Is anyone else planning on moving because of baby?

PurpleBrunette · April 2016

I'm leaving out lots of details and backstory (unless someone really cares...then I'll totally share), but my husband and I have decided our two bedroom/2 bath house is too small for us and our herd (2 cats, 3 dogs) with a baby on the way. Our 2nd bedroom is currently the guest room/office/garage. So I either have to figure out where to keep 3 rooms of stuff to turn that room into a nursery or I need a new house.

LikeICantEven · April 2016

Oh yeah. We have a 3bd/2ba right now with a toddler and a cat. I know DH wouldn't mind giving up his office, but I don't want him to have to. Since we are about to have 2 kids and we are getting settled into the area after moving last summer we are looking for something more permanent with a yard. It's pricy as a mofo around here though, might have to sacrifice the 10 minute commute to his job but it's worth it. I want a garage too, I want my woodshop!

Edit to say: you will definitely want more room than you think with a baby. It won't be long before they are hauling around everywhere and you'll pull your hair out trying to keep up with storage and babyproofing. A playroom is a lifesaver.

shevaCC · April 2016

DH mentioned it when we first found out we were expecting again since we already have 2 kids and live in a 3 bedroom house. But we ended up deciding to make do for as long as possible (perhaps forever). We're currently in a 15 year mortgage and the prospect of having that paid off before college expenses start coming for the next <gulp> practically decade ended up being the better option for us. Our kids will just have to learn to share.

Knottie1458416769 · April 2016

Yea we constantly think about moving to a bigger place, too. Currently 2/2 condo without pets. But frankly we don't know if I will change jobs after maternity leave, so don't want to move yet. It will get tight! My mom will move in with us temporarily to take care of baby for a couple months - that means DH's office/guest room will turn into a nursery/guest room.

lajoliedreamer · April 2016

We currently rent a 2 bdrm duplex and have been house hunting for over a year so we are really hoping the right place comes along so we have more room for baby and an office/guest room.

I don't have my hopes up though because the housing market is so wonky here right now. Not enough inventory, especially for what we want.

comealongponds · April 2016

We're currently in a 3 bed, 2.5 bath house but loan on moving in two years (we bought a new build that'll be any in Feb 2018). We knew we'd want more space once we had kids, and it's already starting to feel cramped with the two of us, the dog and the cat some days!

MandersX · April 2016

I spent all morning looking on Zillow instead of working. I love our house and neighborhood, but this house is old and has frequent issues. The nice new houses would all mean a 40 min commute for DH instead of the 5 min he has now. We'll probably just stay here a while longer though.

AlexLindzz · April 2016

We live in a tiny 3 bed house with a toddler. We're looking into buying our first home!!

grannysmith912 · April 2016

Yep--both for space and for financial reasons. We live in a studio apartment in the basement of a family home that's barely enough space for the two of us and our little dog. Also, H is a PhD student, and we're currently living off his meager academic stipend and my part-time income. That's of course not going to work when we have another little human depending on us and I transition to SAHM, so he's currently looking for a full-time position to start during the summer. We live in an area with a very high cost of living, and we're both tired of living in the Midwest, so we're almost exclusively looking for out-of-state options. Depending on what type of job he lands, we might consider buying a little house, but I think it's more likely that we'll end up renting again.

Anyways, I'm glad to see that it's not terribly uncommon for people to move during pregnancy. It seems like a really big change to make while trying to prepare for an even bigger change, but I suppose it'll all work itself out in the end.

msu_gal · April 2016

Yup! We are making our 3rd offer on a larger house today. Our first two were outbid (hot market here), so fingers crossed that #3 is the winner! Our current house is probably big enough for the first baby, but we would outgrow it before the 2nd one and I am hoping my parents will come visit more often and help so we are getting a dual master split floorplan so they can have some of their own space. I also want a formal and family room so we can use one for all the toys and baby stuff and the other can still be an adult space.

