When looking for a new home, one of the most important attributes of the home is the amount of living space that is going to be available. There are a lot of different items and tradeoffs to consider, such as where you are in life now, what needs you’ll have in the next five years, and whether the home makes sense for both of you, as a couple. As a couple, you will need to work together to simplify your finances and your life, so that you can get the new situation under control and live at peace and harmony with one another.
Our current situation
We currently live on the 23rd floor of a large apartment building; our unit has two bedrooms and is located on two floors. I find this layout quite interesting, because the bedrooms are located on opposite ends of the building, so we get light from both sides. Except for heat waves, we can get a natural breeze inside the apartment by simply opening windows on both ends. I would say our current apartment is somewhere around 900 sq. ft, and this is big enough for both of us.
Apartment living is not for everyone, but we’ve enjoyed it up ’till now. The are is very convenient, as there is a subway station right next door and we don’t even have to walk outside. The downside is that rents in the area are quite expensive.
As we didn’t want to keep paying a large amount of money every month in rent when we could be putting some of that toward equity, we recently decided to purchase a new condo in the area. The building is still under construction, and we will be able to move into the new place in January.
Our choices
When we were considering the different models available, we eventually settled on two models:
The corner unit
- Facing north and east.
- 850 sq. ft + large balcony.
- 9 foot ceilings.
- Open layout with plenty of light.
- Two smaller bedrooms.
- One bathroom.
The center unit
- Facing east.
- 950 sq. ft + small balcony.
- 8 foot ceilings.
- Also an open layout, but with much less light especially if the bedroom doors were closed.
- Two slightly larger bedrooms.
- Two bathrooms.
And here are our thoughts:
- We definitely prefer more light, so facing north & east is better. The building is actually tilted a bit to the west, so we would be able to see the sun set from the north side during the summer.
- Although we both prefer more space over less, having more light is even better.
- 9 foot ceilings would make the smaller place feel a bit larger, even if it’s 100 sq. ft. less in size.
- We prefer larger bedrooms, but having one regular bedroom and one smaller bedroom might be doable. We’re still not yet convinced on this point, even though we went for the corner unit.
- We don’t really need two bathrooms. Neither of us takes one hour in the bathroom in the morning. 😉
Living in a small space
Do you see the lion & lioness above, on the left? See how happy they are? That is because they don’t have to live in a small space and don’t have to fight over space, like these ones on the right 🙂
Our place is only a little smaller than our current apartment, but we do have to keep in mind that extra space is taken up by things like the laundry closet, a larger bathroom, a larger kitchen, a space for the water heater, and larger bedroom closets. Although our new place would probably seem huge in places like Japan, and although it is not quite as small as a mini-house, it is still small by North American standards.
I would say the two biggest sticking points for us are the small bedrooms, and the lack of a bay window, which the 3 other corners (all sold out) all have. One of the bedrooms has about 120 sq. ft. of livable space, and the other bedroom only about 80 sq. ft! These are some pretty small bedrooms. Nonetheless, we still feel that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.
Sleeping in one bedroom versus two bedrooms
Me and my girlfriend/wife have been sleeping in seperate bedrooms until now. Why? Well, one reason is because I moved in when her friend moved out, and I had all of my furniture to bring with me anyways. A second reason is that I only have a double mattress, and her a twin, so the sleeping space is limited. The final reason is, well, this was the first place that we lived in together, and as we’re not married or anything, this way kept certain parties happier. 😉
The condo is different since we are purchasing the place together. There is more commitment in that. In the new condo, the master bedroom is unfortunately too small for a king-size bed. We could still get one, but it would completely dominate the room; a queen-size bed probably makes more sense.
I am hoping that we will be able to handle sleeping together in the same room, because then we can convert the smaller bedroom into an office/den, which would be quite cool. Otherwise, the smaller room might turn into my own personal doghouse!
Furnishing the new place
If the second room is going to become a second bedroom, then we’ll have to get a twin bed and matching furniture. If it’s going to become an office/den, then I would like to get a nice desk and bookshelves to go with it. I would prefer a managerial desk, but the room at 10 feet x 8 feet is probably too small for that.
In the very beginning, we will likely be sleeping on an inflatable air mattress and staring at four blank walls!
So, for my fellow readers out there, how do you handle living together with your significant other? I’d love to hear stories about sharing the space, especially if it’s a small apartment or condo like our own!
OK, first…I have to admit when I was in college, my boyfriend and I spent the night together at least 5/7 nights. In a dorm. In a twin size bed. So…you can get used to almost anything.
Hubby and I moved in together about 6 months before we got married. Probably a 900 sq ft townhouse, and it was fine. Queen size bed was fine.
