Anyone live in a flat with no garden with kids?

[shortofbread]

We are considering buying a property in our home town. The plan would be to hopefully pick up a bargain with the housing market being the way it is and t have to sell our very rural cottage in the middle of nowhere.

Unfortunately we have a very limited budget and so we cant find anything that will tick all the boxes.

We can get a tiny house with a nice garden but only in shit areas in the surrounding villages with not so great schools. Or we can get a flat in the town centre decent area but no garden apart from bin/drying green but plenty of space inside.

We lived in a flat when we had one 2 yo child (and 2nd on way) and it was hell. It was upstairs and you couldnt park nearby. Humphing a sleeping toddler, a dog and a weeks shopping in was a bloody nightmare. Now the kids are older 4, 6 and 8 i do wonder if itd be easier.

Certainley would miss a garden but not having to cut the jungle it becomes in the summer!

Anyone live in a flat give me some idea of the good points and the bad.

Thanks guys.

Have not done it with children the age yours are now, but definitely think you're right that would be easier than babies (carrying from car/up stairs) and toddlers (caged animal?).

Our neighbour has two boys (5 & 7) and when the weather's dry, they spend every waking minute playing football in our kind of communal garden area (right in front of their house). I do wonder if you might be forever ferrying to and from the nearest park/outside space?

a) how close is the park
b) do you have boys?

I live in a big 2 bed flat with me, DH and 2 kids. I have a 1 year old and a 4 year old and neeeeeed a garden. Doesn't bother DH but he's never here he's always at work so it wouldn't bother him but I don't recommend it

I have one boy (8). There is a park along the road and also lots of local nice walks.

The flat is massive, much biggger than our current tiny 3 bed/1 public cottage but it sits in a third of an acre and its so rural kids play out, in forest, on street and in surrounding fields.

But summer is so short. Midges and ticks really put a dampner on summer here. During the long winter we are stuck in this little cottage, stoking our fire (solid fuel heating) and me with serious cabin fever but no where to go.

The flat has gch. It has 4 bedrooms and 2 public rooms. 2 of the bedrooms upstairs too so this makes me feel less worried about us making noise and other people making noise at bedtimes etc.

Also have family and friends nearby, some in walking distance, so winters wouldn't be so long and hard.

I love my cottage but people in this area are so not what im used to. Where we are from people are friendly and can have good humour. Here the large majority are just bloody dour and miserable.

We live in a big city-centre flat. Moved in when DS 3 and DD 5 - nearly 6 years ago. Almost never missed a garden. We have tons of activities within walking distance, including parks and often take bikes out on a sunday afternoon.

We spend a lot of time in parks in the summer and head out with a picnic after school or at the weekend. We all then relax together and the DCs make friends with other kids around.

As you say, summers aren't that long and the indoor space is fab in the winter. I don't worry too much about noise since it stops at 8ish and I don't let them crash about too early.

Also bought beds from here - fab if you can run to it!
www.woodland-bunkbeds.com

Them bunk beds are amazing!!!!

The beds are as good as they look and we've recently separated the structure into two rooms and the wood feels like it could carry on being used for 100s of years. Always popular with visiting kids!

If you have a park close by then definitely go for the lovely big flat!

We live in a city centre flat with a 2 year old and one on the way. Has parking, balcony and a communal garden. Adjacent to huge park and in great area. Although I would like a private accessible garden, weighing everything up we are v happy here- we spend loads of time outside in nice weather and have everything on our doorstep so never feel cooped up.
Your set up in city flat sounds great- esp with friends and family nearby- invaluable IME.

We've always lived in flats with no gardens (Council housing so no choice unfortunately) and it's been fine. I have to say, given a choice, I'd like to have one but there's been no real issues doing without. I just make sure that we go out a lot particularly when they were younger (DSs are 14 and 12 now, DD is 8) We'd go on picnics to the local, and not so local parks, visit friends who do have gardens, go for long walks for spurious reasons. It takes more thought maybe than being able to just chuck them out into the garden but maybe that's a good thing.

Given the British weather I'd always prefer indoors space to outdoors...

We live in a flat with our two boys, an 8 yr old and a 3 yr old, and can't wait to move out! It isn't as spacious as your potential flat so that's a factor, not having outdoor space for them to run around, get air, and do that rough n tumble (without destroying anything) that they clearly need. Another factor is the fear of their running and banging disturbing the downstairs neighbour. Our flat is split on two levels so they get sent upstairs when full of energy. And we go out to parks A LOT!