Des321 · April 2016

Yep we're looking for a 3 bedroom place but rent is SO high here so 1600/month pretty much gets us an apartment or a townhouse with no yard. And that's not an option for us. I've been looking for months but nothing has really caught our attention yet..

shevaCC · April 2016

@grannysmith912, pregnancy is much better than tiny baby that needs your attention every 10 minutes or toddler that unpacks each box faster than you pack them! Honestly moving sucks and there's no great time, but I hope you find a great place to get settled in. New babies are GREAT ways of meeting new friends at mom classes/parks/etc.

msu_gal · April 2016

@shevaCC yes, exactly what you said! That's part of why we are moving too. Most of our neighbors are older/retired. And we're looking to move into a new community that is much more family friendly and our future babies can walk to the elementary school. I want my kids to have friends they can hang out with in the community.

MrsDho11 · April 2016

Totally the opposite of your situation! We live in a two bedroom one bath right now (probably about 900sqft) and while I'd love more space, there's no way we can afford it where we are in the Bay Area. We're actually in the process of trying to get our landlord to let us sign a 1-2 year lease (it transitioned to month to month when we hit the one year mark) so that we can have some stability and lock down the location since it's so close to H's work.

And I'm trying to figure out how to get away with leaving the computer and desk in the second bedroom while still having it be a nursery...

doraleigh35 · April 2016

We just moved this weekend from a 2 bedroom condo to a 3 bed/ 3 bath town home. We needed more space, but we also wanted to move to a nicer neighborhood in our city.

chloe97 · April 2016

We also live in a 900 sq foot condo with 2 Brs. The plan right now is to stick it out here until we start getting ready for #2 and baby #1 is mobile- whichever comes first. Our reason for not moving right now is purely selfish-we don't want to give up city living until we absolutely have to. There no way that we can afford a single family home with a neighborhood elementary school with a good rating in the city, but we still aren't settled on a suburb that is conducive to my commute and H's work (he's a realtor) with houses we can actually afford. Also, all of our friends live in the city- we will never see them when we move and with my history of loss, I just want to be 100% sure I have my take home baby before we alienate ourselves from our friends!

I will say I'm very worried at the prospect of being cooped up in a small condo where the baby can be heard anywhere you are all through out the winter months. It's not going to be a super pleasant winter.

HMLanders · April 2016

We just moved into a larger place. We were in a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom apartment, and it was already crowded with my husband, me, and ds. PLUS all of my husband's hunting and fishing stuff (soo soooo sooooo much crap). Our new place is double the size and so much better. Now I just need to buy more furniture and decor

muybueno · April 2016

MrsDho11 said:

And I'm trying to figure out how to get away with leaving the computer and desk in the second bedroom while still having it be a nursery...

It could work if you napped your LO in your room during the day, while using the nursery for an office. You could use a PNP in your bedroom.

When both DH and I worked from home (and needed separate office spaces due to frequent conference calls), I moved my desk into our bedroom. I faced it away from the bed so that I wasn't tempted to nap

But we live in Texas, home of the cavernous master suites, so I don't know if that's an option where you live.

MrsDho11 · April 2016

@muybueno - oh, I'm not worried about that, I can definitely not use it while baby is napping. I guess I was more worried about the cords and such.

muybueno · April 2016

MrsDho11 said:

@muybueno - oh, I'm not worried about that, I can definitely not use it while baby is napping. I guess I was more worried about the cords and such.

Ah, gotcha. I didn't know if you WAH and needed to be at the computer all day. As for the cords, you'll want to baby proof and all that good stuff, but in my house, the nursery is for sleeping, changing diapers, and nursing.

DS#1 didn't start playing in his room until he was close to 3 yo and definitely old enough to know the rules about unplugging stuff. Before that age, we always have the kids in the main family areas or outside while playing. I think that's pretty common.

mrs_hoyahoo · April 2016

We're moving to a bigger place - it was planned before #2 happened, but it was always to prepare for a growing family and gain a yard for DS and dog.

