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Original poster

Is this house unsuitable for children?

26 replies

Leftwingharpie · 18/05/2012 23:31

DH and I are looking to buy our first home. We have no DC yet, but have plans to start a family soon. We've seen a house that we like in a nice area nearby. DH is smitten (large double garage to build cars in and huge lounge to entertain his friends in). I like it but I'm a bit concerned about it's suitability as a family home, reinforced by the agent telling us that the reason for sale is that the owner's wife (sic) won't live there. So I would appreciate advice (hopefully reassurance) from parents of young children.

The house is the first on a private road, just off a B road. There is a steep driveway and then steps up to the front door, so not easy for buggies; older kids would need to cross the road to go out to play anywhere except the garden. Just a thin strip of grass round the back and a small patio area and a bit more grass to one side, not accessible from the front but through the dining room (which I think could be a playroom). Not much room to run around and play - but at what age do children start to benefit from a bigger outdoor space?

The kitchen and dining room are off a hallway, which encompasses stairs up and down - the lounge, stairs and downstairs and upstairs landing are all open plan, so effectively the bedrooms open directly into a space which includes the lounge. Won't our children be constantly out of bed?

The downstairs is huge but the bedrooms are quite small with small windows, which don't let in a lot of light because they face the hillside behind the house. I guess that's perfect for small children, but will the house seem small as they get older if they can't play with their friends in their rooms? What age do parents DC start to want more of their own private living space?

Finally the bathroom is very small, with a tiled floor. There is a bath, but no room to swing a cat. Is it easy to bathe a toddler in a small space, or will I rue the day we bought it every bathtime?

I do like the house but I don't want to buy it and then have DC and find it's completely impractical. So any thoughts would be gladly received.

OP posts:
fluffywhitekittens · 18/05/2012 23:36

It sounds like you've answered your own question really. I would keep looking.

scotlass · 18/05/2012 23:38

Everyone picks homes relevant to their likes and circumstances so you may get over all the things that are putting you off.

For me (2 DC 13yrs and 3yrs) I wouldn't buy it.

My kids play in their rooms as well as downstairs (eg when I'm doing upstairs stuff) and DD likes her own space sometimes.

I use the garden a lot for my toddler, loads of energy to burn off and means i can do household chores at same time

Small bathroom not really an issue for me. As long as there was space to sit by the bath I used to undress / dress the kids in the hall way.

Original poster
Leftwingharpie · 18/05/2012 23:39

Do you think so? It has a lot going for it for the price, but I guess that's probably because it's not suitable for a lot of people.

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Original poster
Leftwingharpie · 18/05/2012 23:44

Scotlass actually that's something you couldn't do in this house - if toddler was in the garden the only place you could see them from would be the dining room. There is another big bedroom on a lower level which would work for an older child, but we couldn't use it because it's too far from the other bedrooms.

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Original poster
Leftwingharpie · 18/05/2012 23:45

Sorry is DD the 13yo?

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scotlass · 19/05/2012 00:08

sorry just wrote a reply then got kicked out of mumsnet

Yes DD is the 13yr old. She mostly stays around us downstairs but does go up to her room for peace to do her homeworlk or read escape fireman sam or handymanny

TBH I think if you love the house you adapt your family around it. It's all personal preferences and all that. I LOVE our decent size enclosed garden but most kids over 5 round me play together in the street or the parks in the housing estate. Friends who live on a busy road have to arrange playdates at theirs or others whereas I can kick the kids back to their own houses easily Grin

MrsFaffnBobbocks · 19/05/2012 00:27

Do you want reasons to explain to your DH why it's not a good buy? Or ideas to overcome the problems? I can give a few of both.
Patio - great for ride ons, Lawn is better for everything else but only when dry! They are over rated IMO for children. Grow things in pots. Can still have sand tray etc. Do you have a good park nearby for bikes etc as they get older?
Stairs can have gates.
As long as your garden can be completely fenced off, you could use it with occasional watching from the d room. But you'll be out there with them while they are little.
If you have a room for a playroom, this could later convert to a teen lounge. I'd say 7-8 is when they might appreciate they're own space.
Bedrooms opening onto a lounge is your biggest problem I reckon, because you will have to keep noise levels down in the evening. Could be a real hastle if you entertain. But my dh thinks dc wouThe other issue is carrying little ones up and down stairs just so you can move to another room.
Overall all this isn't insurmountable. But I wouldn't buy it for longer term/a family. Lots of things will grate.

MrsFaffnBobbocks · 19/05/2012 00:30

Sorry - phone glitch. My dh thinks dc would get used to noise in the lounge...

I would be irritated by the steps and buggy. But could you keep a buggy in your car, then carry down dc?

Original poster
Leftwingharpie · 19/05/2012 00:57

I think I'm trying to talk myself out of it, it's such a cool house for DH and I as we are now! But I can imagine looking back and chastising myself!

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Original poster
Leftwingharpie · 19/05/2012 00:57

Thanks for all the replies!

