Extra Bedroom Help..

[lostboy87]

Hi all,

I am in desperate need of some help..

We have a two bedroom house and my son and daughter are currently sharing a room. Our girl is 10 and little boy 7 this month....it's becoming a problem!

I'm currently on a low income and my partner had to quit work due to our daughter being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes.
We can't afford to move to a 3 bed because we won't get another mortgage and we can't afford the prices of rent these days.
We ideally would like to move as we hate the area we are in but can see no way out.

Also thought about getting the loft converted but would struggle to get a loan..

It's really affecting our mental health and my anxiety is getting ridiculous....we just need a solution. They can't carry on sharing anymore due to my little boy being disturbed by the insulin pump alarms and my daughter starting puberty..

Would love any suggestions as to what we could do or if we have overlooked any options.

Thank you so much for reading!

[davebro]

My niece was in a similar position in a small terraced house. They DID convert the loft into a bedroom for the boy. It was a very minimal job (maybe not ticking all the boxes building control would like!) and her husband did it with some of his friends. The boy is now in his 20s looking for a post-uni job & the girl has her own house having had twins with her partner.

[Atheist]

Is there any chance of splitting a bedroom into two bedrooms by building a partition? That shouldn't need planning permission (as long as it is not a Listed Building), and shouldn't need any other permission providing you are the owners.

[anneasquith]

Move the children into the largest bedroom. A joiner will be able to divide the room in two.?

[ToraToraTora]

I think the loft conversion is the way to go, do it a bit at a time.

[davebro]

We did a conversion the other way - a large(ish) bedroom had been split in two for the children who had now left home. We took out the dividing wall & restored it back to original.

[lostboy87]

It's affording getting the loft done that is the problem. We really need to move but unsure of what schemes are available..

Rooms wouldn't work partitioned and not really big enough.

[jennyjoan]

well here in Belfast I know they place advertisements in local papers and Facebook for "swaps". Some people would like a smaller house and you could get a 3 bedroom house.

Do you own the house or is it social housing or whatever you call it in England - but by law here - boy and girl of that age should not be sharing a room, so you need to contact your housing executive about this . Here they take it seriously enough. But try the swapping - it has worked for 3 friends of mine.

Sorry - just noticed - you are in a mortgage but still go to social housing and tell them of your plight. They will advise you. Don't think of loft - too much anxiety there.

[Redhelen72]

Could your husband work part time ? If your daughter is 10 she will be at school and he could work those hours that would help with the loan situation

[carrot99]

If you are on a low income would your partner earn more than you if he went back to work? Presumably your daughter is at school all day and you could look for a part-time job, that fitted with the school hours.
Is the lounge big enough to partition into bedrooms? I know it would be odd having your lounge upstairs but if it helped while you sort out your income it wouldn't be forever.

[eleanor2]

Can you adults sleep downstairs & give up your bedroom? Buy a bed settee or something else that folds up in the day time?

[tiggerblue10]

Could any family help financially for a loft conversion? Parents/in-laws?

[dannyk13]

You might like to consider crowd funding.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/

[bednobs]

have you thought about stepping off the properyty ladder for a while?
Also, why does your wife have to stay off work?

[bednobs]

or partner sorry ^^^^

[anneasquith]

Eleanor gives a solution, won’t be forever .

[ladybirder]

I haven't read this, just googled it, but does it help?
https://www.ownyourhome.gov.uk

[The Builder]

My first thought was partitioning. But, if the rooms really aren't big enough, then I'm pretty sure that's going to rule out the loft use too.

Staircases can take up almost as much room as a small bedroom. Stairs in the girl's room (for the boy) would mean he would have to pass through her room. That again would not be ideal.
Plus, I can guess that your landing would not be big enough either.

You could have a loft hatch on the landing, fitted with a pull-down set of steps (there are some really good ones out there now.)
A 7 year old boy would love that.
However... furniture would be a problem. Plus: an area of the loft would have to be "boxed" to create a room. If it's a modern house, then the roof structure would rule all this out anyway. Older houses often have a more open area.
This loft would still cost quite a lot; and add no value to the house.

I honestly don't think the loft is an option here considering my assumptions on the layout.
Could you "lose" 4' from the big bedroom? That would be just enough room to fit an upper bunk bed with a desk/playstation under, for the boy. With a clothes cupboard down the other end. You'd still have the problem of him having to pass through the girl's room though.

Sorry about the long waffle, but I'm trying to cover everything.
After all that............. Eleanor's idea of a sofa bed in the sitting room for you really does sound like a solution.

[barry1010]

Can you use the loft as a bedroom if it hasn't got a proper, fixed staircase, the builder?

[The Builder]

Not officially, no Barry. It would not be classed as a "habitable" room.

Although I shouldn't say this on a public site......... many people do just that though.

[Smowball]

I’m a bit confused as to why your partner quit work because your daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes?? She goes to school etc doesn’t she? I’m clearly missing something obvious x