We currently live in a 900 sqft 2 bdrm/1 bath condo and there was a lot I came to appreciate about the small space once we had a LO at home. He can never be out of sight, so we did essentially no babyproofing. All of his toys are contained in his room since it's just as convenient to hang out there as it is in our living room - I can even see it from the kitchen. DH/DS are always within earshot - if DH is making breakfast, and I'm getting DS dressed, we can carry on a conversation. The washer/dryer are literally right outside the bedroom door so its easy to throw a load in. And there's just the general family closeness and togetherness

Sure there are downsides, but if you're staying in a small space, there is a lot to love about it too!

2undertwo2bee · April 2016

We're in a one bedroom with a study about 989 sq ft with us a one year old and a cat. It's already so tight and just no space for toys and to play I also really desire a backyard for kids to play in. Our lease is up end of December so we could move but my husband will hopefully be getting orders for us to pcs by May of next year so I don't want to pay to move for just 6 months. So we'll probably be stuck here until we pcs. Luckily baby will only be 6-7 months at the latest and they don't need much space until then. But at our next place I plan to find the biggest house we can afford So tired of no spqce

NatashaSprout · April 2016

Shoot reading all this I'm thinking maybe we don't need a bigger house, just less shit.

therealvday · April 2016

Not until the kiddo is 2 or so, I think.

We currently own a home with a 3 bedroom/2 bath with a cat and a dog. What's now DH's office will be the nursery and DH will move his stuff to a nook we have off of the dining room/sun room.

I just can't imagine dealing with the stress of looking for & buying a new home until we have settled into our own home a bit longer (it'll be 2 years in September) plus I feel like we have sufficient room in our home for now.

monkey41 · April 2016

We have a 2/1, no kids, 1 dog. 2nd bedroom is currently office and guest room. We are planning on adding another 2 beds, 1 bath (maybe 2 baths) on to our house and have already gotten drawings from an architect, but it sounds like we still may not be done before baby comes, but we love our neighborhood and the real estate market around us is ridiculous right now, making moving tough while maintaining our current commutes.

LadyBugMe101 · April 2016

We currently have a 1/1 with no other children and no pets. Luckily there is a large living room area and the bedroom is large as well. I have it all planned out to share the master for now until our lease is up in March, we will consider moving to a larger space if necessary. I think 4mo after baby arrives is enough to gauge how we are feeling about space. Our goal is to buy before baby #2.

Chcaggie1 · April 2016

yup. we live in a 2bdrm apt, which is already cramped, imo with our son. As soon as we found out we were pregnant we started house hunting. We are now building a home that is due to be completed in October! Fingers crossed they stay on schedule so we can move in before this lo arrives.

Roxell · April 2016

It's refreshing to see so many other people that rent instead of own! When I tell most people we rent ourhouse they look at us weird. As if you have to buy a house as soon as you're an adult! I love renting, though we have recently started talking with our landlord about buying the house. So no plans on moving for us.

ZoeFer · April 2016

We live in a 1br apartment but it is quite large for two of us (in NYC standards). We are thinking of moving to a 2br apartment mostly because I have to go back to work after 2 months and my mom will come to help us with baby for sometime. We want her to have her own room and bathroom. But I know so many people who bring up kids (even two) in 1 br apartments in the city:)

BmcD2016 · April 2016

We are moving in June but not strictly because of the baby. We're looking for better schools and a safer area for all of our kiddos. After about a year of being there we hope to buy our own home.

erinlin25 · April 2016

we are looking to move too. We currently live in 2/2 home and we like our guest room/office space. We are hoping to buy this summer but it will all depend if we find what we are looking for. We could make the 2/2 work with a baby for awhile, but it would be nice to have more space, so we will see

CecilTheBear · April 2016

We have a 2/1, 1000 sq feet. So far it's just my H and I, the cat, and the dog. Right now it seems like plenty of space for us and one kid. I'm hoping I continue to think that, because we love our neighborhood and our house, and the schools are good. Buying a bigger house in the Bay Area would likely mean compromising on one of those things. Maybe we'll consider it in 10 years. It might start to feel small with a preteen.

srcr2011 · April 2016

We are out of space! We are renting a small 3/2. With another baby, we are planning to put all the kids in one room to sleep, and turning the other room into a play room. I'm hoping to clear out toys in the living room. We just signed on 4 acres of land, and plan to build our dream home in about 5 years. At least by then we know how much room we will want. This will be our last baby and plan to give our kids an acre each to either build or sell. We might put a trailer or 2 and rent those out for a while. But unfortunately, we are stuck here for a while.

