Is this house too small?

[hibernatingmama]

About to purchase a new house and I'm having slight reservations over the size. It's a new-ish build so rooms are small but the layout is good and when we viewed it felt like enough space.

It's 104sq/m (approx 1120sq/ft), and that'a with a kitchen/diner, living room, utility and toilet on the ground floor, and 3 doubles, small single, bathroom and an en suite upstairs. It also has a garage.

Does this sound too cramped for 2 adults, 1 toddler and a baby?

How big would you expect a 3/4 bed to be?

That does sound small to me. Ours is 1600sqft - 3 double beds, 1 single, 1 upstairs bathroom, downstairs living room, dining room, wc and kitchen

It sounds very like our house.

We had almost the same square footage in our old house but it was a 3 bed Victorian terraced house. Our current house is almost the same size but feels much bigger, because in newer builds they use the solace much more efficiently. We feel like this house is double the size!

We are currently selling as we’re outgrowing it, but that’s because we have 3 children and are potentially planning a 4th. With two it was ideal.

It looks very much like a Barratt home we looked at before we ended up buying a 3 bed with the same sqft instead as we preferred the layout and didn't need 4 bedrooms. They're actually very well laid out and make the most of the space available, and as others have said the garage is a very easy conversion if.. and it's a big one, of you have room elsewhere to park.

We moved from an older property to a new build and surprised everyone, but for us it's been a very good move. Layout works, house is warm and efficient, no work required. Win win win

Hi Op,

I work in new build and to be honest that square footage sounds good for a new build 3 bed, however be careful on the loft storage.

We always tell customers not to store in the loft, they aren't built like older houses and the roof is designed for load bearing. Anything in the loft can affect this and invalidate your home insurance along with any builder warranties. Do you know what builder originally built the house ? It may be worth contacting their customer service or asking your solicitor to confirm.

I’ve just seen the floorplan and amend my earlier statement - if it includes the garage then it might be too small! Ours is that size but the garage isn’t integrated and isn’t included in the 1200sq ft.

I think considering you're coming from a smaller place it will seem ok to start with, however I have found that you expand to fit your house, however large! Somehow you find what once seemed large suddenly seems cluttered.

I think you'll be ok for a couple of years but personally I'd be looking at a way to get a playroom downstairs. Either garage conversion or sunroom out the back. Even a small playroom makes a massive difference in my experience!

I think the living room could feel small as there are two doors in it so you need some of the space as a passageway.

We moved into a 4 bed with a smaller footprint than yours. In reality it felt like, by modern standards, it would have been a 3-bed with ensuite (there wasn't one). It was fine though for us and 2 kids. We've since extended both up and out but if we'd not been able to we'd have been fine with the kids here until they left home. Lots of neighbours with the same house managed just fine.

Sorry, just seen the floor plan and should add that ours also had integral garage. I don't think your house is small by any stretch of the imagination whatsoever. It's not spacious but it's most definitely not small and plenty big enough for a family. Sure you might want more but you most definitely cannot be said to need more or to be particularly cramped in that house. I'm surprised by the number of people here who must be living in massive places!

I think it depends on how the space is split - our house is also 104sq m, we have one 3 year old and another baby due in May, we're actually on the market and looking for a house as ours is too small for us. But when you look at the floor plan it makes sense, we're in a 3 storey townhouse so two thirds of our space is bedrooms (all 3 are double rooms) and our actual living space is a tiny kitchen and one space for dining /living.

I lived for many years in a house with a floor plan the same.

Seriously hated it. The living room feels like a hallway. The dining area was cramped and the kitchen had barely any counter space.

I also had two young ones while living there and it really didn’t work well for us but it’s all we could afford at the time.

As others have said, converting the garage would be a great help.

This thread is classic mumsnet!! Is anyone else reading it a bit with disbelief? Our house is tiny, we live near London and it cost a fucking fortune. I have friends who live with 3 kids in 2 beds, with the rent costing £1500 a month. Mumsnet is like another world sometimes!! OP, can you afford this house, or can you get bigger for your money?

