Third bedroom useful if you never have guests or wfh

[breadandroses92]

DH and I are thinking of getting a bigger flat. It's far easier to find bigger two bed flats in our preferred area and we don't want to leave London. Second bedroom would be a nursery (ttc though not very successful so far).

I have pets and initially I thought a third bedroom would be good for the pets but once they pass on (lifespan is estimated 3 years) , I don't plan to get new pets.

We don't really have guests because MIL lives nearby and his SIL prefer to stay with MIL when they come over (we offered for them to stay in our second bedroom but they are going to stay with MIL instead).

I usually go back to my home country to visit my parents and my parents would prefer a hotel anyway if they do come (they can easily afford it).

DH prefers to go into the office rather than wfh. I don't WFH at present but even I did get a new job I would be fine with a desk in my bedroom (which I did for half the pandemic before I shifted my desk into the other room).

Would a third bedroom be wasted on us esp given higher mortgage rates?

Playroom?

Depends. Would you like space for something you enjoy, or not? Home gym, study/library, craft room, sewing room, painting studio, music room, second bedroom if one of you snores a lot, etc etc.

If not, probably a waste.

I live in a two bed flat. It's large at 1500 sq ft but I wish there was even a small 3rd bedroom for hobbies or just storage in general. Or a very large cupboard! Our second bedroom is a study with a walled and computer. We are retired.

Wallbed

I live alone and never have guests to stay, but there's no way I'd be able to cope without an extra bedroom, and my other rooms are not that small. You might be fine with 2 beds for a while though, so it depends on how long you intend to stay in the new flat.

Spare bedrooms can attract CF guests.

I live alone and have 3, one is a study and one a guest room and I’d really like 4 because I’d like a room for my cats, hobbies, or just the extra space really.

2 sounds plenty for you. I'd ratherc2 decent sized rooms, than 3 small ones. I'd also rather have more disposable cash, than having it tied up in a 3rd room you won't use. If you mange to conceive, you might find a lower mortgage allows more financial flexibility.
I am a minimalist though, and feel extra rooms just attract extra crap!

If plan to stay there a while an extra room In a flat can be handy

Assume one/same floor

So could be bedroom - playroom - dining room

Spare room is where we always dry the laundry. Also for guests and spare office / bookshelves. Sometimes to get two good size bedrooms you end up looking at three bed places with a box third room.

I don't think you can have too many bedrooms tbh. We have a spare which is just a storage room right now (we don't have a loft, and it stores stuff that might be kept in a loft like Christmas stuff, suitcases etc). We have a playroom and that's really useful. If we could have afforded more rooms I'd have a home gym or craft room!

i agree in a sense. but at the same time, we are in a housing crisis now and would be for the foreseeable future. There is a balance between future proofing and being kinda modest in expectations.

We have decided to prioritise location and while we would like more space, we are trying to find a middle ground if possible cos that would free up more money for other things.

Depends how much it would impact your financial situation really to compare how worth it it would be.
We live in Cornwall and most friends and family in other areas, so the guest room is important. We have another small room that always ends up being the storage “dump and worry about later” room.
However, if money is tight and you never really have guests to stay, I’d not make it a priority. If money is fine, extra space is always a plus!