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Original poster

Which floor plan would you pick for a family of 5?

51 replies

mckenziemuffin · 01/02/2025 21:05

I currently live in the first floor plan property, but we are considering the second property. We are due DC N03, we have a DD8 and DS 6. Things to point out about our property:

Master bedroom isn't as big as it is because a staircase takes up a chunk of that footage.

We have two bathrooms, one has a shower and one has a bath.

New property doesn't have a bath or room for one which I'm skeptical of and one toilet.

We have loft space for all sorts of stuff, new property doesn't have any converted loft space.

Master bedroom stairs in our house are steep and I wouldn't want to carry a baby up and down them regularly.

Which one would you pick for a family of 5?

Which floor plan would you pick for a family of 5?

OP posts:

Apollo365 · 01/02/2025 22:50

Delphiniumandlupins · 01/02/2025 22:46

House 2.

Do MN posters live in the real world? Lots of children share bedrooms without damage. Similarly many families of 5 (and even bigger) manage with only one bathroom.

Bedroom sharing fine but we did 5 years as a family of five with one bathroom and if OP has the choice it’s not something I would recommend. (Esp going from 2 to 1!)

coralsky · 01/02/2025 22:51

Neither, I'd stay where you are and look for somewhere more suitable with potential for an extension or loft conversion in the future

coronafiona · 02/02/2025 02:32

We are a family of 5. Id go for house 2, but I'd split the two smaller bedrooms to add a third and I'd make the master smaller to have an upstairs bathroom. I'd add another reception room downstairs as kids get older they need their own space downstairs too. Neither is ideal really.

Ladyj84 · 02/02/2025 04:25

Neither, we are now a family of 7 but when we were 5 having no bath and 1 bathroom was a nightmare I would never ever do that again. We found the right one with bathrooms on all floors and made sure it had space to add.our own cupboards etc and now I would never move again 🙂

Eenameenadeeka · 02/02/2025 05:02

2 is better than 1 but it would be better with a bathroom upstairs

flyinghen · 02/02/2025 06:34

I'd want my kids on the same floor as me so house 2 based on that

hmb255 · 02/02/2025 06:43

2nd house. You could make the bathroom downstairs bigger by going in to the cupboard so that you can fit a bath in. You could also take the cupboard space out of bedroom 1 and 2 and make an en suite/second toilet. You will need it with 5 people, trust me.

SapphireOpal · 02/02/2025 06:44

I'd stay, and split your living room into 2 smaller kids' bedrooms. Bedroom 2 becomes your lounge. I couldn't do one bathroom with a family of 5.

HarryVanderspeigle · 02/02/2025 06:46

Is the new property a house? I am finding it hard to tell from the layout. If it is a house, then presumably it would have more options to extend out in future and possibly a garden. You can add extra living space with a garden room/pod and it is cheaper than extending. But I agree with others that one bathroom isn't ideal. I wish I had a second bathroom and we only have 2 kids. Sharing bedrooms is fine.

Housebuy1 · 02/02/2025 06:57

coralsky · 01/02/2025 22:51

Neither, I'd stay where you are and look for somewhere more suitable with potential for an extension or loft conversion in the future

Exactly this…keep looking @mckenziemuffin house number 2 would be outgrown very fast. House number one looks like it has more rooms and bathrooms so would stay. But keep looking for something better for when they are older.

Bobbie12345 · 02/02/2025 07:13

Neither are good. Stay where you are until you find something better. No toilet on the level everyone sleeps on is miserable, and dangerous having small children going up and down in the night by themselves.
Dont have another child until you have the space for them.

dcadmamagain · 02/02/2025 08:15

SapphireOpal · 02/02/2025 06:44

I'd stay, and split your living room into 2 smaller kids' bedrooms. Bedroom 2 becomes your lounge. I couldn't do one bathroom with a family of 5.

Brilliant suggestion

RatedDoingMagic · 02/02/2025 08:21

Frankly neither. One has totally inadequate bathrooms for 5 and one has totally inadequate bedrooms for 5. Keep looking. Stick where you are until you find somewhere with sufficient bathrooms and bedrooms.

