House renovation - living through it with 3 under 7

[Elemontary]

We have moved into a lovely house which needs a lot of work. It's tall and narrow with 4 floors and 2 large rooms and one tiny room on each floor.

My plan is to firstly carry out work on the top 2 floors (bedrooms and bathrooms). AIBU to think this could work?

We would seal off the top 2 floors leaving access to the front door. I would move all kids into ground floor using 2 rooms as bedrooms. Then we would use basement as our bedroom and the other basement rooms are a shower room and kitchen.

Then once bedrooms are done we could move into those and at least have our sanctuaries while the kitchen is being done.

Any tips and advice for getting through this? I am concerned about stress levels!

It depends who much work you have to do?

Cosmetic or stripping off plaster and moving walls?

The top 2 floors don't need any walls to be moved. We will need to change one bathroom into a bedroom, partition a large bedroom and install a bathroom in the partitioned bit, move radiators to different locations, install electrics (new plugholes, spotlights), possibly replaster a couple of rooms, possibly redo areas of ceiling, then decorate and put down carpets.

Personally, I would rather move than live through a house renovation again. It's hell. Everything gets dusty and dirty, there are times when you have restricted/no water, gas or electric, it can be cold and noisy, and always takes much longer than forecast.
If you can, I would move out and let the builders get on with it. They'd prefer that too, and also they'd finish quicker.

As you have moved in already then you will just have to get on with it as you state tbh. Make a detailed plan, allow for time slipages, prepare for everything to be dirty even though you have sealed it off, make a game of it with the kids, make sure you have space that is not being worked upon to live in.

Are you doing all the work yourself or using contractors? Can big things be done whilst you are away etc?

We don't have that option unfortunately as we cannot afford to - rent is spectacularly high around here in proportion to buying. Also we will have to wait and save before doing the bottom 2 floors of the house so it would be moving out twice and back again.

Surely if we completely sealed off the top 2 floors (from the front door and hallway - we would use the back door to come and go), that would help enormously?

We have also lived through a renovation but pre kids and I don't remember a lot of it - blocked it from my mind!

I hadn't thought about the fact we'll have no hot water/heating some days ...