Question

After a recent break down in relationship I'm looking for a new place. The rental market is pretty competitive (up to 20 applications for each house! ) where I live so it's hard to get a property, especially a three bedroom, within my budget. There will be me and my three boys. Could I get away with a two bedroom (and have my two youngest, 2 and 4, share with me - we currently co sleep anyways and the 13yo have his own room). Or do I aim for a three bed despite there being a $160 a month difference? Does anyone else share with their children like this permanently?  

Answer 1

We tried to share with our youngest and it was miserable lol so crowded. I’d hold out for the 3 bedroom.  

Answer 2

I would go with three bedrooms. Those littles are going to grow up making it harder and harder to share a room with.  

Answer 3

I would do a 3 bedroom.  

Answer 4

I would do what I need to do NOW! I once had to share a studio apartment with my kids and it all worked out fine. I sectioned it off to make it seem like a playhouse. Even as they got older, it all worked out until we finally got a two bedroom. I slept on a hidabed couch at night and the kids used up the bedrooms. Never a problem.  

Answer 5

My bff has a 1 bdrm she share with 2 boys. The boys share the bedroom and she has her bed set up in the living room. They had an option to move into something bigger but as a family decided to stay small so they could do more outside the home.  

Answer 6

I’ve known people convert a formal dining room into their own bedroom. Or even make that the little boy’s room since they won’t need privacy per se. Use dividers or bookshelves to close it off if needed. A roommmate of mine actually built a temp wall and door in a rental to convert a nook off the living room into a legit bedroom! He painted it with chalk paint which was fun, and it all came down easily when we moved out.  

Comments

@funicle this worked great for my uncle. he had 5 kids. He put the 3 boys in the dining room. Girls had one room, he and his wife had the other.  

Answer 7

3 bedroom for sure. You definitely want your own space!  

Answer 8

Worth noting that I live in Australia so we do things slightly different. Houses dont come up often and I only have three weeks before I leave my current place. Have decided I will apply for both, keeping my fingers crossed for the three bed but would be happy to settle for the two bed if I'm not successful. I know $160 doesnt seem much between the two but it is the difference of me having nothing extra each month or having some left over and a little more wriggle room.  

Comments

@lactase That’s $1, 920 extra/yr. in savings. So, I’d say that’s a lot! Good luck on your search!  

Answer 9

Check the rental law in the city where you are applying. Some cities have laws limiting the number of people/number of bedrooms in rental properties, as well as laws for the gender/age of the children, e. g., a boy and girl cannot share a room if one of them is over the age of 6, but two boys could share that space regardless of ages.  

Answer 10

I shared w my tween/teen daughter for about a year. Then I found a campus 2 bedroom cheaper so we moved. It’s doable, but I would suggest you make either the littles or you a separate area in the living/dining area. You will need somewhere that’s “yours”. my uncle had 5 kids and he made the dining room into the boys room