Box Room and older children

[Bugahug]

At the moment we are in a small 1970s terrace. Downstairs consists of a living room/dining room and kitchen. Upstairs we have 2 double bedrooms (although 1 is on the small size) and a box room with bulkhead. My Ds is in there with a cot bed and I know a single bed would fit with a set of chest of drawers.

My main concern is that as he gets older it may become too small and we dont really have any other space for him to use to socialise or for toys etc.

Im wondering how others have coped as children get older?

Did you move or renovate loft space I've had a look at neighbours loft conversion and I've been unimpressed given the cost.

Or did your children happily grow up in the tiny cosy bedroom?

Who else lives in the house?

I stayed in a room that size until I left home at 22, from age 5. I survived. My brothers shared one double bedroom despite being 8 years apart, my parents the other. Typical 1930s semi.

Apologies my DD (7 years older than DS) and DP.

I think it's fine - it's what I had as a child. But I think you do need to make some extra storage space for him somewhere - his toys may need to be downstairs, he may need to keep some clothes in his sister's room or yours etc

I had DS3 in the boxroom till he was mid-teens, when an older sibling moved out.
He had a raised bed ( which he says he liked) high enough to fit a desk underneath. We had a storage unit in the hall outside his room for clothes, and only his school shirts were hanging in his room. It wasn't great, tbh, but we managed. If he wanted friends over sometimes, we'd vacate the living room and let them hangout in there. His Dad was working evenings/nights quite a lot then, so I'd be in the kitchen/ diner or in my bedroom.
If you have a choice to get somewhere bigger or extend, then I'd recommend that. We had already extended when he was little: for a while he shared with a an older brother, and that was actually OK for a while, with middle sibling in the boxroom. It was difficult once they got to about 5'10".

Aww that's good to know. Think if you don't know any different it might be alright. Im probably over thinking the whole thing.

He was a surprise baby so box room was going to be a wee office/vanity room as my DD got older. Had no intention of moving so exploring options.

My brother is 6ft 5 and survived in our box room with bullhead until he was 21!

When he's 14, DD will be 21. If she goes to uni, she'll only be back part time and may not live at home after, so they could swap at some point.

If the older one were to go to university at 18 they could swap rooms as the younger one turned 11 and went to secondary school and needed more room for a desk. Particularly after the first year in halls they may come home less and less in holidays once they house share.

He already has some wardrobe space in his sisters room and toys are downstairs as it stands.

I lived in a box room, only space for small single bed, small desk and chest of drawers and that was it . V tiny. Was there from 12 years old to late 20s! I find that you just adapt. Probably helped I wasn’t fashion conscious so didn’t have many clothes or accessories. But I loved the fact I just had my own space - I think kids just appreciate that really.

I was in the box room until I was about 14. I couldn't even have a door because with the bed/small desk/small bookcase I couldn't get it open. I had a curtain instead. I certainly felt a bit hard done by that my older brother had a room big enough for a small dining table in it!

But I was happy enough once we extended and I got a larger room. I think if your son could, as people have said already, move into the larger room once he starts secondary school then at least he has a turn for the study/social space at a time he needs it.

My brother had the box room from 5-18 when he left home, you are definitely over thinking! It’s totally normal

Oh ok

You said this in your OP we dont really have any other space for him to use to socialise or for toys etc

So I assumed you didn't have any other space for his things

We had this, and we converted the loft as the kids got to near high school age. We also started needing a bit of home office space. It’s a 1970s terrace so loft conversion was v straightforward.

It’s completely brilliant. We have a large room on the top floor with small bathroom, there’s a dormer out to the back and we still have storage under the eaves in a little slice at the front. Kids are now in the two larger of the original bedrooms and the box room is a small office / guest bedroom.

I don’t regret it for a minute, it makes the normal first floor feel more airy and spacious too because there’s a high up loft window above the stairs up to the loft, so we have better natural light on the first floor landing too now. It’s wonderful.

We converted our loft when our youngest was 5. It was worth every penny. It have us three decent sized bedrooms and a separate office space

We are in this situation at the moment with 15yr old DS. Eventually we hope to convert the loft but it’s ££££ so can’t do it yet.

We got a carpenter in and he’s built a bed over the bulkhead, mid sleeper height. Included in the frame is a large 4-drawer chest of drawers and a large touch-open cupboard. The storage under it and in the drawers is VAST!

We then put a 4x4 Kallax at the end of the room for a TV/games console/nicknacks etc.

Best bit of building work in the house, it looks ace and it’s totally transformed his room.

My 16yo has the tiny box room. Our airing cupboard takes a chunk out the room (access is from hall) and we can fit a single divan bed - no space for a framed bed- and a small chest of draws. Her older sisters share the divided biggest room.

It has just been a case of managing although she has been complaining about lack of space more in the last year or two. It was easier when she was little as she liked her raised bed.

I love that the kids who grew up in box room seemed unbothered....does make me a bit more positive about the situation.

Regards moving to another room when DD goes to uni that's a what if? as much as she is capable she has cerebral palsy i can't see her moving away for uni if she even goes.

@SpidersAreShitheads I've thought about converting loft too but again its ££ but that would be long term plan or pmoving but my house is in a lovely part of town and if I were to move it'd have to tick pretty much all the boxes to increase mortgage by that much.

My ds is 14 and 6ft 3. It's a small box room with a bed wardrobe and desk with his gaming PC on it. The door hits his bed when you open it.

He doesn't mind as its all he knows. But 12 years ago we did an extension and he uses that when his friends come over. As it has a tv and his Xbox is there to. He doesn't seem embarrassed when he brings his friends to his room, which he does a good bit.

Do you have space for a garden room that could be used as a playroom or separate work/study space for either you or DS as he gets older? A self contained garden room would usually be cheaper than an extension to the house, and if you get it properly insulated and with power for lighting and a heater you can use it year-round.

From 9 to 18 my bedroom was 7ft by 10. I survived.

I think the room is roughly 2metres by 2.5metres something like that so really not big a 7 by 10 foot. If it was a bigger single room I wouldn't be too worried. But genuinely can only fit a bed over the bulkhead and chest of drawers to the side.

I know a lot of people have small bedrooms but just wondering how its panned out long term and ideas.

Looks like loft conversion might be the natural progression.

I was in the tiny boxroom until I was 23.

We have moved into our old living room and gave our eldest the master bedroom. If there's extra reception rooms downstairs then it's possible to do this.