Could this be possible?

[mrsbrown]

One of the things on my list of things I could do in the next few years is a baby. I don't want to have two, but I want a child to have siblings - how could I do this?

What sort of house/living arrangement would be required to house 4-6 adults, 3 teenagers, 2 dogs, and 2-4 small children?

Bedrooms
communal kitchen
private lounge spaces
communal sewing room
communal computer centre - with broadband!!
garden
bathrooms -- at least 4
communal tv/lounging space
workshop large enough for 3-4 to work at the same time
Storage!!!
private small kitchen spaces

Near public transport to workplaces and schools
Near good shopping centre

Anything else?

Options to make it happen:

Buy the house across the road and build 2 units at the back
Rent out existing houses and rent a really big house or a set of townhouses
Sell existing houses and build the perfect communal living arrangement

Comments

[doushkasmum.livejournal.com]

As I have said before, I could be in this. Maybe. Were you counting on me to provide the sibling? That bit I am not so sure about!

or

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

We chase away our neighbours and you buy their house. It's large and on a good size block.

There is also an option on renting a unit on the other side (the unit owned by the neighbours we like) and as the street is full of unit developments, there is nearly always one on the market(and we've looked inside a couple - they're usually pretty good). Or chasing away the neighbours two doors down as well. We don't like them much either.

We knock down the fence(s). Close to schools, shops, public transport. Because of the massive increase in arable land, you guys can build a bigger shed.

Then we all live happily ever after.

notes from this arvo

[mrsbrown.livejournal.com]

As an interim, to see if it would work, we rent 3 townhouses together - Talk to estate agents to get just-finished project, when houses come onto the market at the same time.

To do this we have to each rent out our houses. This might require work to get them to rental standard. (It may be worthwhile spending real money for a higher rent)

Design a place using a standard (or larger if poss) sized suburban block. Design a bunch of smallish units on the edge, with a courtyard garden in the middle, Based on doushkasmum's units, with carparking at the front, using front units courtyards, a nice entrance and a workshop and communal space each taking up one units worth.

Strata title all units so exit from the scheme is feasible.

Other thoughts - Could we bulldoze either my or splodgenoodle's house to do the building we're talking about?

Also splodgenoodle thinks we need guest rooms, because this sort of setup would attract hanger's on.

Other accom options include a monastery bldg or a pub.

Pub would need at least 9 bedrooms and 4 more rooms for private sitting rooms.

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

Cats.

Don't forget the cats.

proposal

[doushkasmum.livejournal.com]

And the dog too!

[splodgenoodles.livejournal.com]

I don't think our block is big enough, and your's is way too small.

Unless, seriously, we did buy out our neighbours.

But that would mean living over here...

advantages:
-suits the two of us fine.
-close to PT., shops.
-not too far from city.
-near water

disadvantages:
-more conservative community - we would stick out.
-further away from where you guys work.
-sjakasabi - is she interested? If not, we'd be a long way from her.


Less keen on Footscray.

We need to do more than financial feasability. I can see this screwing up for a host of other reasons which we need to thrash out first.