Living together, practical dilemma

Newly_retired

Given that there are so many complications to starting a reconstituted family, especially with a wide age range of offspring, I would vote in favour of keeping separate homes for quite a while.
It all depends how long the two families have known each other and how well they gel.
I can imagine one or more of the older children not feeling at all comfortable with having to share a room with a "stranger" or come home from uni to an unfamiliar house full of strangers.

Seanymph

My OH and I both moved out of our houses and rented one big enough for everyone until it all shook down a bit.

It gave us enough space to 'blend' without any territorial issues going on from the kids, and with them having enough space.

podperson

I would say that trying to rent out your current home and then renting somewhere big enough for you all might be the best option at the moment. Thinking long-term it sounds like your children might be moving out within the next few years so if you were wanting to buy together then you would need to think about whether it would be worth making a long-term commitment to buy a house big enough for all of you if you're not going to need all that space for much longer.

londonsurrey

Buy two properties next to each other.

Bufger

Personally and very honestly.... unless your immediate situation was leaving you in a bad financial situation you cant recover from then i'd wait until the kids left home. You said one is saving and the other is studying away from home (i'm presuming thats uni) so i wouldnt think you're that far away.

If you have that much equity why dont you sell up and both rent somewhere larger for a while until his kids leave home? then you'll only need a guest room for visits if you buy again later on but you'll be able to rent somewhere big enough in the meantime.

Js_Other_Half

What about a separate building in garden for the older kids? http://www.pod-space.co.uk/company/faq/

Looktothefuture_2

Thanks all. Constructive and helpful and food for thought. At the moment Gadgeteer's idea appeals most (I can't get out of that British mindset that regards rent as money down the drain). The downside is that it would leave OH potentially with shares in two houses but unable to use any of it, so there would have to be some way to make sure he was able to continue living there if something happened to me - but that would mean my kids couldn't easily get their share. Guess there must be a legal way to make sure he didn't have to move out too quickly. All this needs thinking about, but again thanks all round.

Errata

Get a caravan, stick it in the drive, stick eldest kids in it whenever they want to stay.:)

Person_one

Js_Other_Half wrote: »

What about a separate building in garden for the older kids? http://www.pod-space.co.uk/company/faq/

Nothing like putting your children in a shed to ensure they still feel like valued and loved members of the family!

OP. I agree with everybody who said you need to keep separate households for now.

spadoosh

Js_Other_Half wrote: »

What about a separate building in garden for the older kids? http://www.pod-space.co.uk/company/faq/

Lol, you joking?!?! You'd need a mortgage for that thing alone!!

The smallest one is £10500 + VAT!! And that looks like a shoe closet!

Buy an 8 x 6 shed and put in a bit of insulation, thatll toughen em up! All for about £500!


Just seen the caravan idea, thats a good shout!!! Electric and heating and a crappy old van can be bought for a couple of grand!