Downsizing and smaller bedrooms

Dontknowanymore

balletshoes wrote: »

I'd be looking for a small double bed to fit in the small bedroom, and putting the kids in the bigger room. You are definitely thinking along the right lines if you want the support network around you and the new location will give you that.

Small double? I never knew therr was such a thing, will have a look.
To be honest if it gets that bad then I will just have to put up with a single, but obviously a double would be better, bit hard to sleep wth someone and have sex in a single bed! :rotfl:

jellyhead

My sister has nothing but a double bed in her tiny bedroom - everything else is in cupboards on the landing. It works okay, she has a coat hook on the inside of her bedroom door for a robe, so she isn't naked getting clothes out of the cupboard when her teenager wanders past.

I think I'd choose being close to family, and grab the move.

As for boys fighting, a lot of people in my street have given their kids the big room then put up a partition, and both kids have a cabin bed with desk and storage underneath. You can see all the partitions up against the front window, and unmatched curtains where the kids have chosen a different curtain each

Dontknowanymore

skylight wrote: »

Make sure you take someone else and a tape measure with you when you go again tomorrow!

I agree that a small double may be better for you in a smaller room and at the end of the day everything is about location rather than property. Friends, family and feeling safe is more important than bedroom size.

Hoping the room is big enough for you.

Thanks! Yep I have the tape measure in my bag ready lol from my minds eye I have a feeling that it will just about fit if I stick the bed in there sideways under the window.
It's such a shame because the other bedroom is HUGE so I have no idea why they didnt cut 2 foot off that room to make the room next door 2 ft wider!

ciderwithrosie_2

They'll be fine in the smaller room. All 3 of mine have had to share a room all their lives, 1 x bunk beds - 1 high sleeper with futon under. They've swapped beds over the years but not really any problems with falling out with each other but DS1 didn't like DS3 much for a while after he was sick all over his treasured school project one night!! :rotfl: The main issue has been keeping their room tidy, as storage space, particularly for clothes has been limited especially as they've got older. We had stacking bins for underwear and socks and a workshop shelving unit for clothes as these held more than wardrobes or chests of drawers.

Dontknowanymore

jellyhead wrote: »

My sister has nothing but a double bed in her tiny bedroom - everything else is in cupboards on the landing. It works okay, she has a coat hook on the inside of her bedroom door for a robe, so she isn't naked getting clothes out of the cupboard when her teenager wanders past.

I think I'd choose being close to family, and grab the move.

As for boys fighting, a lot of people in my street have given their kids the big room then put up a partition, and both kids have a cabin bed with desk and storage underneath. You can see all the partitions up against the front window, and unmatched curtains where the kids have chosen a different curtain each

Great, nice to see some people who manage and make do, the woman who lives there now uses one of the cupboards in the hallway as her wardrobe, not sure why though as she has wardrobes in her bedroom?!

The thing is unless I can find a swap to a 3 bed house my boys will always share a room, I'm just going to have to come up with ideas like the above one when that time comes, for now they love sharing a room and I have often gone into check on them before I go to bed and they are both in one bed lol

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Having lived in a small flat, I would strongly advise against it.

When those boys are over six foot tall, will they still be able to sleep in bunk beds?

Will the change from a spacious flat make it feel as though the walls are closing in on you?

Will you have to chuck all your furniture, as you can't even get a wardrobe or sofa in there? Or a cooker, because the doors are just too narrow?



A small flat is a horrid thing to be in - and there is no guarantee you will ever be able to get out of there in the future. My perfectly decorated, quiet area, good schools small two bedroomed flat stayed on the exchange list for ten years. Not one person wanted such a small place.

Then it developed other problems, but even the woman in the next flat to me, who lives in a perfect palace that is roughly twice the size, with double the kitchen and hall space, brand new everything top of the range (partner was a builder) couldn't swap. Her eldest has left home now, as he was fed up with sharing with his younger brother, and at 6 foot 3 and 14 stone of muscle, he couldn't sleep in a bunk bed anymore, so had to sleep on the floor in the living room (no room in there for a big enough sofa for him to sleep on and be able to open the door to get in).

jellyhead

Maybe she just has loads of clothes? She might be using it for towels and bedclothes perhaps.

Jojo what do you mean about bunk beds? I'm confused, aren't they the same size as a bed anyway?

Dontknowanymore

Thnx Jo jo, the flat isn't that small, just the bedrooms are smaller, the front room is a tiny bit smaller than mine, by about a foot, the bathroom is bigger and the kitchen is bigger with tons more work top and cupboard space. The main thing that makes my flat bigger is it has a massive L shaped hallway.

Shes leaving her cooker as I'm leaving mine, it's a range one that the previous person left because if you take it out then it leaves a nice gap where the previous cupboard was taken out.
Plus I don't really have much furniture as I have moved so much I haven't wanted to buy much until I got back to the town I wanted to be in. PLus like I said they flat isn't that small, I've been in smaller!

My boys Dad's are both 6ft 3" so having huge boys is probably a given, looking at the rate they grow already! BUT are bunk beds not the same size as 2 singles cos the ones I was looking at split into 2 beds.

As for exchanging, I've looked on the homswapper and other flats in the block have had a fair bit of interest, it's in a nice neighbourhood and people from the "crap" neighbourhood (which is where I originally wanted to live) are always asking for swaps out.
I'm also trying to butter my mum up to swapping her 3 bed house with me, she don't need it!

I think when weighing up all the pros and cons the pros far outweigh the cons, I think our immediate happiness and support is more importnant than where I sleep, if I have to sleep on the sofa then so be it, at least I know I have all my family around me, my boys will have their Dad and his family etc etc.

I would of course love to wait for the big huge flat but what if I'm waiting 10 years?! Not an option! I would rather die than stay here for another 10 years. The next 6 weeks are going to be hard enough.

FatVonD

Dontknowanymore wrote: »

I have a feeling that it will just about fit if I stick the bed in there sideways under the window.

Don't forget that you can also buy beds that are shorter than standard length, I had to buy one as a day bed for our old kitchen, I can't rememebr the website I bought it from but it was about £160. (4ft wide and 3 inches shorter than normal.)

Darlyd

My SIL has a 1 bed flat, her DD sleeps upstairs in the bedroom, and SIL sleeps downstairs in the living room . She has one of them huge sofas which is her bed, and a quilt which she folds up and puts behind the sofa during the day. Works well for them. Perhaps something you could do? The boys could have their own space then.

Hope you will be happy in your new home..