We need an extra bedroom, what would you do?

[supersonicginandtonic]

We have a 5 bedroom house. We have DD13, DSD12, DS11 and DD1!
We also have my nephew, who is 15 living with us.
Currently DD and DSD share, DS has his own room, youngest DD has her own room and DN has his own room.
We are due another baby in April next year. If this was your house, would you partition the biggest room or convert one half of the garage?

Couldn’t the new baby share with your youngest? They should be in with you for 6 months anyway so that gives you a year to consider what is best and get any work done.

The boys should share one room, the girls share the other, and the babies share another when the youngest is old enough. That would give you a spare / office too.

1 year old & baby can share a big room until age 5 or so. by then the oldest might be moving out or you could re-arrange rooms.

I'd look at some different room sharing possibilities first. I'd only partition a room if it left 2 full size bedrooms, each with a window etc etc - but I wouldn't do that unless it was totally necessary (nephew might move home?).

Lots of time to consider given baby will be with you for 6 months to start with. Home renovations/building/moving are all a bit more uncertain in the current climate too.

DD13 and DSD12- 1 bedroom
DS11and DN15- 1 bedroom
DD1 and new baby - 1 bedroom
Spare room- can use for extra storage or a den room for the teenagers to hang out in!

How big is the biggest room? Unless it's massive, I'd be inclined to do the garage instead so DN gets a decent sized space with good sized windows downstairs.

If you later decide to sell it can be dressed as a play room or office.

DD - 1 room
DSD - 1 room
DS - I room
Babies - share 1 room.

I wouldn't want the older ones sharing rooms as they've always had their own rooms.
My nephew moved in with us during lockdown as my sister was and unfortunately still is really struggling with her mental health. She's focusing on getting better so we have no idea how long nephew will be here. It's his GCSE year so
We're trying to give him as much stability as possible.
The room the DD and DSD share is huge, easily two full size rooms. It's a loft conversion with 2 large windows each side. I should have said in the first post about that.
We have absolutely no need for a spare room or office as DD and DS go to their dads every weekend so we always have their rooms spare when others stay over.
It's a really stressful situation as I don't want to lose the stability they have at the moment. So many changes for all kids over the last 8 months.

In that case I would split the attic room. It will give you the extra space, and if you ever wanted to put it back again it would be easier than changing the garage back.

You sound like a lovely family, hope all goes well.

I wouldn’t do anything right now. Girls stay in the large room, baby stays with you. Then baby can share with the 1 yr old. Once nephew moves back out the two littlest share the large room and the older girls get the nephew and 1 yr olds old rooms.

If splitting your DD and DSD's bedroom wouldn't make it tiny, I'd split it and have the new baby share with the youngest. Hopefully by the time the newborn leaves your room, your DN will be able to return to his own home, but if not, the youngest two can continue to share for quite some time. They might even enjoy it once a friendship forms.

Nothing needs to change at all! Baby in with you to start, then sharing with your 1year old. You've got a comfortable few years with that arrangement by which time your nephew will be off to uni even if he hasnt been to return to your sisters. Then one of the little ones gets the room he's in now.

I've thought about splitting the big girls up as they have always enjoyed sharing but they are now becoming young women and I worry about their privacy. Also now they are at secondary school (both year 8), they are becoming very different and have different friend groups. I'm thinking of when they have friends round and sleepovers etc (post Covid regulations). And them wanting to decorate their own individual tastes.
I thought my nephew may have been able to move back home with his mum but with another lockdown looming this is not looking likely. She struggled so much during the last one.
It's hard knowing what to do for the best/

I think you're massively overthinking this. The baby and youngest can share for several years by which time I'm sure your DN will have gone home, gone to Uni or found his own place and there won't be an issue.

I agree with PP who says do nothing for now, baby and 1 yo could be in together for a while. Agree that older ones need their own rooms

My 15 month old is a girl, would you say if this baby is a boy they could still share?

Baby and 1yo in together til baby is about 5. By that point nephew probs gone.

The move youngest two to the attic to share and split the elder ones between the empty rooms.

Babies can totally share it doesn't matter until they are about 8 I think. I shared with my brother until I was ten.

I'ld put the baby and the 1 year old together once baby is old enough, doesn't matter what sex they are until about 10 or so.

I'ld ask the girls if they'ld prefer their room divided or together or you could possibly just add something like a curtain between them then cut open and shut as they wanted.

It's lovely of you to look after your nephew.

If it was me, and you have a double garage I would convert half of it. The baby and your youngest can share but I’d want the older children to have their own space.

I would definitely split the loft room so the girls have their own rooms and then keep DS and DN nephew in separate rooms and the two littlest together (for at least 3/4 years). DN will probably be gone by then so everyone will have a room. Much, much cheaper to split the loft than start fiddling with the garage too (my parents did this for my sister and me). Also better if/when you come to sell too.

... but equally you don't need to do anything right now and with so much upheaval this year for everyone (and a lot for DN etc.) I wouldn't do anything for at least a year