My husband and I are getting ready to build our own home. Jump forward a year, our family will be 6, 5, 3 and 1, with my step daughter (10) every other weekend. We know we would like a lounge room, playroom and study, but unsure on how many bedrooms. I've always thought all kids needed to have their own rooms growing up, privacy etc but with 5 kids around, that's a huge bloody house - and expensive too ! If this was you, would you have boy 6 and 5 share - even into their teen years ?? Or try for small rooms, but rooms for each of them ? Would you have a bedroom set aside for the step daughter - keeping in mind we want her to feel as much at home as possible in her (hopefully) night over each week - but it would sit unused mostly for 10 days out of 14 ?? I don't want to go too big that we can't afford it comfortably, but not too small either that we're unhappy in our space we've worked so hard for. Big families - what do you love and hate about your home, and what would you change if you could ??
Big family building a home... But how big?
Big family building a home... But how big?
Posted in:
Life Lessons, Relationships & Marriage, Baby & Toddler, Kids, Teenagers, FAQ
3 Replies
I don't have a big family !
But, if you're going to build it to have a big lounge/play areas, then make the bedrooms smaller and have 4.
Have a trundle bed for the step daughter to fit in one of the rooms maybe? as much as you want her to feel comfortable, it isn't common sense for her to have her own room if shes only there for a few days.
I think it is important that your step daughter feels included and isn't just given a mattress in the corner etc, Not necessarily her own room but could one bedroom with the 3 year old for instance have two single beds in there so she at least has a spot that is hers in the house? or you might have the 5/6 share and the 1/3 share and have the step daughter in her own room which could double as a guest room??
When you build it is also important to think of resale as you aren't just building a house that will be perfect for your needs. There is no point building a a 6 bedroom house if the rooms are all pokey and small. I would try and see as many display homes as possible to see the size of the rooms and see what house plans might suit your family, or at least give you a starting point if you are designing your own from scratch.
I would be having the boys sharing one room, the 3 and 1 year old sharing one room and the 10 year old having her own room slash guest room.
Sharing a room with a sibling is awesome and as long as they are of a similar age and the same sex I think having separate rooms is really extravagant and it will end up with rooms the size of shoe boxes.