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Original poster

If you moved just for space, how much % more space?

28 replies

Joan0fArk · 12/04/2015 09:33

Just that. My house is about as small as a 3 bed gets. I like it here though. Just wondering if there's a recommendation. Say, if it's not at least a third bigger again you won't notice the difference?

OP posts:

Gusthetheatrecat · 12/04/2015 20:41

Hmmm. I have never heard a rule of thumb. I do think for me floor space counts for a lot. More perhaps than bedrooms. When we last moved, our new house was twice as big, in square footage terms, as our previous one. And, as you'd expect, we really, really noticed. In a good way.
I suspect the only answer is the obvious: to look at your budget, factor in stamp duty, see what's available and see if it's worth it. Sorry. I know this is not ground-breakingly insightful.

RunningGuerita · 12/04/2015 21:04

Good question and one I have been pondering. We are planning to move and I've decided the increase in sq footage that is my minimum increase is just under 25% increase. It's not a lot for the enormous mortgage we will have to take on (Central london) but it means we can have a bike shed and I can cycle again and have an au pair...

AtomicDog · 12/04/2015 21:17

we did it for 100% more space- it was definitely worth it!

mandy214 · 12/04/2015 21:17

I agree. There probably isn't a rule and will depend on massively how you live your life and what is important. Also, it depends on how much you love your house.

Sweeping generalisation - but in my pre-children years, would have moved for more entertaining space (wasn't that bothered about bedrooms etc). Young family - still want living space but I would have loved a house with a granny type flat or guest room with an ensuite. Older children / teenagers, I want bedroom space and a separate reception room and location (so they can be independent etc). So if my house didn't work for me and I couldn't rejig it for how we'd live, I'd move to a similar sized house if it was a better layout.

So yes, additional space is obviously great, but there are other reasons too.

Passmethecrisps · 12/04/2015 21:20

We are about to move from a 2 bed semi. Almost one down two up type idea. Moving to a three and a half bed detached. It is almost twice the floor space but there are certainly compromises. We live 150 miles from both sets of grandparents so a spare room is vital. This house has that but unlikely to provide us with the guest ensuite that would make it perfect. Other factors have made it ideal though

Gibble1 · 12/04/2015 21:22

See, if you like it where you are, I would ask why you need to move. Perhaps have a huge declutter of your entire house (have a read on the kondoing threads) and then reassess if you still feel the need to move.
Quite often, it's just a case of emptying out your home and redecorating it. It would be cheaper to do this than move, perhaps even to the tune of a new kitchen and bathroom.

Original poster

Joan0fArk · 12/04/2015 22:24

Moving to a house twice as big must feel amazing! But moving is a big deal..... if i extended out the back that'd be about 135 extra sq foot which would feel amazing but if you went through the drama of moving you'd have to have more extra space than that.

I would love to kondo my house. No, I'd love somebody else to do it for me!

OP posts:

GiddyOnZackHunt · 12/04/2015 22:28

We did 100% too. We'd found a bargain and I wasn't moving for less but we did have an adequate space before so it had to be good.

Passmethecrisps · 12/04/2015 22:29

It sound cheesy but have you made a pros and cons list?

The area we are in suited DH and I massively as a childless couple who spent our time in pubs. As the parents of a small child I want space and safety and a spare room.

We have paid much more for our new one than twice what our current is worth if that puts it into context. For us that was worth it as staying was not an option

Gingerandcocoa · 12/04/2015 22:30

We moved for an extra bedroom and outside space. 70% more internal space. We love it.

Mintyy · 12/04/2015 22:32

I would go to all the trouble of moving for a 4th bedroom and a downstairs loo. Add in a utility room and it would be for definite.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 12/04/2015 22:54

Dear God, Minty are you really looking at 600k for a 4th bedroom and downstairs loo?

Mintyy · 12/04/2015 23:02

marshmallowpies · 12/04/2015 23:09

We moved from 2 beds to 4 for reasons that were absolutely essential - DH is self employed and we needed bedroom 4 for a study (it's a box room but that's all it needed to be), and having a spare room means we can put relatives up which we couldn't before.