Now, if you are going to get married anytime in the next two years….a few thoughts:
1) Once you are officially living together, stuff accumulates. Rapidly. Don’t care if you think you have all your stuff together…..you will get more stuff. Make sure you have the room.
2) If you are going to be purchasing a bed, figure that the average mattress will last you 12-15 years. Those suckers are $$$. Make sure you get as much as you can afford. No sense in getting a queen and then turning around to get a king in 2 years if you move again. For mattresses…..bigger is better!
(again….no matter what you get…..be prepared for sticker shock.)
3) Maintain your own space…..even if it is just a corner. You each need a place that is YOURS,
Good luck!
We probably won’t survive on a twin size bed (tried it a few times ;)), but a queen size could work. I would personally love to have the king sized bed, but it would crowd out the room too much. We might just leave the furniture there and rent it out as a furnished apartment to well-off foreign students later on.
My girlfriend will likely take care of the “stuff accumulation” by gathering many bags together to be given away… I’ll have to keep a close eye on what goes in those bags! 😉
I spent time over a few months sleeping my my partner in single beds and we survived. I was traveling around Vermont visiting some of her family during that period.
When we lived in Montreal we shared a Queen size with absolutely no problem and lived in a shared house so only really had one room to ourselves.
We now have an apartment in Egypt, a 2 bed but the 2nd bedroom goes unused unless we have guests. I don’t know the sq ft size of the apartment but it’s not huge and I think I like it that way, far less space to keep clean.
As long as you have access to the real world I think it’s no big deal to live in a medium sized home. The tiny ones may not be so good!
One thing I would say is I think it’s often the case that one partner becomes dominant in a shared home. In our case my partner generally gets the decision and first pick of what goes where and will often give me hassle if I leave stuff laying around (even if she does it herself). My attitude is more relaxed so I just pick up her mess and never mention a word of it…. I think the dominant/passive relationship can be essential for two people sharing a smallish space…. I can’t imagine the arguments if I tried to get dominant too!
“I think the dominant/passive relationship can be essential for two people sharing a smallish space….”
Oh god, that was the worst form of encouragement you could have given the GF… 😛
I think a queen-size may just work out, too, we just need to get used to sleeping in the same bed together!
When we first got married, we moved into an apartment similar to what you are discussing. My first piece of advice is to get rid of everything you absolutely don’t have to have. Our second bedroom ended up being a crappy storage room that held a ton of stuff we eventually ended up throwing out. Definitely no room for a desk in that space.
Treat your new condo like you are going to be there the rest of your lives and decorate it as such. Enjoy each piece of space you have and make sure everything has its space. If there isn’t space for it, get rid of it.
Congratulations, and enjoy!
“Our second bedroom ended up being a crappy storage room that held a ton of stuff we eventually ended up throwing out.”
Yep, that’s definitely the kind of thing we’d both want to avoid. We have a storage space downstairs, but it’s small and will probably barely fit two bicycles and four winter tires, if even that.
My GF is an anti-hoarder, so my problem is actually checking to make sure that not too much is tossed out!
My husband, two kids, and I live in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom, 920 sq. ft. house and we manage just fine. It may be small by current American standards, but is downright spacious compared to the house my great-grandmother grew up in with her 10 siblings, or the size of family homes in other countries like Japan. We’re able to fit a queen bed, two wider end tables, and two dressers in our 11×12 bedroom, with room to walk around the bed and everything. With a little rearranging, we even fit a crib, but that was a much tighter squeeze.
We do miss the second bathroom of our previous apartment! Sometimes everyone has to go at once.
If you have an IKEA nearby, go check out their sample rooms and homes. They have a lot of great space-saving ideas and make little spaces look very livable.
I think our bedroom will be 10.5″ x 11.5″? We took a look at the model unit again yesterday, and I think with a queen size bed, it can work out just fine. That’s impressive that you also managed with two kids! On the other hand, smaller spaces are easier to keep clean than larger spaces as long as you don’t accumulate too much stuff; the smaller space forces you to prioritize rather than use an unused room as the “junk room”.
Kevin,
Here is a very important piece of advice. Make sure you buy a King sized bed if you plan on keeping your bedroom for several years. Not only will it come in handy once you move out into a house ( it will properly fill your master bedroom), you will thank me once you have a baby since he/she will be sleeping with you guys in the beginning at least from time to time.
