The 1 bed vs 2 bed debate

tbo127

Is it a valid strategy to buy a nice 1 bed near a tube station in a nice area in London and then save for a larger property should it be required in future rather than buy a crummy 2 bed and still pay more than the nice 1 bed per month? 

Herzlos

I'm usually an advocate of buying 1 room bigger than you need; it's handy for guests, office, futureproofing basically.

But I'd be tempted to go for the nicer 1 bed in the better area unless you think you're going to need an extra room in the next few years.

tbo127

Herzlos said:

I'm usually an advocate of buying 1 room bigger than you need; it's handy for guests, office, futureproofing basically.

But I'd be tempted to go for the nicer 1 bed in the better area unless you think you're going to need an extra room in the next few years.

Hard to predict the future. That’s my dilemma 

silvercar

The advantage of a 2 bed is that you can take a lodger if money becomes tight.

Uriziel

The problem is that you cannot predict the future. I would buy a place that you actually want to live in and are happy there so that if the value actually falls you would not be too upset since you're happy there. It will add too much unnecessary stress to your life to keep checking whether your property value is going up or not.

Green_hopeful

Slightly different scenario but my son was looking to buy in London and I looked for flats where he could convert from a studio to a one bedroom by moving the kitchen to the reception room and converting the kitchen to a bedroom. I found a few that could work without much work. In the end he bought one already converted. I like looking at flats that can be improved by adjusting the layout. 

i_like_cats

I’d say it depends on the overall size and layout.   I’d rather a 50sqm 1-bed flat than a 50sqm 2-bed, because the latter will have been poorly converted with unappealing room sizes.

But even if going for a 1-bed, I’d look for a seperate lounge that doesn’t contain the kitchen and isn’t a through-room.   Then with a sofa-bed you have a room you can use for putting up guests from time to time.

If it’s a 1-bed flat without a self-enclosed lounge, it could still be okay but I’d want it to be in a really amazing area where everything’s on my doorstep. 

Albermarle

i_like_cats said:

I’d say it depends on the overall size and layout.   I’d rather a 50sqm 1-bed flat than a 50sqm 2-bed, because the latter will have been poorly converted with unappealing room sizes.

But even if going for a 1-bed, I’d look for a seperate lounge that doesn’t contain the kitchen and isn’t a through-room.   Then with a sofa-bed you have a room you can use for putting up guests from time to time.

If it’s a 1-bed flat without a self-enclosed lounge, it could still be okay but I’d want it to be in a really amazing area where everything’s on my doorstep. 

I think that is probably going against the trend nowadays. The last few flats I have visited ( mainly newish and both one and two bedroom ) had the kitchen at the end of the lounge.

i_like_cats

Albermarle said:

i_like_cats said:

I’d say it depends on the overall size and layout.   I’d rather a 50sqm 1-bed flat than a 50sqm 2-bed, because the latter will have been poorly converted with unappealing room sizes.

But even if going for a 1-bed, I’d look for a seperate lounge that doesn’t contain the kitchen and isn’t a through-room.   Then with a sofa-bed you have a room you can use for putting up guests from time to time.

If it’s a 1-bed flat without a self-enclosed lounge, it could still be okay but I’d want it to be in a really amazing area where everything’s on my doorstep. 

I think that is probably going against the trend nowadays. The last few flats I have visited ( mainly newish and both one and two bedroom ) had the kitchen at the end of the lounge.

Are those smaller flats, or is it a design choice?

Here are some sample layouts I was able to find, suggesting that combined lounge/kitchens are only really necessary in flats of sub-50 sqm:

Scenario 1: 45 m² Flat (Combined Kitchen-Lounge)

• Bedroom: 10–12 m² (double)

• Bathroom: 4–5 m²

• Hallway: 5–7 m²

• Combined Kitchen-Lounge: 23–26 m²

• Kitchen zone: 6–8 m² (fitted units + dining space)

• Living zone: 15–18 m²

Scenario 2: 55 m² Flat (Separate Rooms)

• Bedroom: 11–13 m²

• Bathroom: 4–5 m²

• Hallway: 6–8 m²

• Kitchen: 7–9 m² (galley or L-shaped)

• Lounge: 14–16 m²

Albermarle

i_like_cats said:

Albermarle said:

i_like_cats said:

I’d say it depends on the overall size and layout.   I’d rather a 50sqm 1-bed flat than a 50sqm 2-bed, because the latter will have been poorly converted with unappealing room sizes.

But even if going for a 1-bed, I’d look for a seperate lounge that doesn’t contain the kitchen and isn’t a through-room.   Then with a sofa-bed you have a room you can use for putting up guests from time to time.

If it’s a 1-bed flat without a self-enclosed lounge, it could still be okay but I’d want it to be in a really amazing area where everything’s on my doorstep. 

I think that is probably going against the trend nowadays. The last few flats I have visited ( mainly newish and both one and two bedroom ) had the kitchen at the end of the lounge.

Are those smaller flats, or is it a design choice?

Here are some sample layouts I was able to find, suggesting that combined lounge/kitchens are only really necessary in flats of sub-50 sqm:

Scenario 1: 45 m² Flat (Combined Kitchen-Lounge)

• Bedroom: 10–12 m² (double)

• Bathroom: 4–5 m²

• Hallway: 5–7 m²

• Combined Kitchen-Lounge: 23–26 m²

• Kitchen zone: 6–8 m² (fitted units + dining space)

• Living zone: 15–18 m²

Scenario 2: 55 m² Flat (Separate Rooms)

• Bedroom: 11–13 m²

• Bathroom: 4–5 m²

• Hallway: 6–8 m²

• Kitchen: 7–9 m² (galley or L-shaped)

• Lounge: 14–16 m²

I visited a relative who had recently moved to a new upmarket block of flats . Two beds, about 70M2 , kitchen at one end of lounge. Apparently all the other flats in the block the same. Another relative had a 60m2 flat - two bedrooms, kitchen in lounge. Friend is living in a one bed , probably about 50M2, kitchen in lounge.   I just had the impression it was the preferred layout nowadays, regardless of the size. 

EssexHebridean

Buy the property you feel you will most enjoy living in if the additional bedroom isn’t an absolute need. Ultimately you are buying a home, not an investment, yes?