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Property/DIY

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Original poster

Small bedroom for child. Over thinking??

45 replies

Billyvoo · 29/04/2022 08:18

We’ve been looking for a home for almost a year. My DH loves a flat where we used to rent (SW London). Fab flat, ground floor with the most amazing grounds straight onto the river. Outstanding schools. But! Second room is small
10’2 - 6’4. We’ve seen it twice and I’m not sure. He’s only 2 now; but in a few years I think it might be an issue. DH says we can just move and eat the stamp j’. We might join a members club so would help us not committing murder.
Am I over thinking this? Just go with the flow?

OP posts:

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 29/04/2022 09:19

I wouldn’t buy - property success is about buying as few a properties as possible, I imagine you will grow out of it quickly- time flies- unless you have room to extend

Talipesmum · 29/04/2022 09:24

If you’d genuinely be fine to move in a few years - if you feel you need to - then go for it, enjoy the amazing place and move if and when you need to.
But would you have to move out of area - what about schools? It’s much easier to not have to move schools if you don’t have to, and you need to be happy with the ones you’ll be able to get into. Just worth sense checking that side of things too.

JaninaDuszejko · 29/04/2022 09:25

Our fourth bedroom is small, when we moved to this house my eldest wanted it (she was 10 at the time). We have a playroom so we have plenty of toy storage but you'd be surprised how long children like having a small room. And my now teenagers never have friends round ('why would I want my friends to come to our house, we want to go into town' they say to me) despite them having the playroom to entertain their friends in (playroom makes it sound more babyish than it is, there's comfy sofas, table football, computer etc in there).

AMindOfMyOwn · 29/04/2022 09:37

KangarooKenny · 29/04/2022 08:27

It sounds ok for a few years, but I wouldn’t have a teenager in there.

Well dc2 has had a bedroom that size since he was born. He is 17yo now.
It has never been an issue. And the tricky time wasn’t as a teen but as a 3~6yo. But then both dc1 and Dc2 just spread themselves outside of their own bedrooms anyway (Dc1 has a much bigger bedroom too).

I think that if you are happy to have your dc playing in the living room most of the time, then it’s not an issue. It’s a bedroom that will be mainly used to sleep in.

INeedNewShoes · 29/04/2022 09:46

It's just DD & I here and although we have three bedrooms, I've actually chosen the smallest room to be DD's bedroom. I prefer the feel of her room for a child's bedroom some reason.

It's similar dimensions to the room you're looking at and has been absolutely fine through the toddler years (toddler bed, chest of drawers, built in cupboard, bookcase and a bean bag chair). However, she only has books and cuddly toys in there. All other toys are kept in the living room.

She's five now and we've just put bunkbeds in. When she's older, a higher cabin bed might be called for so that she can have a desk in there, but she can work at the dining room table for as many years as she's happy to.

As mentioned by a PP, layout of the room will make a big difference. DD's longer wall has the window and the radiator on it (and the other long wall has the door) so we've had to get 'shortie' bunkbeds to fit on the short wall as I don't want her bed across the window.

If the radiator/door are on the short wall then honestly, this room size will be absolutely fine!

INeedNewShoes · 29/04/2022 09:49

yes my concern is the toys and mess. I don’t want to be living in a mountain of crp!*

Some well chosen storage (with doors rather than open shelves) in the living room to house the toys that won't fit in the bedroom, and being in the habit of a 5–10 minute tidy up in the evenings so that all the toys end up hidden in the storage, should leave you with a peaceful, grown up living room once DC has gone to bed.

Original poster

Billyvoo · 29/04/2022 09:49

@Isonthecase i don’t think we’d be able to reconfigure as it’s a listed art deco building. However, I’ll definitely check out out the website!

OP posts:

Midlifemusings · 29/04/2022 10:00

When he gets a little older you can get loft beds so that there is play space or desk space under the beds.

Layout sometimes makes more of a difference than specific size. Windows, door, closets, werid angles can really make a room more or less functional. The footage is plenty for a child for years to come as long as you can make the room work.

stormelf · 29/04/2022 10:34

Our smallest bedroom is 1.97cm by 2.9cm and until recently it had my 2 year old and 4 year old sharing it. They both had extendable IKEA beds (80cmx130cm), a corner shelving unit for their books, night light and cd player as well as an IKEA trofast unit for storage. Even with the two beds they had room for a road play rug. Now the room only has my 2 year old in it and he will have that room as he grows. In the future we will get him a mid/high sleeper but at the moment he is perfectly happy with his bed, toy storage unit with train set, train rug, bookcase and armchair in there for bedtime stories. His older sister is in a much bigger bedroom but she will be sharing that with her baby sister in the future so actually even though my son has a much smaller room he probably has the best deal.

Original poster

Billyvoo · 29/04/2022 12:57

Thanks for the input everyone! I do think we could make it work. The service charge on the flat is super hefty, so there are other reasons we are cautious. But we’ve been looking for so long I’m thinking we just go for it. We’re definitely NOT having more children. So I’m sure we can make it work.

OP posts:

Threetulips · 29/04/2022 13:04

Sounds fine. Look on ikea for different storage solutions and make every piece of furniture count! Table with storage, hanging nets for toys, shed for bikes or how about less stuff!

Original poster

Billyvoo · 29/04/2022 13:11

@Threetulips there is a massive bike storage on the premises, that helps. We’re going to have to live very Zen-like. We already don’t buy our little one lots of toys. We use a toy subscription, so we send it back every couple of weeks… game changer! We just have a ton of books.

OP posts:

TwoBlueFish · 29/04/2022 13:12

My DS was in a room 9’x7’ till he was about 11 with no issues whatsoever. Bed, small desk, wardrobe with integrated drawers. Most of the toys were downstairs though.

PastMyBestBeforeDate · 29/04/2022 13:13

Would you be able to put some sort of garden room in the grounds as he gets bigger? Somewhere to hang out with friends?

imnotwhoyouthinkiam · 29/04/2022 13:22

I think my DCs bedrooms are smaller than that, they are 17 and 15 and shared until about 2 years ago. It's fine.

Lovinglife45 · 29/04/2022 14:24

Inaloop
I would love to see the layout of your son's room. I am surprised it can accommodate a bed, wardrobe and desk.

Isonthecase · 29/04/2022 15:37

Depends on the listing for reconfiguration, some are purely external so walls can be moved. I think even grade 2 might only be things mentioned on the listing.

Sounds delightful though, I'm in the go for it camp!

Isonthecase · 29/04/2022 15:39

We also put underfloor heating in our old box room as it meant we didn't need to worry about the radiator location too.

Svara · 29/04/2022 15:46

I have a teen who would be perfectly happy with that space (and when he was younger too). Unless you are expecting them to end up over 6ft maybe? DS is 5ft 9.

VioletHills · 29/04/2022 15:59

My middle sons room is 8 by 6 he has a bed, desk and shelving in there with some floor space. He has a cupboard next door for his clothes and storage things.

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