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Original poster

Could 6 people live in a 3 bed house/flat ?

29 replies

Sorrento · 09/04/2009 12:54

Am mussing forgive me, DH has been offered an inetrview which would involve moving to my favorite place in the UK but where property prices are mental.
So going against all my own advice I'd be tempted to rent the tiniest property I could there, live Monday to Friday with literally school uniforms and work clothes, then we'd come back at the weekends for something the DD's love doing and spend the weekends at a our country stack lol (ie they could have all their toys and tat here).
To do this I really would need to keep the rent right down and we'd be looking at maybe a 2/3 bed tiny property, has anybody done this ? Did you go off your dial ?

OP posts:
cazboldy · 09/04/2009 12:58

there are 7 of us and we have 3 bedrooms

GrapefruitMoon · 09/04/2009 12:59

Don't know about nowadays but when I was growing up most of the families I knew had lots of kids and none had anything bigger than a 3 bed house. One of my friends was from a family of 8 kids - luckily there were 4 boys and 4 girls so they had two bedrooms for the kids with 2 sets of bunkbeds in each! Unluckily for us, we were not so evenly divided so my brother had his own room and us girls had to share....

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 13:00

theres 6 of us and we have 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 3 living rooms, and fall over each other all the time
but as you say, all your clutter would be at home, so could work. depends on the sex of the children also.

Original poster
Sorrento · 09/04/2009 13:00

Wow, are they big rooms though, how does it work if you don't mind my asking ?

OP posts:
BonsoirAnna · 09/04/2009 13:00

I think the biggest problem with your proposed course of action is that you and your children won't be able to maintain proper friendships in either community.

Original poster
Sorrento · 09/04/2009 13:01

All girls, 2 get on better so I'd try and give the box room to the eldest, the biggest room for 2 to share, baby isn't even conceived yet, rapidly going off that idea.

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RubberDuck · 09/04/2009 13:03

It would be doable I think, and could be something you could trial for a year and if it wasn't working, move down there properly.

However, two big things I would consider:

  • CAN you rent a cheap 3 bed in a catchment area of a school you would be happy sending your kids to?
  • you are effectively saying that your kids can never meet up with their school friends at weekends or holidays. Are you happy with that?
Original poster
Sorrento · 09/04/2009 13:04

BA - Monday to Friday I'd be a stay at home mum, I've lived in that place before so I have some networks I can pick back up and i'd throw myself into the NCT etc.
We don't really do much in the way of friendships where we are, I worked full time for a few years and the mums at my DD's school all think I am a upper class hooker thanks to my pschyo ex nanny so no great loss there.

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gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 13:04

we converted our garage into a bedroom for my eldest son, and put in a car port in front of this for storage,and converted a downstairs loo and corridor into a downstairs bathroom. 3 bedrooms upstairs, one for us, the smallest for our daughter and the biggest for our sons aged 2 and 1. then we have a sun room behind the dining room which leads into the garden. does this make sense? looks like a normal semi from the outside.

RubberDuck · 09/04/2009 13:08

(The more obvious option, if you love your current house is to do what my dad did for years - rent a small room/studio flat in the new area and only come back at weekends)

Original poster
Sorrento · 09/04/2009 13:11

Was it just your Dad that lived in the studio ?
DH wouldn't entertain that and I'd jump at the chance to be nearer my Mum and live in that area again, their are some fantastic schools and I've told DH he can only take the job if it pays enough to cover school fee's.

G - I don't think people would appreciate me converting their rental property though, bugger

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gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 13:13

no, but could you not move there altogether and buy a semi and convert it like us? costs about £5000 for a garage conversion which would give you 4 bedrooms

RubberDuck · 09/04/2009 13:15

Yes, it was just my dad who lived in the studio.

I think from what you're saying that you'd jump at the chance to move and want to get the kids out of their current school/area, then you'd be much better off moving properly tbh and get more living space - it only takes a string of wet days to make a small house with a lot of kids a recipe for migraines and think of all that money you'd be throwing away in rent while still having most of the same maintenance costs for your current house.

Though renting a small property and popping back to old house while trying to sell it would probably be the most feasible short-term option, I think that negates leaving a lot of tat up there for when viewers go around

Original poster
Sorrento · 09/04/2009 13:16

We probably could if I went back to work which I'm far from keen on, could be done though I guess if I skipped the whole new baby thing which I've been rattling on about for 4 years and we're half way through IVF for.
Tis never straight forward is it

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gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 13:20

maybe you should just wait and see if he gets the job, no use worrying your self silly and then he does not get the job, particularly if you are going through IVF. good luck with that!!!
i work part time and i love it, 16 hours a week that i dont use the word poo

Original poster
Sorrento · 09/04/2009 13:22

See I thought I could move MIL who is unhappy in her current home into our house because the problem is we'd be in negative equity and the prices are completely out of sync with where we are now, so I'd be happy enough for her to stay long term in that house and just pay the bills, whilst we can rent a property for £1k in that area to buy it interest only would cost £2k. Current mortgage is £900 + redemption penalties so it seems madness to me to loose money on the first house and to pay £200 a month extra to own the new one (plus maintenance on top).
I'd ask her to pay a chunk off our current mortgage to reduce that a bit, give her the best room and ask her to keep the girls rooms as they are, she'd still be doing very very well out of the deal trust me.

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ickletickle · 09/04/2009 17:28

well we sold our tiny cottage with one double room one single room and mezzanine bed thing to a couple with two 11 year old boys boys who have started a local public school. They commute back and forth to their "massive" (as new owner has told me on several occaisions) house in spain and it works for them. personally i couldnt be fagged to pack up the car every friday and the sunday blues would be horrid.

that said have just read that my flat that i rent out in london is in catchment area of one of britains top 5 primary schools so perhaps... (or i should put the rent up!)

CarGirl · 09/04/2009 17:36

There are 6 of us in a small open plan 3 bed terrace and we will never afford to move. We're ruthless with stuff if it is needed/used/played with we sell it.

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 17:42

i agree with cargirl....if they havent played with it for 6 months sell it, and that goes for DP too
put it away when you have finished with it, and if it comes out of a bedroom it goes back to the bedroom

Original poster
Sorrento · 09/04/2009 18:11

Spain would be a lot more attractive than Liverpool

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gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 18:13

sorrento,dont understand that last one. is your DH interview a job in spain

Original poster
Sorrento · 09/04/2009 18:17

No ickletickle said her purchasers bought her cottage here and went back to Spain every Friday.
That I can see the attraction of a lot more than my commute up the M6

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CarGirl · 09/04/2009 18:18

where would you be commuting between and in which direction? M6 on a Friday night is horrific IME

gardeningmum05 · 09/04/2009 18:22

ahhhh...i see, sorry just read that.
i agree with the comment earlier, the friday night drive would become dreaded.
see if he gets the job first

Original poster
Sorrento · 09/04/2009 18:24

I'd be going up the M6 from the Midlands.
Am rapidly talking myself out of this idea.
I think DH will have to commute and come home at weekends and I'll have to get some help during the week.

I would be looking to buy in the same places as Golden Peach has been looking and whilst I'd be happy enough to drop 20% on mine if nobody else is going to play ball then it's a stalemate and everyone looses, bloody nightmare.

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