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Original poster

Buying a one bedroom flat for my daughter and me

31 replies

decisionsinsandouts · 20/04/2021 20:38

I am struggling to find a flat I can afford in the suburbs reasonably close to my daughter's school. I have a good deposit but am of an age where I would have to repay the mortgage in 15 years. Shared ownership doesn't; really suit me as I have a sizeable deposit and if I did sell in the future owning a large share of the house can be problematic for selling.
I have searched properties near me and am frankly exhausted. I am considering buying a one-bedroom which I can afford and using the lounge as a bedroom- lounge with my daughter having the bedroom. I realise this is a sacrifice but so is renting forever, living in a suburb that I don't want to be in and which is inconvenient for work/school.
I don't have a partner and have not had one for a long time. My daughter is fairly pragmatic and is aware of the situation having viewed endless properties with me.
Has anyone bought a one-bedroom flat in similar circumstances and if so please share your experience.
I live in London.

OP posts:
Somuddled · 20/04/2021 20:48

I don't have experience of this but I don't see why it wouldn't work if you found the right sort of flat where you could have an actual bed rather than a sofa bed. If the sitting room was an L-shape perhaps or fairly long you could divide the room nicely perhaps? I always think, you can improve your home but you can't improve the location so it's better to pick the right location and make the home work for you. Have you seen any that could work? I am quite good at planning spaces.

itwa · 20/04/2021 21:05

How old is your dd and how many more years in her current school?

Saltyslug · 20/04/2021 21:06

How much have you to spend and which part of London do you need to be in?

quarentini · 20/04/2021 21:09

Honestly I would do this.
If all wardrobes and clothing can go in the bedroom or you could have clever storage built then go for it.

Highwoman · 20/04/2021 21:18

I've done it, 10 years on a sofa bed! I have a bedroom now! I appreciate it all the more and feel so rich even tho I'm still quite poor!

Billandben444 · 20/04/2021 21:19

This can work. I'd be tempted to have a proper bed if the living room is big enough - get one with storage underneath - and use a colourful heavy-duty throw during the day. If it's against the wall you and your daughter could snuggle up on cushions to watch the TV. Plan as much storage as you can fit in and explain to her that you'll have to be a bit ruthless. When I first separated I rented a studio flat and it was a challenge but having pared my clothes right down I adopted the one-in-one-out approach particularly with coats. Good luck with your search.

Peppaismyrolemodel · 20/04/2021 21:22

IKEA-type day beds look lovely against a wall with throw cushions in the day, and often have storage underneath? Had a relative who did this happily with kids for years!

Original poster
decisionsinsandouts · 20/04/2021 21:34

My daughter will start secondary in September.
I have found a lovely one-bedroom in the suburb I currently live in. I feel at home in this part of London and both my daughter and I have friends within the community.

OP posts:
Original poster
decisionsinsandouts · 20/04/2021 21:37

I haven't put an offer in for the flat yet there are many pluses albeit it one bedroom.

OP posts:
Didyousaysomethingdarling · 20/04/2021 21:38

You can get loads of clever, space saving ideas by googling Tiny Homes.

This bed would be ideal for the living room...
casadesigngroup.com/collections/bedroom/products/swing-wall-bed

OrcharD14 · 20/04/2021 21:43

I wouldn’t discount shared ownership! It doesn’t matter if you own a high percentage as the housing association only has a short window in which to sell the property & after that , you just advertise it as normal, via an estate agent & then give the h.a. their share. Several friends/colleagues have done this without a problem in Outer London.

lpchill · 20/04/2021 21:45

Have you looked to see if you could spilt the bedroom or lounge into two that would each fit a single bed? We used a massive IKEA Kallax unit to separate a room and put a expanding rod to make curtain doors. Also seen giant Lego blocks that separate rooms. My mum brought a studio after searching for 1/2 bedrooms but she would have no savings. The compromise was a Murphy bed but we brought a top end one with a good mattress as she wanted a double bed not a single

OrcharD14 · 20/04/2021 21:47

I’m talking West London, zones 5/6, places such as Harrow, Uxbridge, Ruislip & Ickenham.
Good luck!

Allthegranola · 20/04/2021 21:53

Not me personally, but I have a friend who did this for a few years. She said that obviously it wasn't perfect but they got used to it and it worked fine til their older children moved out. I think the key is to buy a proper bed or a really high quality pull out couch as the cheap ones are hard on your back long term.

Changingwiththetimes · 20/04/2021 22:01

Are you sure about the mortgage? I'm 50 and got a 20 year one.

QuimReaper · 20/04/2021 22:13

My friend at school lived in a beautiful one bed with her mum, and they all shared the bedroom in one of those bunk beds with a double on the bottom and a single on top. Wouldn't be for me but they seemed ok with it. Worth considering?

Embracelife · 20/04/2021 22:14

You can longer mortgages even as an older buyer espec if you have good deposit.
But good layout of one bed will work
If has separate kitchen

SmednotaSmoo · 20/04/2021 22:15

I would absolutely do it in your position, good luck!

tuttifuckinfruity · 20/04/2021 22:17

I reckon you could make it work.

Be ruthless, don't have clutter, get the biggest / best 1 bedroom flat you can and then organise the layout the best you can.

Also, longer term it could be a stepping stone to a bigger place in 5 years or so.

Ikeameatballs · 20/04/2021 23:35

Go for it!

I think the success will depend upon layout, storage space and your ability to be ruthlessly organised with whatever space you have.

Aida11 · 20/04/2021 23:54

What is your budget? You may be able to find a roomy 1 bed flat that you can reconfigure the living space to create a second room and a small living area.

dane8 · 21/04/2021 00:02

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This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines.

Cocksinsocks · 21/04/2021 00:02

I would try to get a two bed. I'd say go for it if she was a baby or toddler. But shes on the cusp of being a teen.
There is no problem having a big deposit with shared ownership - they want you to be able to pay it off! What you could do is offer up a 'normal' deposit of say ten or fifteen per cent of the share you are buying and once you own half or whatever throw the other cash you have at the chunk the housing association still owns. They don't check what you have in savings - just that you can afford the mortgage.

You can either use what 'deposit' you have left to pay off equity or as deposit on the other chunk.

You won't regret getting another bedroom

Cocksinsocks · 21/04/2021 00:04

(and moving in a couple of years when you realise one bed isn't enough will be prohibitively expensive)

MyDcAreMarvel · 21/04/2021 00:10

How old are you op? With a 10/11 year old daughter I doubt you are of an age where you can only get a 15 year mortgage.

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