RaeJ004 · April 2016

Heck no! We moved when I was pregnant with DD1 and I swore we would never move while pregnant again.
We're in 2,100 sqft right now and for a family of six that will be crowded. But I will only move one more time in my life and it will be to a house they will have to take me out in a body bag.

ficbot · April 2016

We have a 2 br rental right now, and we are going to try and make it work. Our second bedroom has two doors, one which goes in from the dining room and one regular door from the hallway. So, given that stepson is only with us a few days a month, we're going to try setting up the second room so that both doors are usable (the side door is blocked off right now) and it feels like both kids have a room. The cost to get a three-bedroom place, given that stepson is not with full-time, is really high. We are prepared to move later if we have to, but if we can make it work for even a few years like this, we'll save a lot of money.

FiancB · April 2016

We live in a 1 bedroom basement apartment so, yeah, house hunting is going to turn from something that we've been wanting to do to something we need to do. We will probably start looking in the late summer and hopefully close on something by winter. It won't be the end of the world if our newborn spends the first few months of their lives here, but we are running out of space quickly, and living with my husband's uncle and grandma upstairs is getting a little old.

Chcaggie1 · April 2016

ZoeFer said:

We live in a 1br apartment but it is quite large for two of us (in NYC standards). We are thinking of moving to a 2br apartment mostly because I have to go back to work after 2 months and my mom will come to help us with baby for sometime. We want her to have her own room and bathroom. But I know so many people who bring up kids (even two) in 1 br apartments in the city:)

It is so interesting to me to see how differently ppl in different parts of the country live. I'm in TX and obviously even in the larger metro areas we have a lot of space compared to other states. And I think the way we live reflects that. I'm a bit surprised to hear its common for families (with children) to live in 1 bdrm apts. I'm kind of curious exactly how that works. Does everyone sleep in the same bedroom? Or do the kids sleep in the living room? I can def see it working with a tiny baby, our son slept in our room until he was 6 mo and could have stayed longer. I'm just not sure what would happen after than in a 1bdrm?

KilgraveMadeMeDoIt · April 2016

We're in a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom house that has quite a lot of space (2000sqft) but we'd like a fourth bedroom. Our youngest can probably share with the baby since between her and our son she has the larger room (he chose the smaller one) and our son is really too old to be sharing with a baby. We'll be moving once I start residency (July 2018) so we'll likely just get a 4br house then, but I'm kind of wavering since I really don't want the baby in our room for more than 6 months or so, but I'm not sure my daughter, who will be 6, can really share with a baby that little. Not really worth it to move for just a year's benefit, though.

Moving while pregnant totally sucks, though. We moved when I was 8 months pregnant with our oldest and it was *horrible.*

Greencows4812 · April 2016

We plan to move but not necessarily because of baby. It was always a goal for this year to buy our first house but it's a more urgent decision now. We live in a small 3 bedroom and have two toddlers all ready. I'm not sure where I'll fit all the baby stuff.

yosemite2018 · April 2016

We live in a 2br2ba duplex and instead of moving, we're just kicking our roommate out around the beginning of the 3rd trimester (right now it's good rental income). SO has already played around with the idea of adding a 3rd bedroom and bathroom (especially if the upstairs tenants will pay more for an extra room too as we would add it to both levels), so when we have a 2nd we'd probably stay here and just build another room. It would mean our yard would get a bit smaller but both sets of parents live close and have yards, plus there are 2 great parks within walking distance.

kittiesandcoffee · April 2016

We're moving from Florida to California in July. DH is in the military. Not looking forward to that drive with a dog and a cat both loose in the car. We'll also be downsizing our house from a 2/2 apartment to a 2/1 apartment. It'll be an adventure for sure!

Want a personalized experience?

Is anyone else planning on moving because of baby?

Re: Is anyone else planning on moving because of baby?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards