Making a small bungalow work with new baby and drying laundry

[futurista]

Not sure anyone can provide a solution really, but interested in opinions. We live in small bungalow, DD (14) in one room and us in another, plus a box room. We are expecting, and box room will become future baby's room. We may move down the line but it's not in our current plans. The house is small but we like our location. We explored extending but with current building costs its prohibitive.

For the first 18 months DS/DD will likely sleep in with us. After that we will lose our box room which is currently (a) a spare room - most guests we can put into the living room on an air mattress, except in laws who live far away - we do need somewhere to put them, and (b) our clothes drying space.

For problem (a) I have ideas of putting toddler straight into a small double bed once they exit their cot. Is this insane? Is there a way to make it work? It can then be used as a spare room on the rare occasions we need to. I'm slow to have DD (14)'s room double as the spare room as I feel she rightly deserves her space, particularly with new baby, and additionally her room is entering a new phase of teenage mess and would require more work to clean up when in laws visit.

I'm less clear on problem (b)'s solution. We dry clothes outdoors for maybe 7 months of the year, which I far prefer. We don't have a tumble dryer, both by choice and I'm not sure where I can put it space wise.

I really don't want to have clothes drying around the house, it just looks tatty and they don't dry as well as in a small space with dehumidifier.

Any creative options I haven't thought of? Do I need to bit the bullet and get a dryer? Can I put the dryer in a decommissioned airing closet? Or stack it on top of the washing machine and sacrifice counter space in the kitchen? I can't think of any other space for it?

Ceiling airer for clothes drying … we have one and can get loads dry without sacrificing floor space

@Zanatdy @BelieveInCher yes it's a fair point about hotels. I'd prefer, for their finances, to be able to accommodate them if possible, but it might not be.

@spiceandathingsnice what room is it in? I don't want it in the kitchen because of smells, bathroom because nothing would ever dry, so that just leaves either my bedroom or living room - not sure I want that...

Re the bed, trundles are often 2 x 3ft side by side so that might be too large (same as superking) for a box room?

Two thoughts:

1. We had DD in the Hemnes day bed with a bed rail in a similar situation in our old house. Was great for guests, and also for guests as well.
2. Agree on condenser dryer. I always swore just would never get a dryer, but caving im and gettihg an efficient condenser dryer has been a game changer. Loads take less than 2 hours to dry and it doesn't make a huge difference to energy use, either- especially in comparison to other kinds of dryers. The energy used is simialr.to when we used dehumifiers. We have a Smeg and I unepectedly love it (is A+ rated for energy use as well).

Congratulations OP. I think you are right to leave DD14 with her own room and a small double in the box room would work as both a bed for visitors with baby back in with you and a first bed for baby, with space for one of you to sleep in if required ever.

We were short of space and put a stud work wall up in our bedroom for DD that just fitted a small single bed, a chest of drawers and not much else. I was concerned about lack of space but she only slept in there and it was perfect. We had an extension built just before she went to school and it was fine. We had her toys in some storage in the lounge and because of that, I did choose stuff that I liked the look of so the lounge didn't feel like a jumble sale. I actually missed the little ikea kitchen that used to be next to our tv when she outgrew it.

I think you need a plan for the first year that works and then go from there. If you have baby with you and box room guest ready with laundry hanging from the ceiling, I reckon that's a good start. I didn't actually mind having the little one in with us despite thinking I would.

Can you fit a murphy bed anywhere?

It’s in the passageway between rooms - would that work ?

Controversial opinion - DC in biggest room has the double/day bed to accommodate GPs when they visit. DD1 has the option NOW of moving to the box room and never having to do a super-tidy when GPs visit, or staying in the bigger room and had to give up her space for visitors. She might feel aggrieved at down-sizing but will be zero disruption to her space in the future. Dc2 goes into bigger room in 18m on the proviso that bed will be given up for visitors. That way they know no different.

Your in laws will have to stay in a hotel. You don’t have the space to accommodate them comfortably.

Ceiling airer in a well ventilated room like kitchen or bathroom. When DC were small our airer was in the kitchen above the dining table with all my smalls visible through the front window. But it was above a radiator and most things dried overnight. Things dry much faster up there than on floor standing airers.

Unless there is a better mattress option that I missed, the mattresses with that ikea daybed are really not suitable for elderly relatives in my view. But you could give them your bed OP and you take the day bed. I sleep on ours sometimes and just about manage!

Another vote for Hemnes day bed that coverts to a double, and also I agree with others that you need a condenser dryer. Ours is in a kitchen cupboard, above the washing machine

IKEA Hemnes day bed for the box room.

Single mode has three sides and you can fit a rail if needed. It’s normal bed height. Double mode is king size. Huge storage drawers underneath.

Washing wise - good quality combo washer dryer sounds like the simplest solution. Combined with one of those heated drying rack bagged dehumidier things (or mobile airer snd decent dehumidier in the bathroom, dry overnight). A good dehumidier and rack combo will dry stuff overnight.

@Itwillbefinehonestly Thanks! Is the Hemnes not set up in such a way that people can get out of only one side? Not sure it would suit in-laws. Yes, we are proudly anti-dryer but from what I've read a condenser for 3 hours is about the same as a dehumidifier for 6-8hrs so I reckon we will just bite the bullet.

@Bigtrapeze yes I think year to year is the way to go! I'm very happy to live in a small space to be honest. But at certain points I wonder am I negligent for not having a playroom, toddler bed etc - the instagram rabbit hole!!! Definitely toy storage in the living room, it'll just have to do.

Can you put up a conservatory or lean too by the kitchen. Dryer and an airer can be put in there.

I'll give you a laugh, when I moved in there was a small greenhouse in the garden. I had great plans to grow everything and have loads of tomatoes etc. That greenhouse has drying racks in it now ha ha. the slightest bit of sun anytime of the year and laundry dries. Obviously not in sub zero temps ( I use the drier then) but generally! And the washing is not hanging around indoors either...

Perfectly fine to put the toddler in a double. In fact I would recommend it for all sorts of reasons. We did it for DC2 and wished we'd thought of it for DC1.
Make sure it's got storage underneath.

Condensing dryer with heat pump will be more energy efficient than most solutions including a heated airer + dehumidifier. So do t feel bad about getting one. Put it in the airing cupboard or outdoors in a shed or garage as they go on for ages making noise.

for the in laws get an ikea hemmes day bed that pulls out to a double

Personally couldn't live without my tumble drier with LO - I also hate the look of washing everywhere and you do do a lot of sitting around looking at your living space/often unable to get up and tidy... also sometimes when alone I genuinely couldn't hang a load out but I could bung it in the drier. Just something to consider! We also have a bedroom limitation and we have a Murphy bed, something to consider as it works so so well for us. The actual bed is great quality and it just folds up!

We have a lean-to on the back of the house, basically just a roof on stilts that attaches to the wall but it gives us a place to sit in the shade when it’s really hot, in the dry when it’s raining and also to dry washing year round. As long as the rain isn’t coming in sideways it can pretty much always get dry out there year round it just takes a bit longer when it’s really cold.

This! We simply don't have space for people to stay with us now that we have children, so they have to either come for a day only, or get a hotel/ airbnb. It's just the way it is. Not really a big deal.

I have DS4 still in our room because I don’t want to give up my laundry drying room

Can't you put the drying rack over the bath or in the shower cubicle with the dehumidifier on? That's what we do in our tiny flat. We bought a rack exactly the right shape