One bed flat - creative ideas needed!

[eternalflame2020]

Hi, looking for positive suggestions for upgrades I can make to my flat to make it easier once the baby comes!

We plan to be here for up to a year whilst we continue to save a deposit for a house.

My main worries are that we don't have a tumble dryer so I have clothes airers which take up so much room. Does anyone have a washer dryer that they could recommend that's not too noisy and dries well?

I'm also wondering if we should give up some cupboard space for a dishwasher. Is it something we could live without or am I going to completely resent washing up when knackered?!

I have a built in wardrobe in our bedroom which we are going to take the doors off and convert into a space for the baby and decorate the back wall etc so at least it feels like we have a little nursery!

I just want to make sure I've thought of everything as living in a one bed flat is fine, but the second it gets a little bit messy or you can't find space for something it feels so claustrophobic.

Looking forward to hearing some creative ideas!!

Dehumidifier is another option to dry washing quickly overnight if you don’t want to get a washer dryer. I have a washer dryer but it’s so crap that
I got a dehumidifier instead and it dries stuff overnight (we use reusable nappies too so lots of washing).

You’ll be fine, babies take up v little space at first, it’s just the kit! I would bath baby in the bath or sink and not bother with a baby bath. Re use the bassinet from the pram for daytime sleep. I’m sure others will have ideas too.

We have been in a two bed flat with no lift with our now 18-month-old and it’s ok

We lived in a flat until our eldest was two. I could not have managed without a tumble dryer and it was a washer/dryer we had in the kitchen.

ao.com is brilliant for purchasing white goods. They take away old machines, plumb in new ones (for a small fee), their communication is excellent, the search filter options are really sensitive for which makes looking and comparing much easier, the reviews are good and they do videos for appliances.

Conversely, we didn't have a dishwasher until our eldest was 14! You'll manage without!

Good luck!

Have the baby sleep in your bed - research the 7 sleep safe tips or whatever it's called.
Breastfeeding = no bottles/sterilizer/associated bottle clutter
I have heard heated airers are the dream!
And I would consider a dishwasher a deal breaker for living anywhere so I'd do whatever I could to get one 😂

Oh and use a sling instead of a buggy if you can

We didn't have a dishwasher or tumble dryer til dc were 5, and I'd happily give the dishwasher up if it meant keeping the tumble dryer. So getting a washer dryer is absoloutley the way to go. I'd not bother with a dishwasher but that's because I find it quicker to do dishes than scrape/rinse/stack/2h wash/put away.

I really like your idea of the wardrobe conversion.

Simple things we did:-
Slide the change mat under the sofa and change on the floor (rather than have a table)
Buggy that folds really small (Mamas and Papas Armadillo city)
Small basket with baby toys in for the living room
Accept the living room will end up looking like a playgroup by the end of the first year
Go out lots for walks thus making less mess.

You can get these things that hang your buggy on the door which is great.

Have a ruthless clear out. If there are some things you want to keep but don't have space for right now I would consider getting some kind of storage facility if you have nobody with an attic/garage.

I found clear plastic storage invaluable in a small space with a baby. I could see what was in there easily. I also had a nappy caddy which made night time changes easier.

If you need to iron clothes, get a travel iron and ironing blanket instead of full size iron and ironing board. Little changes like this can save a lot of space.

Some stacking tables and folding furniture. There will be times you want lots of places to put things and sort things out, and other times you want to maximise floor space.

A door bouncer instead of a bulky jumperoo. When you're not using it it's folds up pretty small.

I found, even though they are bulky, a big foam filled changing mat was needed. It meant I could change baby on the floor, the bed, etc. And know there was always somewhere comfy and wipeable on hand. A foldable mat would have saved space but driven me mad!

Store books, get kindle. Store CDs, get Spotify. Store DVDs, get Netflix. Just minimise any stuff!

Yes to the tumble drier, but have an alternative drying system too if you can like a heated airer. Clothes tend to shrink slightly in a tumble drier, which might be barely noticeable with adult clothes, but can make a massive difference to tiny baby items especially socks!

I'd be inclined to get a cosleeper cot -- Snuzpod or similar (I had Snuzpod, loved it) - instead of converting the wardrobe, as that space will come in handy. I had a nursery and dd never slept there anyway!

We had a washing machine / tumble dryer that was a decent dryer, I'll try to find name. Key thing is making sure it has a big drum.

You could get those open dish rack shelves you can put washed plates etc on to drip dry.

like this dish shelf thing, sorry for the long link
www-goodhousekeeping-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning/news/amp46873/finnish-dish-cleaning-method/?amp_js_v=a6&amp_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=16011109476593&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&ampshare=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goodhousekeeping.com%2Fhome%2Fcleaning%2Fnews%2Fa46873%2Ffinnish-dish-cleaning-method%2F

Washer tumble dryer was Candy, found it great.

ikea has some great storage stuff too, e.g. shoe cabinets are nice and shallow and can be used for lots of things, like hats scarves etc.

Good luck

I'm be never had or wanted a dish washer for our family of three. There simply isn't ever that much washing up to do. I'd prefer extra freezer space.

I did at one point have a washer drier but it was crap - this was ages ago and hopefully they are a lot better now. Do you have any outside space for drying too?

I agree that baby baths are unnecessary and I never used mine. Breast feeding requires less kit than bottle feeding.

