How long would you live with a kitchen like this?

Our boiler blew on Friday but the reno was starting on Monday. We lived with no back wall on the downstairs, no hot water and a very very makeshift kitchen for almost 4 months. We got the basics of the new kitchen again the week before Christmas and kicked the builders out on 23rd December. We started on 27th august. Dd was 18 months old and I was doing a Masters thesis while working FT and DH was working FT at the same time....

We were surprised how we managed to- but we could see the paid builders making progress and I was not waiting on DH to make progress every week and expecting me to manage around a never- ending project. And we are quite organised - we had running water to the sink (but the sink moved around almost daily), the fridge was always connected, and we had a microwave all the time but there was a week in the middle with no cooker. The worktop was the draining board of the sink for most of it. And there was always a kettle - builders were big tea drinkers!

Most of our actual kitchen was upstairs in the spare room in boxes, and we used a handful of absolute essentials.

I did it for a couple of months while dh fitted our kitchen outside of his usual working hours.

What's taking so long, is it a lack of money to finish it? Lack of time? Lack of will? Lack of skill? I think you need to become project manager and start planning what needs doing and when or it will never get done.

I loved like that with a toddler and 8 months pregnant for about a month and until the new kitchen extension was in
It was a nightmare but was worth it in the end .
We had prep cooked and freeze before

We manage 2.5 years with no oven. Slow cooker, hob, George Forman. Kettle, microwave and toaster. Also had a baby who was born 2 months in. We do have heating though.

I put up with what you’re doing for two weeks and that was with a 10 and 13 year old. There’s NO way I’d put up with that for 10 months!

If you can afford it get in outside help. Life is too short for the shit you are putting up with, especially with a baby!

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I found it hard going when our kitchen was being done up and it took about 3 months. We had a working sink, washing machine and fridge most - but not all - of the time, but most kitchen stuff was in storage and I was cooking on a hotplate, microwave and slow cooker in the dining room. And my dc were 10 and 7 at the time so no bottles needed.

Im doing this at the moment while we have restorative building work and a new kitchen installed (insurance job) two primary age kids. Weve done 3 weeks of temporary kitchen installed in the living room and the new kitchen installation starts this week so loght at the end of tunnel. I dont think I would be able to put up with it much more than the month that we have. We have found freezer stash of the “cook” frozen microwavable meals helpful, to keep us from the easy takeaway option . But to be fair there has been a few chippy teas and eating out. Washing up and washing laundry in bath. Cant bloody wait til its over.

If the surfaces/ food in a box is an issue could you buy a dresser second hand on Facebook etc? I lived like that for 6 months, admittedly no baby but didn’t have a sink in the kitchen so had to fill a bowl from the bath!

You might consider getting a free standing bigger sized microwave/convection oven combo. I got one about 10 years ago when renovating and used it as an oven. I’m still using it - it was a brilliant buy.

Gordon Bennett!

We had our kitchen and utility ripped out and completely redone last year.
I had everything in my dining room including the air fryers and microwave with the fridge and a mini worktop above it in the hallway. Drove us mad!
I honestly don't know who was worse, either me or DH, (There is only the two of us at home now.)

How long did the kitchen take? 3 weeks including a few days delay waiting for the tiler.😂

Just call us impatient or perhaps very spoilt.🤣

OP, you deserve a medal!🏅

Did that, baby and all, probably a bit older than yours though. No proper sink. Probably about 5 months. Glad it was over but it’s wasn’t hell.

Do you have a sink? No sink was what I found hardest when our kitchen was done.

We had two weeks with no kitchen and I was beyond pissed off.

If he can't guarantee a reasonable finish date you can live with and you can afford help to move things along, I'd start insisting. There's a big difference between making do out of necessity and suffering needlessly with no end in sight.

I have a friend who lives with a terrible kitchen because her DH wants to do it all himself. Except he never does. I'd draw a line at a year. If you can't succeed in a year then you have failed.

Ooh I needed to read this. We are about to willingly embark on something similar to this m, with a mobile baby... though we will pay for some parts and I am not anticipating it taking 10 months. You're one impressive woman!

Not at all.

We also did a full reno when Ds was about 6 months. It took about 4 months BUT we we moved out efficiently to a small annexe attached. So we had a second small yet functional kitchen, bathroom and no work or dust in this area. So when we left Reno side, the dust stayed there. We also did a lot ourselves to save money but also paid for a lot more help than we would have done pre baby. Otherwise it takes forever.

I would honestly in your case just tell your dh your bring in xyz help. He can take a week of work if possible to help, but it’s going to be blitz through with him and outside help in a week to get majority done

We did a little over 2 months with slow cooker, microwave and kettle and a toaster. No hob! And it was winter, snowing in fact. We had no heating and no bathroom either, but we did have a small ensuite to use! Chaos. Baby was immobile when they started and cruising by the end. Preschooler couldn't cope and had epic meltdowns.

Get someone in to finish it. 10months is ridiculous. It's no life.

I would barbecue all summer.

I did a v long winter with a solid fuel stove that I was irrationally convinced (PFB) was leaking Carbon Monoxide so we were very cold, I microwaved bits and boiled the kettle but it was a lot of toast. We had only a sink, a Welsh dresser and the solid fuel stove from the 60s. Plates were on the kitchen table while we saved up.

Why did you let Kevin McCloud anywhere near you?
You will probably be mostly finished after Christmas and look brave but broken when anyone asks how it feels to have a new kitchen.

I had a friend who put up with it for more than 2 years, it was partly responsible for her ending the relationship. She had 2 babies by then. It was a nightmare.
I'd manage a month, if you can afford to get someone in to finish the job, go for it.