Mich
Hey Mich,
I would love to get a king-sized bed, but I think the GF won’t be too happy about it. It would crowd out everything else. I think a queen-sized bed could work out; we’ll just have to force ourselves for a couple weeks to try it and see! In the very first week, we’ll be sleeping on a queen-sized air mattress 😛
“stuff accumulates”…ain’t that the truth…I’m at the opposite end of the spectrum as you guys…kids are gone (1 in Australia, 1 in Alaska, and 1 in D.C.) and I got too much house (good for hiding from the wife though!)…I’m trying to talk the wife into selling the house, buying an RV and visiting Alaska for 4 months, Assateague Virginia for 4 months and maybe New Orleans for a few months…become a roadie…hey, with the internet you’ve got the world at your finger tips. Somewhere along the way I’d like to drive up through the Canadian Rockies.
I enjoyed the early years of apartment living and sometimes wish I was back there. At least then I didn’t dread opening my property tax statement.:)
Enjoy!
“I enjoyed the early years of apartment living and sometimes wish I was back there. At least then I didn’t dread opening my property tax statement.:)”
Haha, in some ways, a house does seem to become a liability. With both kids moved out of the house, my girlfriend’s parents are stuck maintaining and looking after a 2500 sq.ft space (my estimate; it might be smaller or even larger than that, but it’s for sure at least 3x the size of our condo) while they are the only two living there.
The advantages of apartment living is that it is easy to just pick up and leave, and there are some things that you just don’t have to worry about that you do with a house.
Yeah Kevin, you know this, you’ll accumulate stuff no doubt, but the beauty of the condo (should be); you can’t accumulate too much because you have no where to put it! We know, my wife (then girlfriend) and I lived in a 1,000 sq. ft. condo for about 2.5 years.
It was great, we liked it, but it was time to move on. You may or may not feel the same in a few years.
A queen-bed isn’t that bad either…we have one in our current semi-detached house and like it quite a bit. King is great, only if you have the room.
As for living in small quarters, it can certainly be done but not without compromise and respect. I think as a couple, you can “breathe” a bit easier with a larger place, but regardless how big of a home you have, your wife will always find you 😉
“I think as a couple, you can “breathe” a bit easier with a larger place, but regardless how big of a home you have, your wife will always find you ;)”
No doubt 😉 With ours at 150 sq. ft. less, we’ll have even less room to hold onto extra stuff, and compromise will be that much more important. I’d like to keep the second room as a retreat, and it will be more “mine” since the bedroom will undoubtedly be more feminine and more “hers”.
Well I’m not married… YET, but I do spend a LOT of time at my GF’s place. Whenever we need some time apart, we go with the two room approach, oh and Queen-bed is indeed a must, especially for me considering I like to act out my dreams haha.
When I need to work on my site for instance, I go to the living room for hours, she does her Homework in the Bedroom. It CAN be cramped at times, like when you just want to be alone, but I find that going to a friends house can solve that problem, or in my case, just going home.:)
So Myfinancialobjective acts out his dreams? That reminds me of a couple of room-mates I used to have. They slept together in a Queen, and one night she woke up in a headlock. I heard the noise from the next room, then I heard a one-sided argument, and then we all had a great laugh when we met in the kitchen. Those were the days. They’re now married and, well, I think they still sleep together.
Great participation on this post Kevin–your site is getting better and better.
Wow, haha, that must have been pretty amusing. In my case, she’s a pretty silent sleeper (once she does fall asleep), and I think I’m ok myself, but I’m not sure. We’re not used to sleeping together, though, so the few times we try to do it, we often end up kicking each other or doing other strange things. We’ll have to really try hard to get used to it, and we won’t have a choice in the beginning!
Thanks for the compliments on the site, and let me know if there’s anything that can be improved!
Yeah, one thing I have an issue with now is that the desk is next to the TV, and I get easily distracted and I find it hard to write or do other things, but I don’t just want to force her to stop watching the TV. On the other hand, our current apartment is on two levels so I can always use my laptop instead and go upstairs.
That won’t be possible in the new place, so we’ll have to find some compromise. The desk will be in a room with a door, so that will cut out some of the distractions, and she can always turn down the volume 😉 and if I’m playing games, I can use headphones so I don’t in turn distract her.
Well, we didn’t do it the right way in that we have kept a storage unit for years because we could never agree on whose stuff to throw away. Overall, we should have enough space but never set aside time to go through the shed and storage units to get rid of the excess. With careful planning though, hopefully, you and your significant other can can avoid wasting space in your new condo
“Well, we didn’t do it the right way in that we have kept a storage unit for years because we could never agree on whose stuff to throw away”
Haha, that’s definitely the catch. She would never just throw my stuff away, but sometimes I gotta check what she “suggests” I give away before I actually go and give it away 😉
My husband and I met in college and shared a dorm twin bed for 6 months. Then we shared a twin-sized air mattress for 3 years and a queen-sized air mattress for a year after that. We actually didn’t get a real mattress until a week before our wedding and it was a queen-sized Sealy that was a wedding gift from my parents ($700…ouch). 4 years later we upgraded and bought our own queen-sized Tempurpedic that will hopefully last FOREVER since it cost about $3000. So bed-wise, you two should be okay. 🙂
Space-wise, we lived in a 550 sq.ft. one-bedroom apartment for a year and a half…it worked okay as long as he didn’t play computer games at night while I was trying to sleep. I spent most of my time in the “living room” reading and watching tv and hubby watched with me or played on the computer in the bedroom.