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kitsmummy · 19/05/2012 07:49

Can you add a link? It would be much easier to advise if we could see it?

Original poster
Leftwingharpie · 19/05/2012 14:49

Kits I did think of that, but for some reason (!) the EA hasn't photographed any of the problem areas, all the pictures show is a nice frontage, a huge lounge, a new kitchen and a large master bedroom! Grin

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Original poster
Leftwingharpie · 19/05/2012 15:10

this is the floor plan. The house is built on a hill and is split level, so the garage and adjacent bedroom are on the first level, then the kitchen, utility, downstairs WC and dining room are on the next level, then the lounge is on top of the garage on the next level, whe the three bedrooms and the house bathroom are on another level again.

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claudedebussy · 20/05/2012 18:51

doesn't sound to me like you really like it and i think that's essential.

what i consider essential to me, having 3 dc's is having the playroom / dining room next to the kitchen so that they can get on with things and i can keep an eye on them. the last thing i'd want is them playing in the living room and me downstairs not knowing what's going on. they must be on the same floor as me.

that would be the deal breaker for me, unless you made the downstairs dining room a playroom.

our house only has 1 bathroom and 2 bedrooms with 3 dc's and a small bathroom doesn't really bother me.

bottom line is do you love the atmosphere of the house? could you see yourself living there?

GnocchiNineDoors · 20/05/2012 18:55

Hmmm, I would discount it (for me) purely on the first point - the steep hill/steps to the entrance. I wouldn't even worry about the further issues as that would be enough for me.

The fear of slips in the frost; the hiking a buggy up and down. No, not for me.

minipie · 20/05/2012 18:56

hi harpie, welcome back to Blighty!

looking at the floorplan I see three big downsides from a small DC pov:

  1. dining area separate from kitchen (unless kitchen is big enough to eat in?)

  2. living area a long way from kitchen - so very difficult to have them playing in the living room and you getting on with tasks in the kitchen. Again, however, if kitchen is big enough to eat in, you could solve this by making dining room a playroom.

  3. probably the main thing - the childrens' bedrooms are very close to the living room so you may find they wake up if you watch noisy tv/have guests over etc

and the steps up to front door will be a total PITA.

and DH won't be spending hours building cars once you have DC (don't tell him that obviously Grin)

sorry to be negative but I would keep looking.

claudedebussy · 20/05/2012 18:56

i have lived in a flat with 4 steps up to the front door. bloody pain in the arse.

claudedebussy · 20/05/2012 18:59

ah i thought of another negative although i appreciate it might not bother some.

when i have guests round i like them to be near me so i can be included in conversation etc. so we have an open plan kitchen / dining room. in our old place the kitchen was separate so my dh would be entertaining friends in the living room and i'd be slaving away in the kitchen, all hot and bothered and missing out on all the fun. quel pain.

kilmuir · 20/05/2012 19:05

we love our outside place.
keep looking, you have raised too many negatives

Firawla · 20/05/2012 19:15

all being on different levels sounds like a total pain, on the floor plan it looks like only 2? and then you could rearrange what rooms are used as what and make it a bit normal/easily useable (ie living room downstairs..) but from what you are saying its on about 4 different levels? if thats the case it would be quite inconvenient for children. the steps thing is quite inconvenient too, but the garden sounds fine

slowlyburningcalories · 20/05/2012 19:16

Too many negatives. For me with a rampaging toddler,

  • steps to door, nightmare, especially when baby finally asleep after walking the neighbourhood And steep drive would be annoying in wet or icy weather
  • DD still too small to let out to play in garden on her own but new house we are moving too means I can see her from kitchen and family room when she is bigger. Pre baby I just cooked and washed up in kitchen, post baby spend half my life in there
  • Small bathroom in our last house drive me demented, our rented house at the moment has a big enough space for a changing mat to get DD dry and ready for bed after her bath
thenightsky · 20/05/2012 19:52

Is it on rightmove? Post a link if it is. We can judge properly then.

Original poster
Leftwingharpie · 20/05/2012 20:16

I can't thank you all enough for the advice! I am discounting this house and have found some others to look at which, on the basis of what has been said in this thread, will be much more family friendly. It's scary what you don't even think of when you don't have children!

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Original poster
Leftwingharpie · 20/05/2012 20:26

Minipie no one must tell him! Grin (backstory for everyone else = I've been trying to convince DH to TTC for over 3 years!)

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EdlessAllenPoe · 20/05/2012 20:27

actually some of these problems aren't that problem-icious.

our childrens bedroom is directly off our lounge. we have the telly on as loud as we want. they just sleep through because they are used to it.

small garden: little kids use the patio most. small bit of grass is ok for paddling pool in summer

steps up to house...we have three but DD is on reins to get up/down them - i can get the pushchair down them with not too much hassle (so depends really)

they do annoy by getting up, but i did this as a kid in a house with a totally different floor plan!

first floor living room is an oddity, is this a room with a view?

But you don't like it - that much is obvious. keep looking!