Is anyone else reading it a bit with disbelief?

Yes, me! in my world this house would never in a month of sundays be called small. Small is a lounge 10X12, kitchen not big enough to get a table in, main bedroom 9x11 and smallest bedroom 7x9. That was the house my friend lived in with 2 kids. That was really cramped. She would have absolutely loved the palace which the OP is talking about! I think some people just don't know how others live.

And doesn’t budget come into it as well? Sure it would’ve been nice to have a large entrance hall, an additional dining room, play room, sun room and all four rooms doubles but if that’s not doable for your budget and chosen area then what’s the point considering it

@tinylittleyou well this Tinylittleyou you and others,

"And doesn’t budget come into it as well? Sure it would’ve been nice to have a large entrance hall, an additional dining room, play room, sun room and all four rooms doubles but if that’s not doable for your budget and chosen area then what’s the point considering it "

It depends on area though as well. My house is in a town is small compared to my friends house in rural Lincolnshire where houses and gardens are much bigger. My house is much bigger than my friends who lives in an area of Manchester. It’s all relative.

Thanks for the comments! I really appreciate them all as I did ask for opinions so knew I'd get a range.

I guess I'm asking because it is within budget, but I could stretch to buy something slightly bigger. Reading these comments and having time to think, I've decided not to stretch ourselves just now as with little kids I'd like to not have the pressure of going back to full time work straight away.

I do agree with the comments about playrooms and garden rooms etc. couldn't afford a house like that!

Overall we are used to a smaller space and we don't have lots of clutter so I think we'll be fine with it as a starter home.

Fingers crossed we get the (tiny/not tiny depending on what side of the debate you're on) house!

@hibernatingmama Good luck with getting it - keep us posted? I think it'll be a fab house for you all and, esp with that garage and the wardrobes and single beds in those kids rooms, will have plenty of space for you all. I can imagine your wee ones running around your big garden in the sun!

@hibernatingmama I’ve only just spotted the floor plan and it looks like a good space. Perfectly sensible not to stretch the budget too much, not much fun having no money to do things but having a bigger house. You have to live! The garage space is great too. I know lots of people who’ve converted all or part of their garage to make snugs, playrooms, study, extra bedroom and it’s worked well so there looks to be plenty of potential. Depending on garden space my friend with the same floor plan (not sure on dimensions) has added on a 2m extension across the back and it’s amazing!!! Made it feel much bigger and more open with bifolds.

I think as you've seen it and are happy and used to less space then you should be fine?

Our house is a very similar layout but I just googled and is 1600 sqm. I had only lived in old houses until we moved here (brand new) 3 years ago and I bloody love it

I think it sounds fine. All except one of those bedrooms is bigger than my main bedroom, with our tiny room being 1.9m x 2.5m. Layout and sizes downstairs similar but no WC or utility. Perfectly liveable and my DC are teens.

How on earth do you fit 4 bedrooms in a house that size. Just because a space can fit a double bed, doesn’t make it a bedroom. You don’t just jump from the door into bed and back out of bed into the landing. A bedroom needs space for wardrobes, somewhere to dress, bedside tables etc.

11-1200 is a decent size for 3 beds; 15-1600 decent for 4.

Be careful of suggestions that you can extend newer builds. Often the plot has already been maxed out by the developer, or there are other restrictions associated with the planning permission.

@sst1234

How on earth do you fit 4 bedrooms in a house that size. Just because a space can fit a double bed, doesn’t make it a bedroom. You don’t just jump from the door into bed and back out of bed into the landing. A bedroom needs space for wardrobes, somewhere to dress, bedside tables etc.

The house has built-in wardrobes in every room, though. The OP has seen it properly furnished with real people living in it.

We moved with two kids from a 55sqm to 65 with storage. It felt like a palace! And then the next year to a 120sqm with three bedrooms, two lounges, kitchen with very small eating area. It is great. I think the main things are that it is bigger than what you have now, and to be really careful about decluttering when you move so that toy only have the stuff and furniture that you actually need.