UnbeatenMum · 02/02/2025 08:24

Assuming you're buying rather than renting I'm not sure it's enough of a step up. Unless you're gaining a garden as well with the move?

lljkk · 02/02/2025 08:25

In plan 1, the "living room" could become the adult bedroom, the dining room could be a living room, and 2 kids could go upstairs to bedroom with en suite (do you know how much time teenagers need in bathrooms).

Otherwise the plan with 3 proper bedrooms.

hjfoau · 02/02/2025 08:49

I don't think either are ideal tbh, the footprints are quite small, it's going to be a squeeze with 3 kids. But I'd probably go for the one with 2 bathrooms because I can't imagine only one bathroom to 5 people. Can you stay put and save up for something bigger before they're teens?

Pelot · 02/02/2025 08:57

Neither of those houses will be in demand as family houses and won't be easy to resell.

Aozora13 · 02/02/2025 09:11

I don’t think either are brilliant. We’re a family of five (DC 8/6/3) and have just moved from a house where all 3 DC shared a bedroom, and only 1 bathroom. The bedroom thing was fine for a couple of years but definitely becoming cramped. The younger 2 still share even though we have more bedrooms now. Only having 1 bathroom was really rubbish though. If I absolutely had to pick one, I’d choose option 1 but move things around eg use dining room or smaller bedroom as a living room. But given I had DC3 in with me until she was over a year old, presumably you’ve got time to keep looking?

QuartzIlikeit · 02/02/2025 09:16

Family of 5 here & the lack of a 2nd toilet is the issue. We have 3 toilets in our house & even this isn't always enough.

I'd choose house 2 but only if you are planning somewhere upstairs to put in a toilet & sink.

71622025B · 02/02/2025 09:24

mckenziemuffin · 01/02/2025 21:05

I currently live in the first floor plan property, but we are considering the second property. We are due DC N03, we have a DD8 and DS 6. Things to point out about our property:

Master bedroom isn't as big as it is because a staircase takes up a chunk of that footage.

We have two bathrooms, one has a shower and one has a bath.

New property doesn't have a bath or room for one which I'm skeptical of and one toilet.

We have loft space for all sorts of stuff, new property doesn't have any converted loft space.

Master bedroom stairs in our house are steep and I wouldn't want to carry a baby up and down them regularly.

Which one would you pick for a family of 5?

I feel like property 1 has more flexibility. Ok it's small but the storage room can be used as a single bedroom . The dinning room could become the living room . And the living room could become another bedroom.

MovingToPlan · 02/02/2025 09:24

Stay put and muddle along whilst the baby is young. You're not in any huge rush, and a house move and new baby in the same year or so is going to be super stressful. I like the rejigging of bedrooms idea, moving the living room into the bedroom; maybe you could knock through the wall between dining room and 'new' living room for an open sort of flow?

Maybe I'm just biased, I moved house last summer and still feel flattened by it! So in your position I'd rather make the current home work.

BackAgainSlimLady · 02/02/2025 09:31

Are any of your children nearing the age where they might move out in the next couple years? If so the second one might be workable.

although my biggest concern would be one bathroom along 5.. that sounds like a nightmare 😂

I grew up sharing a room with my sibling.

JamesWebbSpaceTelescope · 02/02/2025 09:35

2nd one but I would look if the large(ish) cupboard on the landing could be made into a toilet.

Then could the primary bedroom be split into two, converting bed 2 into yours (with the door at and angle) and having 3 bedrooms?

SoNiceToComeHomeTo · 02/02/2025 09:40

House 2 doesn’t have enough advantages to make it worth moving and the lack of toilets is real downside . I’d stay put for a couple of years with the 2 oldest kids sharing the top room and you downstairs with the cot in the storage room when the time comes. Then everyone has toilet access and the older ones have a bit of baby free space.

Zonder · 02/02/2025 10:27