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Original poster

Garden vs Bedrooms for kids

59 replies

MusicMum80s · 08/12/2023 19:12

In our neighbourhood our budget will either get us a house with 4 large double bedrooms and a decent 40 foot garden or a house with smaller bedrooms but a huge garden (100+ feet).

It has to do the houses with big gardens being in a conservation area.

Our girls now are still primary school age and would love a huge garden but I think as they get older bigger bedrooms would be more valuable!

Struggling to decide between two houses so keen to hear others thoughts!

OP posts:
Spendonsend · 08/12/2023 19:15

Bedrooms. Teens spend a lot of time in their rooms and they could livecat hime into adulthood.
40ft garden is still ok size.

DoIOrNot · 08/12/2023 19:16

Are there any decent public green spaces near the smaller garden house?

We moved from a large garden to a bigger house with smaller garden when DC was 2. It was still enough garden for fun and we had lots of woodland a short drive away. The bigger house was needed more.

cunningartificer · 08/12/2023 19:17

Garden all the way. It's a whole family extra room and they'll love it for having friends over and parties as well. Actually I'd prefer my kids didn't spend all their time in their rooms, so the trend for big rooms that are like little bedsits is with en suites doesn't appeal to me; I'd rather have more family space! My kids loved our big garden for imaginative play and it kept them off screens.

cestlavielife · 08/12/2023 19:18

Can you later build s big proper garden room in the 100ft garden ?

Spendonsend · 08/12/2023 19:19

My 16 year old doesnt do any imaginative play and is looking forward to moving out so he can have a double bed.

cestlavielife · 08/12/2023 19:32

Garden in winter, how will you use it oct to march?

riotlady · 08/12/2023 19:32

Bedrooms, 40ft is still decent

Original poster
MusicMum80s · 08/12/2023 19:37

DoIOrNot · 08/12/2023 19:16

Are there any decent public green spaces near the smaller garden house?

We moved from a large garden to a bigger house with smaller garden when DC was 2. It was still enough garden for fun and we had lots of woodland a short drive away. The bigger house was needed more.

Yes, two very large beautiful parks within walking distance and woods also a 10 min bus ride away.

OP posts:
Beamur · 08/12/2023 19:40

Bedrooms.
I have a titchy garden and it was fine. Enough room when little for a playhouse and sand pit. Big enough now for a fire pit and chairs. For big space - park/camping etc.
A big garden would have been lovely but virtually non existent where we live and unaffordable for us to get 4 beds and big garden.

carly2803 · 08/12/2023 19:49

long as they have a bedroom each?

garden!

DisforDarkChocolate · 08/12/2023 19:52

Bedrooms, unless you love gardening.

flowerchild2000 · 08/12/2023 19:56

Outside time is vital at any age. I had a shared bedroom with my sister and a huge outdoor area and most of my childhood memories are from being outside and I wouldn't be the person I am today without that. When we were older and my sister tormented me I escaped to my outside place and that's where I hung out with my friends too. It's been a priority with my kids now, as the temptation to be inside with wifi is so strong!

DragonFly98 · 08/12/2023 20:01

Definitely bedrooms.

Peterpieper · 08/12/2023 20:05

We’ve got a reasonably large size garden, the only family member who gets any pleasure from it is the cat. It needs maintaining and work, the kids moved inside at early teens and don’t really like being outside. 40ft is plenty big enough for a BBQ

squeekychicken · 08/12/2023 20:07

We went for garden as it was a big wrap around with a big driveway. Other houses were bigger but smaller gardens.

LindaDawn · 08/12/2023 20:08

Bedrooms!!! 40ft garden is plenty big enough.

SprinkleOfSunak · 08/12/2023 20:25

Definitely bigger bedrooms. You can’t live in the garden!

DreamingInPhosphorescence · 08/12/2023 20:25

We prioritised bedrooms over a large garden, the kids now spend all of their time downstairs or in the garden, only going upstairs to sleep…

It’s difficult to predict!

mondaytosunday · 08/12/2023 20:31

Bedrooms hands down.

NorthernAttitude · 08/12/2023 20:33

Definitely bedrooms. 40 feet is big enough to socialise in.

70isaLimitNotaTarget · 08/12/2023 20:38

Bedrooms
We have the typical 2 bedrooms + box room terraced and a garden over 100feet .
Part if it got used with the extension.
My DC are adults now , DS likes to sit in the back of the garden (it's paved and hidden away so he gets quiet space to read or play guitar)

Big garden is good if you want to keep rabbits or in our case guinea-pigs !

TheIsleOfTheLost · 08/12/2023 21:11

How many children do you have? Will they still have a smaller bedroom each? Can you potentially extend at a later date and add value, or add a garden room as a teen hang out? Do you actually like gardening? Once they have left home would you rather more house space, or more garden?

I would want the garden as I love gardening and would spend all my time doing it if I could. It would be a lot of maintenance if you have no interest though.

Mossstitch · 08/12/2023 21:55

Bedrooms, you can take them to parks but won't be long before they spend all their time in their bedrooms and with Britiish weather there is limited time when gardens are useful. I moved once for a garden when I had two kids 3 & 1 thinking they needed a garden, they would never go in it unless adults were out there with them and soon wanted to go back indoors to play🤦‍♂️

Rollercoaster1920 · 08/12/2023 22:10

An advantage of a larger garden is more separation from neighbours. But otherwise more internal space is probably better for teens.

bitofashit · 08/12/2023 22:11

I'd go for big bedrooms all the way. They'll appreciate it when they're teenagers and need to do homework in there (and will be past the stage of playing in the garden very quickly)