I used my car boot as storage for the pushchair! Although you can't do this when the pushchair is wet or it will go mouldy.

I second the suggestion of a heated airer if you can't fit in a tumble dryer. I've never heard anything good about washer dryers so I'd avoid.

Ooh thanks guys! @nightmanagerfan the dehumidifier is a good shout actually as I have heard that washer dryers can be a bit pants on the drying front. @greenplum have you found yours dries well or does it take a long time? I like ao.com got fridge freezer there and they were great.

@buggabooboo thanks, I have thought about co sleeping, but I just wouldnt trust myself as I am such a deep sleeper and have been known to fling about in my sleep! I think you might be right about the dishwasher...now to convince the other half!

@bernadetterostankowskiwolowitz thanks for suggestions. I really like the idea of sliding under sofas, and ours are perfect for this. Also the basket for the living room is definutely going on the list! No lift here, so a light buggy is going to be a must.

Baby not due til early next year, so hoping to have a good idea of everything I need and then blitz the January sales!

I had a washer/dryer (3 different ones) from leaving home at 18 until I was 45 when I first got separates!

Obviously they take a bit longer than dedicated dryers, but they're totally acceptable. I can't really give an idea of how long they take because it would vary so much with the load, but on average, maybe I put stuff on for an hour.

The really handy thing is that you can program a load to wash, then dry straight after (assuming it's all ok to dry the whole load).

Thanks all for the ideas - keep them coming!

Hanger for buggy on the door is definitely going on the list for when its wet, otherwise will probably try to leave in car boots as suggested.

Thanks for the link @skymoo1 I love that idea!!

Going to give the breastfeeding a go, so if all goes well that will save us space.

A good spring clean and clear out is definitely needed. So exciting!

You could also consider one of those hanging drying racks on a pulley, if you have somewhere in the flat with enough height to fit one.

We don't live in a flat but ways we saved space were:

No travel system; the car seat stayed in the car always, the pushchair had a lie-flat, parent facing option so no carry-cot. It folded in one piece with the seat attached. We also had a sling. We were about 50/50 sling/pushchair use but I know some parents who hardly ever used their pram, they preferred the sling.

No baby bath: we used the big bath, with a sponge thing for baby to lie on at first.

No changing unit: changing mats rake up no space and it's safer to change them on the floor as they can't roll off.

No jumperoo, door bouncer, bumbo or sit-in baby walker. Just a bouncer chair and push-along walker. You won't need a push-aling walker if you move before the baby is 1. Babies don't really need many big toys. A lot of baby gyms fold flat.

De-humidifier to dry laundry on airers (including cloth nappies) twice as fast.

Breastfed and I could have done without the pump, steriliser and bottles as she never took a bottle. You don't need to sterilise water and food cups and bowls after 6 months. We didn't introduce solids till 6 months.

Her clothes were stored in a small wardrobe with two drawers at the bottom.

Idea for you:

Get a cot rather than a cot bed. They are smaller and it won't matter that it doesn't turn into a toddler bed as you won't need it at the flat.

Heated airers are another idea, alongside a dehumidifier. You can also get small airers that hang on the radiator.

Don't bother with a changing table (pointless) and just store changing mats etc under other furniture. Don't buy anything extra (sleepyheads, gadgets) until you know you need them.

Those hanging storage pocket things for the backs of doors are useful - clothes, toiletries, muslins, blankets, nappies etc can all be rolled and stored in them to give you more storage options.

Babies really don't need very much stuff x

We live in a house but don't have tumble dryer or dishwasher also no nursery, he'll be staying in our room for at least 6 months, I didn't see a point doing it now, I think it's more fashion than practicality. His future nursery is guest bedroom for family to come over and see him when it's possible. Also will be using pram in the living room instead of Moses basket. I got ikea organizers for drawers and under the bed to easily store stuff away. You'll be absolutely fine!

Ask that nobody buys stuffed toys as a present. Otherwise you will get loads that just sit about taking up space!
You will probably get loads of stuff you don't actually need or even want as gifts. I returned a lot of gifts for 0-3 month clothes for bigger sizes.

Also one persons baby essential is another persons utterly superfluous item so maybe don't rush out to buy too much kit that you may not need.

A subscription to amazon prime (for next day deliveries) was more helpful to me than a lot of the stuff I bought beforehand. I discovered that the swaddles I had one of were an absolute must, but the baby sleeping bags I had a set of were completely useless, because baby liked tightly wrapped arms. You really don't know until they are here.

All the little outfits I was bought for baby although very cute didn't get worn for very long (if at all) and weren't very useful. Baby grows on the other hand (especially the ones that have bits to cover their hands) I never had enough of. And plain bibs and vests. It's a good idea to have just a couple of colours too, with my sons it was so easy doing just blue and white washes that barely anything else got worn. Everything was cotton or cotton blend. My daughter had clothes across the rainbow and a variety of colours and fabrics, but ended up wearing lots of similar coloured baby grows (orange, red, pink) because they were what I washed most.

If you get a washer dryer you'll need a decent one with a large drum, otherwise it wont work very well (not as good as separate). A dehumidifier can also be expensive to run, it's worth comparing electricity usage when buying appliances. We just bought a heat pump dryer, cost £50 more than the condensor one I was looking at, but apparently costs around £60 a year less to run (better for the environment too!).