2 kids in a small 2 bed house feasibility

[GelatoPistacchio]

We are no way near ready for a second child (baby is only 1) but I do have a longing for two. The issue is that I love our little two bed house and and don't want to move just for that extra bedroom/space. Our mortgage is comfortable, there is a decent sized garden and the street/area is lovely. If we moved we would be paying a huge premium for the dubious privilege of a third box room.

Both bedrooms are doubles with the master being a good size for two children, though partitioning via stud walls would be a bit tricky with how the windows are placed, so one side would have no natural light. I've heard of people getting creative with fabrics to split rooms up but no idea if that actually works.

I'm wondering if anyone has stories of 2 kids in a 2 bedroom house and how you made it work as they grew up? Same sex siblings sharing a room? Would you have had to move if the second child was the opposite sex? Parents on a sofa bed downstairs for the teen years?

Perfectly doable.
A room for each child wasn’t common when I was growing up in the 80’s. Most of us, and our friends, all shared bedrooms.
We actually did, for several years after my DP divorce, have 3 of us dc in a 2 bed house, with poor DM on a sofa bed downstairs. However, it really wasn’t unusual for my friends to share with their siblings in a 2, or even 3, bed house.

Could you convert the loft or add an extension, in a few years? Do you have a big bathroom or cupboard you could use to create an extra room somehow?

It'll be fine - if not ideal - if your children are the same sex, but you can't really have opposite sex teens sharing a room.

The risk is if they’re opposite sex siblings so they can’t share beyond early childhood and a bedroom with no natural light, only a curtain for privacy or parents on a sofa bed for the entirety of their teen years really wouldn’t be very nice for anyone. Could you do a loft conversion or other small extension? If your garden is a decent size then surely there are options and you’d have time to save as it wouldn’t be needed until eldest is a preteen.

Even if you did have DC of the opposite sex, you'd have a good few years to plan for the future still. They could share for 5 years or so. That would give you time to plan a loft conversion or similar.

The loft space is too small but an extension might be possible. Most on the street have a conservatory/orangery to add more space downstairs without it depleting the garden space too much.

The issue I see with adding a downstairs bedroom is it limiting the amount of light to the living room where the extension would attach to. Everyone else on the street has opened up the space to add more light and a bigger dining area (from what I can see from my window and being nosy on zoopla!). It wouldn't be a natural fit for the space. I think a double story extension would be both pricey and look quite clunky, though I guess it depends on the architect.

We are in a small two bedroom with two DC, a girl and a boy. They currently have a bunkbed in their bedroom. It's fine for people to say they can't share but the reality is that some households don't have a choice. We can't afford a bigger mortgage and don't have the money to extend in any way (it would be possible anyway). Many people I speak to have shared a bedroom with a sibling growing up so it used to be a normal thing. If ours want some more privacy when they get older we will just try and put a curtain up halfway through the room or something.

It probably wouldn’t be a problem for another 10 years, but no - I wouldn’t consider that a good long term plan with two children.

We had 4 kids, 3 bedrooms. The younger 2 were opposite sex, shared a room until they were 9 + 10. The older 2 until they left home.
It's perfectly fine, and my younger 2 are ao close, even as teens.

We have three DC in a two up two down, so they all share a room and it works fine. They are all girls, which is easier than if they were different sexes I guess

We have two girls. They have been sharing a (small) bedroom from age 0 to 17. Because we all appreciate our property and prioritise lifestyle, hobbies, holidays (all four of us) . Home is where the heart is. Good luck xx

If the same sex they can share without a divider. So there's a 50/50 chance there's no problem.

If opposite sexes they can share for the next decade. That's a lot of time for circumstances to change! Perhaps you'll be wealthier and move. Perhaps your bedroom could be divided and you could move to theirs.

I wouldn't worry about it now but my friend had similar and extended their kitchen to quite a big open plan area and changed their lounge into a downstairs bedroom- which they had - luckily they already had a downstairs loo

We have two boys, 13 and 16 now, they have shared all their lives. We’ve offered them their own spaces - it would be possible if we juggled rooms around - but they prefer having a big living room and insist that sharing is fine. They do have a big room, divided by a curtain. They just sort themselves out so that each gets time alone in the room to have with friends, chill out or whatever.

We love where we live, none of us wants to move tbh.

OP this is us except DD is 3 (we are TTC) and we have 2 cats and a dog as well!!

Hard relate

Also DD only moved out of our bedroom when she was 2

For me it's not about the bedrooms it's just about general space!

Even if DC2 was opposite sex to DC1 you've got years until it might be a problem. My DSs shared a room (3 year age gap) until they were 19 and 16. DH shared a bedroom with his DB (6 year gap) until the older one left home. It's not unusual.

Interesting responses, thanks everyone!

I know the modern trend is for children to have separate bedrooms but I do think there will be a lot of people priced out of 3+ bedrooms in certain areas and people will have to get creative with the space they have.

As people have mentioned, we still have plenty of time to figure it out.

Also Op have you seen the cute bunk beds you can get

I shared with my DB until I was 9 then I went into the box room which I actually liked.

I live in a 2 bed with my 2 kids, boy/girl. They shared comfortably until my eldest was 8 and I had the other room. Now they have a bedroom each and I have a fold away bed in the living room. It doesn't bother me, it's more important to me that they have their own space and a place to keep all their stuff.

Apart from that, I love where I live, could never afford a bigger house in this area and there's absolutely no scope to extend.

I've got 2 DC (19 and 17) in a 2 up 2 down. They shared until they were about 14 and 16, then we changed one of the downstairs rooms into a bedroom. It was previously a playroom.

Yep we have 2 DDs 18 and 19 who have always shared. Decent size room, bed on either side. They've never known any different.

DD1 now at uni and they are both enjoying their new found space 😁