We could have got by with a 3 bed house - we'd have done without the spare room and put a sofa bed downstairs or something - but we'd have needed to convert the attic or build a garden room as an office sooner or later.

The extra space we gained downstairs was good in the long run, but not essential the way the extra bedrooms were. We went from around 800 sq foot to 1,200 I think.

GiddyOnZackHunt · 12/04/2015 23:31

Sorry Mintyy - my tired old brain remembered a post from a few days ago about a house you'd posted as a possible. Price stuck in my head. Not a stalker :)

Artistic · 12/04/2015 23:31

We went from 800 sq ft to 1700. Absolutely love it! Can't imagine how we ever managed in 800 now?!

Apatite1 · 12/04/2015 23:43

I'm going from 550 to 3,000 sq ft. I don't actually fit in our current flat, I just have loads of furniture and stuff in storage. I'm looking forward to getting my things again. And getting another dog finally!

Apatite1 · 12/04/2015 23:46

I wouldn't move unless I got another bedroom or at least 25% more space. But I doubt we will move to bigger, ever. Probably will downsize after retirement.

RaphaellaTheSpanishWaterDog · 13/04/2015 00:14

We went from around 1100 sq ft to 3500 a few years back - that was a four bed to a six, but for us as a small family if three (plus loads of pets) it was the larger overall room sizes that we were after. We also gained a second bathroom, utility and extra reception room. Even the hallway was huge - large enough to eat Christmas lunch the first year when the rest of the place was still virtually uninhabitable!

Since DS went to uni we downsized to somewhere smaller again - current house is a 2000 sq ft four bed - wouldn't want to go any smaller as we have too much furniture I don't want to part with. When we were moving last year we looked at some two beds online but they were just too tiny.....

Psipsina · 13/04/2015 09:58

Actually we don't have more space all in, but the layout means it is a far better house for us. I have three children. We went from two beds (one was enormous, the other tiny) plus a huge living room, average dining room and small kitchen (plus one separate loo/one bathroom) to three beds - two average, one enormous - large living room, no dining room and small kitchen. The bathroom is large and has a window (we didn't have one at the old house, it was internal)
we have a garden that's less than half the size (was 120ftx30, now 60x24) and tbh I miss this the most but we have a huge playing field behind the house and there are loads of children here, so the kids are Ok.
It just works so much better in so many ways. There are down sides but having a house that's bad-weather proof, ie, they have loads of space to themselves indoors, is wonderful.

We sort of swapped a dining room no one could use for anything much, for an extra bedroom. Also we had a massive cellar which was very damp and ruined anything I kept in it, and a leaking, flooding conservatory (ditto damaged stuff) and here we have two large attics instead, plus a large shed.

So you may not need much more floor space depending on the layout and other factors.

mysteryfairy · 13/04/2015 10:00

Not really answering the question but can you look at ways of maximising storage etc in the current house? Would be much cheaper. When we had some furniture made one of the things that stuck in my mind was some examples we were shown of what had been done in a very cosy cottage. Storage included units literally to the ceiling that the petite owner used a stepladder to get in but gained her so much over standard freestanding wardrobes etc

Mintyy · 13/04/2015 10:47

Oh, right you are Giddy .

Devora · 13/04/2015 11:02

We did it for 100% more space. We actually traded down in terms of room sizes (other than kitchen) but up in number of rooms - from two bed flat with tiny kitchen to five bed house with decent kitchen, two bathrooms, back garden. Our room are undeniably pokier and I miss the high ceilings, but with an additional child and my partner working from home, well worth it.

SprungHasSpring · 13/04/2015 12:10

Ours is 3times the size of our last house, which is fabulous (apart from more vacuuming). We could have lived comfortably on twice, I think, depending on layout.

AryaUnderfoot · 13/04/2015 12:33

We moved for no extra space but to be in a detached house that was extendable (nightmare neighbours at old house).

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