anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

we have been looking to buy a house /condo/townhouse for few months now , but past few weeks we started also looking into co-ops here in Queens . We don't plan to have another child any time soon, at least not for another 4-5 yrs(I think)
Just curious of your experience living in a 2br coop and one child. Is it enough room for you? Do you wish you could have a house instead and/or would you buy a house instead of a coop if you could go back? Is it enough room for you?
We rent 3br apt in a 2FH but sometimes I feel like we need more room.

Thanks

Message edited 2/17/2009 12:50:30 AM.

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

we have a 2 bedroom 2 bath condo in brooklyn with a 21 month old and a baby on the way

For the 3 of us now it is manageable. I think we will be in for it in a few weeks.

however, the small space has forced DH and I to be very organized and picky about what comes in the house (e.g my son is not deprived but he does have a lot less bulky toys)

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

I have a 2br 1 bath coop that is 1050 square feet and one DD. We are comfortable now and I think we will be OK when #2 comes along.
Sometimes I wish I had a house but then the hassle of maintaining it, commuting and the fact that I love my area (I can walk to so many places and there is a lot to do where I live) makes me want to stay put. Who knows how I will feel in the future.

My living room is pretty spacious and DD has a lot of toys but we are still comfortable. I definitely think it's doable.
Good Luck

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

I live in a 1bdrm with one child. It's not ideal, but it's what we could afford to live in Manhattan and have short commutes for the first two years of DD's life.

Toys - DD doesn't have a play room full but we manage. There is a lot to do outside the home, so that makes up for it.

Baby gear - We never had everything you could possibly get for baby. We didn't have a jumperoo, bumbo, etc but we never missed them either. You don't *need* all that stuff. You may need to either store the gear when baby outgrows it or give it away.

Guests - If you have a lot of overnight guests, you may want a bigger space. We have OOS family come often and they sleep in the living room. It works, but this is one of the big reasons we are buying a home.

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

we are in a one bed with a 5 month old. we converted the dining room into his bedroom. space is tight, but we are saving so much $ right now and there is very little maintenance bc the coop handles everything. it's working for us right now. we do want a house, but we are not really in a rush bc we are pretty comfortable at this point. when we have a second DC we would need a bigger place though.

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

My BF lives in Forest Hills in a beautiful 2bd/2bath apt with one baby. It's pretty big - around 1200 sq. feet. Of course they would love more room, but it's fine for them for the next 4-5 years or so. They are also lucky to have decent space.

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

Honestly, we're in the same situation as you. We were looking at some co-ops but honestly its not the amount of bedrooms that you need but rather living space, such as basement, laundry room, garage, yard, patio, etc.

It also depends what kind of life you lead. A house requires a lot of work (manual labor) and $$, whereas in a co-op you pay your maintenance and you're worry free. We went back and forth on this so many times, but we both agreed that for us and our family (we also have a big Boxer) a house is the only solution to living comfortably.

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

Message edited 2/17/2009 4:09:01 PM.

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

I am pretty sure that is going to be our purchase in the next 2 months. 2 bed 2 bath townhouse.

And I am in NC!!

I want our savings to stay in the bank...

But I don't want to rent anymore since I need to make where ever we live as asthma friendly as possible.

I am all about location. I am all about not breaking the bank. I never want to be house poor-I am too active of a person. I don't have much "stuff" I loathe clutter. i am not into cleaning.

DH always wants us to live in the cheapest house in the neighborhood.

I also refuse to purchase a home for more then the appraised price.

We also want to be able to easily find renters for it if someday down the road we are unable to sell.

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

I live in a 2 bed 1 bath co-op right now and with 3 kids it was fine with 2 but now with #3 I am going to shoot myself if this place doesnt sell soon

Re: anyone in 2br 2bth co-op and has one child?

what about a townhouse -- many townhouses in flushing, fresh meadows and bayside in the mid 400's. you'll get a backyard, basement and 2-3 bedrooms!