Starting a family in a one bedroom flat

Counting_Pennies_2

If you can't sell, have you thought about renting your place out and then renting somewhere bigger.

Not much different than having a bigger mortgage

daska

If you're lacking cupboard/drawer space remember that you can hang things from the ceiling, just remember to check where the joists/cables are before inserting any hooks.

DS2 had a 'tummy tub' but DS1 had to make do with an ordinary household bucket (they also double up as a urinal when potty training boys LOL) if you're bathroom is on the poky side then this might be an area to save space.

Nappies - don't underestimate the power of a baby to make a small space smell absolutely vile and scare off prospective (childless) buyers :rotfl: Do you have outside space you can use? If not then consider using something like the sangenic system, it's expensive but it does reduce the odour.

If baby arrives before you manage to sell perhaps you should consider reinstating some of the storage cupboards in the hall? You can hide a multitude of sins in a good cupboard, they don't even need to be as deep as the ones that were there previously.

Good luck

Derivative

I would wait on moving, for reasons of selling the house. While it may not be right, I think the idea of raising a baby in a one bedroomed flat might raise negative thoughts in the buyers' mind, not withstanding the fact it'll be basically impossible to have the house look presentable.

JBD

It's not impossible at all to have the house presentable with a baby. It just takes good storage and a bit of organisation.
When my youngest child was 1 we had to move into a 28 ft 1 bedroom caravan. We managed perfectly well for 15 months. All the baby things [apart from the travel cot] were stored in one small cupboard.
If you really want to start your family now I would recommend that you go for it OP.

pigpen

Having BTDT and having the benefit of hindsight.. making yourself deliberately overcrowded is irresponsible and silly... yes I was once both of those things.. I had 3 children in a 2-up-2-down and it was hellish!! (before that I had DS1 and me sharing a room in a shared house 6ft x 8ft)

There is no personal space for anything or anyone
The children do not learn to look after anything or put anything away because there simply is no place to put everything.
Their social development is affected and they struggle to be on their own..

None of this rectifies when they get somewhere bigger and they get their own space.

It also affected their behaviour and their health.. and not for the good!

From my experience I would say move now.. rent out your flat, sell it dirt cheap to get rid whatever you have to do but make sure you have adequate space before having a family.. There are very very few occasions I would say don't but this is probably the one biggy. Having 3 children in our 2 bed meant we were unable to sell, the house was on the markeet over 2 years and we had 1 person view it.. and I swear that was set up by the EA to stop me whinging.. it was really really dire.. but the internal pics showed cramped rooms with no room to move which was sad because it was a gorgeous little house and perfect for a couple or a family with 1 child.

Obviously this is your decision and it is workable.. but I would advise you start looking to move NOW and deal with a baby if and when it arrives.. you have a few months warning of getting it I guess

leandygandy

Hubby and I live in a one bed flat and are expecting our first child in September. We are very fortunate in that we have a sizeable living room with plenty of storage space for baby paraphenalia. Our plan is to extend the lease on the flat this year then look to sell and move into rented next year, once we will need more space.

I'm under no illusion that it will be hard, but this is something we both want and we are willing to make the sacrifices.

moomoomama27

pigpen wrote: »

There is no personal space for anything or anyone
The children do not learn to look after anything or put anything away because there simply is no place to put everything.
Their social development is affected and they struggle to be on their own..

None of this rectifies when they get somewhere bigger and they get their own space.

It also affected their behaviour and their health.. and not for the good!

Says who?

My sister has 3 children in a 2 bedroom flat. The two boys in one room and her 7 yr daughter in with her. Obviously if there was a way, she would move, but it's not possible! None of the above is relevant to them at all!

I think you make very blanketed statements, families make things work, and as long as everyone is happy, that's the main thing! Worse things can happen than having to share a bedroom with your child!

Threebabes

I would go for it. We had a 2 bed house and a boy 4 1/2 and then a baby girl. The 2nd room was small and we had our house up for sale. If I knew we were having viewers I would dismantle cot and push it under single bed and put away baby gear. Just because it made the 2nd bedroom look more cramped and it was a small room anyway.

Good luck.

ceridwen

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Reality check! I know the go-for-it posters mean well but...

Whilst having a baby in a one bed flat is do-able, realistically it will hamper your chances of selling the flat.

If you don't sell before bub arrives the flat will look a whole lot smaller with the extras that a tiny bundle requires.

I'd look at why the flat hasn't sold - is it price, location etc. What will make it sell... push for that first. You need to be honest about this because once the baby is born you will have a lot more on your mind than keeping a place tidy and sweet smelling for a viewing.

The tidy stage for kids doesn't arrive for a good few years unless you work really hard at it (and have sufficient storage) - consider that as part of your wish to move - if you have the baby where you are now then it could adversely impact on your chances of a sale and you could be stuck for a long time.

New parents sometimes need space as well just for when emotions run high - the smaller the place the greater the risk pressures blowing into arguments.

Also, once the baby is born your outgoings may be higher (childcare) or your income lowered (if you go part time) - both issues will be considered by a lender when looking at the provision of a larger mortgage. Again, moving first might make financial sense.

Only you know your own circumstances, but if you have the baby first then look at the practicalites and impact and not just at the rose tinted view.

A very valid point.

In my - very different - circumstances I am very aware indeed that, if I manage to find a way to sell my (4 rooms and kitchen and bathroom) house to move onto a bit bigger house - that a LOT of my possessions will simply have to be put somewhere/anywhere else because otherwise buyers will be only too aware that the house is too small for me and think it would be too small for them as well. In my case - if I get the opportunity to move on - then I can store a lot of the "crammed in" possessions up into the loft (ie where they cant be seen) - but I will still struggle to deal with some of the things and will have to just store them in other peoples places/in wardrobes/wherever the heck I can possibly hide them....

In your case - with the place being even smaller than mine - and potentially 3 peoples' worth of possessions to hide (yours, OH's and a babys) then it will be totally impossible to make the place look minimalist and uncluttered for potential buyers.

It makes sense to wait to TTC until you are in a bigger place - so that way you only have to hide the "surplus possessions" of 2 people when it comes to selling...

Brighton_belle

Another idea is to getting down to a serious declutter of your own stuff. Think about going minimalist. It's incredibly freeing as I am finding out. There are some great declutter/down sizing/'minimalist wannabee family' blogs out there to inspire.
PM me if you want me to point you in the direction of a few.
It's amazing how much more space you have when you get rid of all the stuff you are hoarding.

And before baby is due, make sure you tell everyone you don't want loads and loads of toys: babies and children are overwhelmed with too much these days as are we grown ups. Keep life simples.