s floor? I think that’s what bothers me most. That she’s closest to any potential issues and we’re farthest away upstairs!

Well will she get out of the cot? She’s 8 months and you probably wouldn’t get a bed until she’s 2. You won’t be there then. I would take it if nothing better comes up. Just ask for privacy blinds or voile curtains at the French doors. It’s no big deal if they look over the garden surely? Sleep downstairs. Where is the bathroom?

It’s only a few months so I think you could make it work. Get a monitor.

Two doors, french doors out to the garden, and a door in the utility also out to the garden. There’s doors on every floor to the outside onto the steps that run from the road and top floor to the garden.
I guess I’ve got used to it, we rented originally and then bought it from our landlords. It’s hot ever we need, if a little odd!
What are you worried about specifically?

Scare monger here. Sorry in advance, I watch too many horror things as my instant thought was.... IF you were unfortunate enough to be burgled in the night. As it does happen, your children are the first people they come to.

Are either bottom floor rooms a double? I'd consider either the children sharing the top floor and having one room to sleep and one as a walk in wardrobe 🙌🏽
Or one child top floor and baby bottom floor with you?

It would be fine as long as she sleeps with you upstairs or you use the two small ground floor bedrooms. There is no way I’d be running up and down two flights of stairs several times a night.

We used the two upstairs rooms when we had a weird layout house - the master was downstairs and we used it as a guest room

@Fefifoefum I think I’m worried about her being closest to the door... like everyone else is saying my mind is going straight to burglars and all sorts!

For everyone saying about the hassle of running up and down the stairs, she’d be up with us in the beginning for sure. As I mentioned, she won’t even stay in her cot next to the bed for longer than a few hours so we have to work on sleeping through the night, then in her cot, and then finally on being in her own room. We might manage it before we move out again 😂

So that’s why I’ve not discounted it completely really, as she’s not anywhere near ready for her own room and we’re only planning on staying there for 6 months to a year. But it might be nice to think she could in theory be in her own room...

Thank you everyone for your thoughts, it is really helping me decide! Fingers crossed we love one of today’s houses more and it’s all a moot point anyways 🤞

DD was in bed with us until 22 months so it would be no problem for us. I would turn one of the bedrooms into a playroom.

If it's just for a short time I'd keep the baby and their cot in the master in the loft then have the downstairs as spare rooms. You can use those so that you and DH can take it in turns to catch up on sleep if you need to.