How much better is life in a bigger home?

[Silverdrainpipe]

We are considering moving. We currently rent a one bedroom apartment. It’s not very big. Maybe 500 sq ft. No outdoor space.

We have seen a two bedroom maisonette that’s just within budget. It’s just shy of 1000 sq ft. It has a tiny terrace but enough space to eat dinner in the sun.

The extra cost is a lot. It’s at the top end of our budget. We’ve recently had a salary increase and this would eat all of the increase.

So how much does a bigger house improve your quality of life? We are a professional couple, who often need to work in the evenings or one day a week at home. No kids.

Much better. Eg we just had an extension and now there is actually space to put things, more than one person can be in the kitchen so the kids can chat to us/do an activity while we cook, there is actually somewhere to eat that’s not the living room, the washing machine is not in the kitchen. There’s a downstairs loo now. DH and I both have an office each (one in box room one in garden). The house is so much tidier as there is actually room.
Literally life changing. Can’t believe we lived on top of each other for so long. Everyone is much happier now.

Most People would say my apartment is way too big for 2 people, and it is. But it’s great. You spend a huge amount of time at home, may as well have somewhere nice and spacious.

Are you wanting to buy at some point? I think a bigger house is good, but if this is top of your budget and you want to save for a house deposit to buy it would be better to stay where you are and save the money instead. Going top of your budget for renting is risky as rent can go up year on year and what if they sell and you need to find another deposit quickly.

I wouldn't go top of budget for renting, but I would if buying.

I'm afraid is makes a lot of difference. But if you can't save and have no cushion for rent increases and other changes, I'm not sure it's worth it.

2 people in a detached 5 bed house - not for me.But going from a one bed flat to a 2 bed maisonette sounds the dream.

For me it's about storage, space and the place being able to look tidy whilst still having stuff. Having a room to get away from the other person sometimes is a bonus too!

Space does help quality of life but is also relative and we adapt to what we have. Our house now is much bigger than our previous home and the garden is much larger but we are now thinking of moving to a bigger house or extending the house.

I’d love a bigger house - we only have one toilet, small kitchen ( with the washing machine in ) no space for storage. I know we’d all be happier. We could move to a cheaper area to get the big house but we’re settled here.
Unfortunately, I haven’t got the 100K it would cost to do the works. ( and I’m London so that price would be about right ) so I’ll just have to stop moaning 😄

I think it depends on your circumstances. I have kids and work part time so spend quite a lot of time at home. So for me it’s worth having more space.

In your situation though I’m not sure it’s worth the extra money, especially if you’re trying to save to buy.

Having more space is great but as others have said, I would not want to pay top whack rent for a bigger place if it is leaving you no wiggle room or scope for increases, saving, pensions etc. If you were buying however then I would say go for it, buying is always tight at the start but it gets better.

Op. When buying go as large as possible. When renting go as small as possible and save a deposit.

I totally agree either way this (assuming you are hoping to buy in the future).

For me space is the number one thing in a home, I think they are sooo much easier to keep clean and tidy and we often spend most of our life's at home, I want a space that feels pleasant & can adapt to having guests over, socialising, room for hobbies like crafts and baking etc.

Lives

It IS a lot better, but if you are on your arse broke, any home can feel like a prison.

Financial worries put far more stress on a relationship than a lack of space. If it’s already top of your budget and you are unsure you could afford a rent rise, perhaps look around or wait for a better priced option.

I did exactly what you described when I was on my own once. The LL didn’t increase after year 1 but put it up by 25% at year 2, and then evicted me anyway after a year because he had just got married and wanted to move back in.

I was perfectly happy in the tiny flat so idk what I was thinking; I think I got sucked in by the shiny. Silly me.

I have a really big house, it just gets filled with clutter, it's expensive to heat, decorate and maintain. I downsizing to a tiny terrace and I can't wait!

I wouldn’t do it for a rented place. I quite liked living in a small place as I’m a minimalist at heart, and would do so again if I was single. noise is a bigger issue than space for me, and a bigger place has the massive advantage of two (or more) people being able to do different things without disturbing each other. Extra loos/bathrooms are also a great thing to have! In your position I would not sacrifice money for space.

We have recently moved to a bigger home and, yeah, it's been great.

We have kids so don't know how much this changes the feeling of more space, because the big problem in our old home was feeling overwhelmed with toys and losing an office space once our second born arrived. But the extra space has improved mine and my partner's mood so much and the family flows so much better - we do lots more creative play because we have a play room where I don't care if they slap paint around, whereas before I'd be really clenched up about them messing up the dining room.

I would say it's worth it, just the small, day to day gains will lift your mood and make you feel more comfortable but hard to say without knowing specific needs and snags in the current set up.

A smaller place is better cheaper to run as long as you like the location as you will be outside more

Depends on what kind of person you are. I am a home body, I enjoy my house and my garden and spend time here a lot. For me the bigger the better (4 bedrooms, 2 receptions, that kind of thing). My friend is always on the go - if she is not on a business trip, she is going out or visiting friends/relatives in other cities. Literally only spends 2 nights at her studio a week, and my kitchen is bigger than her entire accommodation. But it makes perfect sense for her lifestyle.

Obviously more space is better but if you’re maxing yourself out, don’t do it, especially if renting

A lot of it depends on what you value in life- if you enjoy going out, holidays and clothes etc then you need spare money to do that. If you’re someone who spends a lot of time at home then spending more money on that seems reasonable.

So many people rent houses they couldn’t ever afford to buy, and they use large chunks of their income to do it; it’s a terrible idea. Always always go for the smallest and cheapest you can get away with, lower rent and running costs, and then save and buy. Never ever spunk more on rent than you need to.

We have rented big and small and now own small less housework and maintenance I find with small

Crap expands to fit the space available.

A 1 bed flat to a 2 bed maisonette will improve your life 100%

You'll have a room you can make into an office or spare room or hobby room

The living areas will be bigger - you can separate your cooking/ eating / sitting

A little sun terrace sounds brilliant. No gardening but some fresh air on nice days.

A 1 bed flat is only really good for a single person I think. Once you get into the realm of a couple you need a bit of space away from each other!

I think it depends if you have kids or not. Without kids I personally would opt to save money and have less housework and gardening.

I was in a one bed flat with two kids at one point that was not fun. Then I lived in a 6 bedroom house and yes it was a great life for the kids and I enjoyed the extra reception rooms and hosting guests. But I I had to stop work while living in that house to care for my disabled child, money got tight it was very stressful and when I couldn't afford a cleaner I really hated the amount of work it took in housework and gardening. Now I'm in a maisonette and have a garden I just about keep ontop of the housework but the garden definitely needs more attention. I would still opt for the garden due to kids but if I had no kids I would opt for something with less upkeep