I’d suggest just keeping the lines of communication open so silly misunderstandings can be avoided. Good luck!
Yep, for that price, I hope it lasts a very long time. I actually have a queen-sized bed right now, but we won’t be taking it to the condo. We have a hodge-podge of random furniture from older days that we will most likely be selling or giving away before we move out. I also have a very old double-sized mattress that is currently on the queen-sized bed, so we’ll have to buy a new mattress whenever we decide to get a bedroom set.
In the beginning, we’ll also be sleeping on an air mattress. How long depends on how long it takes to pay off the welcome tax, notary fees, and everything else! We decided that we are not going to keep a running balance on our credit cards to buy furniture – nope, we’re going to pay either in cash or dirt-cheap financing if it’s available, and buy things only as we can afford them. That means it’ll take a while before our place is properly furnished!
I’m with you! Don’t take on debt for furniture unless it’s at 0% interest and you already have the cash to put aside and make a little interest on. 🙂
Air mattresses worked great until hubby started teaching…being on his feet all day meant he needed a good mattress. The Tempurpedic only came along last year – 4 years after being married and 8 years after we started dating. Cheap furniture is the way to go until you are financially stable and know what you want.
Our first apartment was 100 sq ft. It was cozy, but only because we were newly weds.
Our second place was 300 sq ft. It seemed enormous compared.
Our third place was 1700 sq ft. It was too big.
Our fourth place was 3000 sq ft. We had a child. It was still way too big.
Our fifth place was 2200 sq ft. That seems to be just right.
Who says that furniture has to match?
I remember when I moved into my first apartment which was a 3 1/2 of maybe 450 sq. ft or so, and it felt huge. Looking back, it really wasn’t that big at all, but because of the separate kitchen, living room, and decent-sized bedroom, it felt like it had more space than it had. It also helped that it had no space taken up by laundry machines and stuff like that, and a tiny bathroom 😉
The girlfriend says that the furniture has to match 😉 Well actually, we both agree. We really have a hodge podge of furniture right now; furniture from my old apartment, furniture from my grand parents, furniture from IKEA, furniture from her childhood, etc… it’s very eclectic. It has its own charm in a way, too, but given how much the new place is costing us, we don’t want to just bring the same old stuff with us. We won’t just throw it in the garbage; we’ll find good homes for it. This is a case where aesthetics is winning out over frugality for us. :S
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Kevin, This was such an interesting article. I’m not sure if you decided on a unit or not, but one thing to think about is resale, and typically 2 baths and larger bedrooms are universally more desirable than 1 bath and smaller bedrooms. With the light, you can always instal some nice lighting, too. I like the idea of living in a smallish space; good for the environment, and more efficient. Whatever you decide, enjoy, it’s so fun buying your first place and CONGRATULATIONS.
Hi Barb,
We definitely decided on the unit, and switching would cost a bit of money. Nonetheless, we had the chance to look at the different models, and we’re not really interested. Normally, I would agree with you, but we looked at the unit with larger bedrooms and 2 bathrooms, and the layout just really didn’t appeal to us. I think it’s because of the smaller windows and the way things are laid out; it makes the place feel like more of a standard apartment and like more of a cave. Installing lighting is also not an option for us; the electricals are all pre-drilled into the concrete and cannot be modified.
We compared it with our place and it’s just a different feeling. Our place will have a lot more light and a lot more of a view, and the higher ceiling helps, too. It does feel smaller, but I think it’s fine and can help the place feel cozy if decorated right. 850 sq. ft. is probably enough for us.
My only real disappointment is the lack of a bay window; the other 3 corners of the building have one and it is a really nice improvement: you can fit a whole couch in there and have a view all around from 3 sides. Due to some architectural error and non-sensical city regulation, our corner doesn’t. Unfortunately, the other 3 corners cost more and were all sold out. We have the worst of the best! 😉
Hi Kevin, It sounds like you two really thought it out and that the layout is lovely. I certainly agree that light is reallly important. I’m sure it will be beautiful. I’m really excited for the two of you. Enjoy the new home and decorating it!
In my opinion if you could write this post in a passive way then it would be much better for reading. Just my 2 cents. 🙂 fantastic write-up by the way!