Downsizing with kids, how to manage bedrooms? Or is it a bad idea?!

[XebraFish]

Thinking of downsizing to drastically reduce our mortgage. Have 3 young DC and would be going from 4 bedrooms to 3 upstairs - 1 double and 2 singles. There is a second reception room downstairs that could be used as a bedroom. However at the moment I think the kids are all too young for one of them to be on their own downstairs overnight and they wouldn't like it anyway.
Would you:

1. Me and DH have the double bedroom, make 2 of the kids share a single and then give the other single to one DC. The singles are big enough for bunk beds but would be a squeeze. In the future one of the kids can take the room downstairs.
2. Let all 3 kids have a room upstairs each and me and DH take the bedroom downstairs
3. Let the two kids who are sharing have the double room for more space, and me and DH take a single (!). It is 7ft wide by 12 foot long so can fit a double bed but you can only get in one side, and we could only fit one small wardrobe.
4. Keep looking for a "proper" 4 bed house

The issue with option 4 is that a lot of the houses in the area we are looking have at least one of the bedrooms downstairs anyway; plus a proper 4 bed is significantly more expensive and so won't make the drastic cut to the mortgage we are looking for. The house ticks every single other box for us, the bedroom issue is the only compromise. Thanks

Initially with young DC I assume they currently play downstairs so 2 could share a single room.

You could have all 3 share the double room and have one room as a dressing room for all of you.

You can look at moving an upstairs wall to make 2 small doubles.

You can always move to the downstairs room when they are older and need more space.

I think it can work but be open to being flexible on how you initially set up versus changing things around as the get older.

We had 3 DC sharing at one point but they were very young before we had 2 in bunk beds and 2 in the larger room. The clothes for all 2 younger ones remained in the larger room.

I would seriously declutter clothing and toys and use storage that makes the most of the height of the room.

We all have far more “stuff” than we need.

2 or 3. If 3, consider building in storage on the landing.
Potentially also: split the largest bedroom into two and have a playroom downstairs.

Interested to know how old the dks are. We lived in a caravan for 5 years,I'm good at small space living..my dks always shared..back in the 1980s when the mortgage rate was 16%, ex h lost his business. I would never stretch myself again..I would have the 12x7 room

Unfortunately it’s a very old cottage so not possible to move any walls. The double room could have a stud wall added to split into two rooms but the second couldn’t be accessed from the landing so you’d have to walk through one room to get to the other. While they’re young I think it makes more sense for them to have more play space and just share.

It depends on their ages but if very young I think option 1 and turn the second reception room downstairs into a playroom is fine. When they get a bit older that can be your bedroom.

Moving house is expensive (and stressful) and it doesnt sound like there will be enough room when they get older? If it was 2 doubles and 1 single it would be better! Also will you want to give them their own rooms once teenagers? That would mean moving again.

Option 3 is best.

Sharing is fine for lots of families. If it doesn't work later, the house has options.

I don't think the issue is that it's a 3 bed, the issue is that 2 of the bedrooms are very much singles. A 3 bed house with 2 doubles and 1 single would work better so kids can share for a bit.

When they're older it won't be a problem for one of them (or us) to be downstairs, so they will all be able to have their own room. They're just a bit too young at the moment (aged 2-8).

I know on MN parents are supposed to give all the bedrooms to the DC and sleep on a sofa bed in the living room but honestly for me you keeping the double room
is a non negotiable. Kids in the singles, I would start with 2 in bunk beds and one on their own. What are the ages/sex?

This is our thinking. We have a big mortgage and very vulnerable to interest rate rises. We have 34 years left on our mortgage and it is huge, at the moment we pay 2100 a month but if interest rates rose even to 6% (we are currently on 3.94%) the payment would go up to 2800. We have realised we have overcommitted ourselves and if the SHTF in any way then we could easily be screwed. And even if it doesn't, we want to start spending out money on other things (travel etc) rather than a massive mortgage every month for the next 34 years. If we move to this house we could reduce our mortgage term to 15 years and the monthly payment would drop to 1200.

Aged 2-8 all the same sex.

I would put all the toys downstairs in the playroom, make one single for the two youngest and give the 8 year old their own space as they'll need it first. Probably eventually move downstairs myself and shift things around but you might find they're fine in bunk beds with a tv/gaming room downstairs.

In this situation downsizing sounds very wise.

7 x 12 foot isnt really a single, we've had a double bed twice in a room much smaller than that so i think it will be fine. You have options as they get older and so much less stressful having smaller mortgage.

We had to downsize in the 90s when mortgage rates went up to 17%🙄 three kids (all same sex). Two of the bedrooms were only 8x8 & less but managed with two in bunkbeds and eldest in smallest room with cabin bed. We went through various permutations over the years, even eventually using a sofa bed in the lounge so that they could each have their own room when teenagers and early 20s. Youngest any have left home is 27 so couldn't have been that awful for them🤣

Could you get a newer house that might be more adaptable?

Nope wouldn’t even consider this. I had a big house when my kids were growing up and have now downsized to a three bedroom (back to London and my terrace was almost twice the price of my detached five bed). Anyhoo I couldn’t imagine living in this house with my son - he has the kind of personality that fills every corner. He left as we downsized and I wouldn’t have done it if he hadn’t. He’s here visiting now but three nights is our mutual limit!
Of course needs must and at one point I lived in a very small terrace with one double and one just about squeeze in a double and single. My neighbour was a council tenant and brought up four boys and a girl in that exact same house next door. Girl took single, parents the mid size room, the boys shared the bigger room. Only one reception room and galley kitchen - I seriously don’t know how they managed but they had no choice. Storage though! None of the rooms had any and not much downstairs either.
I’d move to an area I could afford a four bed rather than squeeze into a small house.

8 year old in the smallest single with a sleeper bed over a desk so that they have that space to do stuff and will be able to do homework etc there as it arises. Think clever with storage eg long hanging on a peg rail rather than a wardrobe and then maybe the rest of their clothes in a kallax or something on the landing.
The two younger ones in the larger single with bunk beds.

Playroom downstairs but maybe a designated area there for the 8 year olds toys etc so that the younger ones can't trash them and they can spend a bit of time there once the younger 2 have gone to bed.

Yes my thinking if we had the double room, would be that we had the younger two in their rooms and just not have any toys in there at all really. Have the second reception room as a playroom, plus maybe a sofabed (for guests but also for musical beds when one is ill and ends up in with me, DH gets kicked out etc)

I would keep the two younger kids together and give 8 year old their own room. In five or so years move the 8 year old downstairs (or you!). Oldest will probably be thrilled with the privacy and the younger kids will probably enjoy having a playmate.
Mind you, for some reason I'm imagining middle child to be closer to 2 than 8. If they're 7 or so, it would probably be better to switch things around as it can't be fun to share with a toddler.

We feel the opposite strangely, we would rather compromise on size of house rather than area. To get a cheaper 4 bed house we'd need to buy in an area with schools we aren't keen on and/or a rougher area. We also want to be close to family. The downstairs of the house actually has quite a lot of space - good sized kitchen, dining room, lounge, second reception, utility room, downstairs loo and a small study. It's just the upstairs that is more lacking in space.

I think you are correct - location is key.

Ok then the two little ones together and the eldest on its own. When they become older you could change based on how they get along, if you have night owls / early risers, etc

8yo would probably be fine in the downstairs room? Mine would love it. I guess depends how much noise would get into the room at bedtime.