How do you do it? 26 July 2016 at 6:41PM in MoneySaving mums 11 replies 5.4K views

VRose

Hi all,
1st time starting a thread, so please let me know if I have committed any forum sins.
My situation,
Married, both work, take home plus benefits £2500 pm, private rent 3 bed at £700 pm, 3 kids aged 7yr to 14yrs old. Recently became dept free.

We need to move house, our current house is in typical landlord disrepair, no shower etc, but it's the fact that our 14 year old needs his own room that is pressing the issue.
The 4 bed houses come in at £1500 min where we are. So we would have to take some serious cuts, and my husband is actively looking for better paid work to increase our income.
However, it would be unlikely we would not be able to save for buying our own home as well as afford the extra rent.

I know we are not along with this issue.

I want to know if I am missing a trick? How do othe families do it?
I would value any thoughts.
TIA

pelirocco

£1500 rent against £2500 income is too high really you would have to make some serious cuts I would guess to fund this.Weigh up the cost to family life against the wants of your son (a bedroom of your own isn't a need really )
Especially as the money is going on rent , there may be a slight justification if you were buying a house

VRose

Thank you for your reply.
I agree with the £1500 rent being too high. We hope to increase our income to compensate.

It is interesting that you say a bedroom of your own is a want not a need. I agree, however I sense that I am alone in feeling this way. Partly due to the fact the our children are the only children we know who share a room.

The layout of our house is another issue as it was perfect for young children, kitchen diner and lounge, means we only have 1 reception room. This means there is no space for us to have friends over without everyone else having to be upstairs. So if we have friends over the teenager has to go to bedo early, and has to go to bed so he doesn't disturb his younger sibling. If the teen has friends over, we have to go to our room.

But we could get another house with better layout that is 3 bed without such a hike in rent.

jfdi

Could you find a more typical older style 3 bed, with hopefully a larger 2nd bedroom so you could divide it in 2 for the 2 younger ones, and hopefully get a living room and a dining room downstairs to give you 2 living areas.
Eldest could have the small 3rd bedroom, and if it becomes imperative before he goes to uni etc that middle child has their own space, then the dining room could be used as 4th bedroom?
If you could find somewhere with a built on conservatory then even better.

just_trying

How about if you have friends over your son can go in the kitchen/diner, put a TV there if possible and if he has friends over there's the option of his room, kitchen and living room for both. This is most people's options, they don't have 2nd reception rooms.

You shouldn't even think about rent of £1500 until earnings are significantly increased.

I had 3 kids sharing a room at one point, such is life. It doesn't matter what his friends have, you would constantly be buying if you listened to what all there friends had.

chesky

You could give the biggest bedroom (i.e.yours) to two of the kids, yourselves take the middle room and the oldest have the smallest room. Or is one of your kids a girl?

missbiggles1

You don't need a shower any more than your son needs his own room. Enjoy being debt free and saving rather than getting yourselves into more financial difficulties.

kingfisherblue

We live in a three bed semi. My daughter had the box room and my two boys shared, until my daughter bought her own house a couple of years ago. It was only then that the boys could have a room each. It was really hard as one of the lads is disabled and has significant care needs, including nightly vomiting for many years. My younger son has had many disturbed nights, but moving to a bigger house simply wasn't affordable - I own, not rent, and our house has been adapted for my son's disabilities.

Why does your 14 year old need his own room? Is it a genuine need, or something he wants? In the case of genuine need (such as disability), it might be possible to get social housing, although availability isn't as high in most areas as people require. My friend was able to get social housing because of her son's needs, such required a separate bedroom for him.

If he wants, rather than needs, a separate room, he's old enough to understand that it may not be affordable.

SunnyCyprus

Could you find a 3 bed with a second reception room which could be used as a bedroom, either for yourselves, or teenager? This type of house probably wouldn't cost much more than your current house and could solve the problem.
This is what my family did as my parents, brother and I lived with our Nan. For a few years I shared a bedroom with my Nan, then the 2nd reception room was turned into a bedroom for me. I loved it because we also had a 14" black and white tv in there and I would stay up late watching Eurotrash on a Friday night. Ah, what a wild teenage life I had!

happy35

I was also going to suggest a house with a separate dining room to use as a 4th bedroom

Dawn248

Not sure where you live to get a three bedroom house for £700 pcm!

I live in the South East and have a 2 bedroom flat for £750. My daughters have a bedroom each (the eldest is 19) and I have the lounge.

I think the previous posters all have some good ideas to help you find some more room for your growing family, that won't stretch your budget too far. I can understand a 14 year old boy wanting his own room but it's not a necessity, though another reception room would be helpful for doing homework or hanging out with his friends. Good luck with it.