How important is it for kids to have their own rooms?

[Anonymous]

We bought our house with the idea that we'd eventually put an addition on that would give each of our sons their own room (our daughter has always had her own).

We talked to a contractor today and I was a bit disappointed with the result and how the addition would make the house look in their drawing. We have a dutch colonial and the addition would go on one side over our first floor sunroom, removing one of the overhangs but leaving the one on the other side. I'm having problems visualizing the house this way so we're going to photoshop it this weekend and maybe I'll like it more. But I'm sort of leaning towards not doing it now.

I don't want to spend a lot of money (30k) to make a nice small house look ugly, kwim?

But is that selfish to our sons?

I feel like tweens and teens need their own space right?

[Anonymous]

My boys never had their own rooms and they seemed to like it since we had a guest room that either could have demanded. They were certainly prepared for their college roommates!

[Anonymous]

30k for an extra bedroom? That's insanely cheap and would give you more than 30k towards your house value.

Where is the sunroom? Side of the house or the back?

[Anonymous]

As a mom of younger kids, I don't see a problem with it. However, I think you should post on the teen forum to get their take about when the kids are older.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:30k for an extra bedroom? That's insanely cheap and would give you more than 30k towards your house value.

Where is the sunroom? Side of the house or the back?

side

Yeah the price is great and I know it would increase the overall value of the house. Both good points. But we're not planning to sell the house for a long time so resale value is less of a priority and I didn't like how it would look in the drawing. It would also most likely take away our window in our third story bathroom (we did an attic conversion a few years ago and put a master bedroom and bath up there).

[Anonymous]

Definitely not necessary. Who's the oldest and will leave home first? I shared a room with my sister (and my brother shared a room with our other brother) until the oldest brother graduated high school. Then I had my own room (and the younger brother and sister bunked together) until I left two years later and then at 11 and 8, the younger sibs had their own rooms. No sweat, and yeah ready for college roommates!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Definitely not necessary. Who's the oldest and will leave home first? I shared a room with my sister (and my brother shared a room with our other brother) until the oldest brother graduated high school. Then I had my own room (and the younger brother and sister bunked together) until I left two years later and then at 11 and 8, the younger sibs had their own rooms. No sweat, and yeah ready for college roommates!

they're close in age. 9, 7, and 5. The 9 yo will leave home in 9 years assuming he goes to college right away (which is what we are planning for him).

[Anonymous]

I would wait until they are teenagers to see how they get along. Generally I think it is great when kids share a room but if one needs dead quiet when he studies and the other needs music then it could be an issue.

[Anonymous]

I have 8 and 5 yo and basically have a room sitting empty as my younger wanted to start rooming with her older brother. I think they'll eventually want their own room but so far they enjoy having a roommate.

[Anonymous]

The only time I ever had my own room was when my older sister went off to college and I'm pretty sure that held true for my DH with his brothers. Sharing a room means you learn to share even if that does entail some fighting. If you go off to college and have never had a roommate its easy for problems to arise.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30k for an extra bedroom? That's insanely cheap and would give you more than 30k towards your house value.

Where is the sunroom? Side of the house or the back?

side

Yeah the price is great and I know it would increase the overall value of the house. Both good points. But we're not planning to sell the house for a long time so resale value is less of a priority and I didn't like how it would look in the drawing. It would also most likely take away our window in our third story bathroom (we did an attic conversion a few years ago and put a master bedroom and bath up there).

I can't figure out how this would look with the mansard roof and google is no help. How does it work upstairs? Most dutch colonials I've been in have a center hallway upstairs. How would you get to the additional room?

I would talk to the architect about how you don't like the way it looks. 30k is GREAT, but if it makes your house ugly, it will really detract from the sales price.

[Anonymous]

My two youngest daughters always wanted to share. Once a year I ask each separately if they want to split up. They are 10 and 13 and still insist on staying together.

I have MANY friends who grew up sharing until they left for college and just think that's how it goes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:30k for an extra bedroom? That's insanely cheap and would give you more than 30k towards your house value.

Where is the sunroom? Side of the house or the back?

side

Yeah the price is great and I know it would increase the overall value of the house. Both good points. But we're not planning to sell the house for a long time so resale value is less of a priority and I didn't like how it would look in the drawing. It would also most likely take away our window in our third story bathroom (we did an attic conversion a few years ago and put a master bedroom and bath up there).

I can't figure out how this would look with the mansard roof and google is no help. How does it work upstairs? Most dutch colonials I've been in have a center hallway upstairs. How would you get to the additional room?

I would talk to the architect about how you don't like the way it looks. 30k is GREAT, but if it makes your house ugly, it will really detract from the sales price.

It looks like this except this house has a second story porch over the sunroom. Where their porch is, we'll have an addition.

[Anonymous]

This is purely a "rich American" construct, OP, just like parents buying queen beds for their children.

Elsewhere, even in developed nations in Europe and Asia, children have always shared rooms and slept in single beds.

[Anonymous]

So right now the drawing calls for them to take the side overhang down on the right hand side where the addition is going but not on the left. Won't that look weird?

Would it look bad to take down both side overhangs and shorten the middle overhang over the front door so that it just comes to the edge of the house instead of beyond?