To ask for your pro tips on surviving renovations with a 3yo?

[MustardScreams]

I have finally saved up enough to sort my lovely, but knackered house out.

Having all floors downstairs out and new ones down, new gas pipes put in, the awful old boiler taken out and new one in a totally different place, downstairs shower room ripped out and replaced, back door bricked up, new back door put in dining room, kitchen window raised, new kitchen in and front and back gardens being landscaped.

I thought getting it all done in one is better than a year of bits and bobs, but I’m now absolutely bricking it and thinking a) everything will go wrong and b) I’ll go mad by the end of it.

Single mum with a 3 year old! All upstairs is staying the same, which makes it slightly less hideous. Do we just get an Airbnb for the duration? Or attempt to live in it

Move out for the worst of it. Without a shadow of a doubt. If you can afford it, of course. Builders will work quicker (if you have good ones and can still check in). Much less painful.

We are planning major renovations and by the time it all starts DS will be 3.5, we're moving out. Also turns out DC2 will be due around then so we are DEFINITELY moving out!

Pack up absolutely everything you possibly can (even upstairs)into well sealed boxes and cover them in dust sheets. The dust will be unbelievable. You do not want to be cleaning every toy/piece of clothing you own.

Fuck, didn’t even consider dust! And I hate cleaning at the best of times

Move out?
If it makes you happy and you can afford it, then why not?

I had similar work done and my 4yo loved it. We’d come home each day from work / nursery to a new sight! It was interesting for her to see the “insides” of a house. When the floors were up, and you could see down to the void below, we planted a box with jewellery in it, for her to find. It was great fun. We were mostly unchanged upstairs too (until we moved up for the loft the next year!) so there was always somewhere clean and calm to head off to.

Oh -pro tip on the plaster dust. “Clean as you go” is a waste of bloody time! Roll with it.

Oh I sympathise! If it's an option stay somewhere else. We were very fortunate that When we renovated our downstairs in May last year we booked a 2 week holiday and then my parents where on holiday for 2 weeks and kindly invited us to stay there, and we ended up with them for another 2 weeks after that. Even when the work was complete after 5 weeks we had to spend a week cleaning it every day. We thought we had been meticulous and moved everything we could upstairs, dust sheets upon dust sheets, all doors upstairs sealed etc and the dust was still unreal. With a 3 yr old and 1 yr old it would have been impossible to stay in it. I must have mopped my floors 50 times, every time I mopped them and they dried they just dried like dust again.

Go out. A lot! Groups, friends' houses, park, soft play, anything.

Good luck.

The dust is stressing me out now! I’ve got the big sofa bag things from Ikea for my Welsh dresser, but would it be easier to just move everything upstairs?

Thankfully my friend lives about 2 mins away, so we can stay there for the worst few days. But I think I’ll book an Airbnb close to nursery and just pretend it’s kot happening

We're doing this right now with 3 and 5 year olds & due to a catalogue of mistakes our house is in a pretty sorry state (massive water leaks/dust/floors up/ceilings down) we are spending a lot of time in 1 room which I've been able to keep reasonably clean. If moving out is an option then I'd be very tempted but keep in mind these things always take longer than expected so you may need to budget for a long stay! (Also be sure to check on your home daily)

Fucking hell I never could have contemplated this. I gave stories from friends of washing up in the bath, moving to a mobile home with no heating, etc. God speed to you renovators and please show us the results! So I can live vicariously through you but not give up my home comforts 😁

@BeenHereForAges endless respect for you with 2! It sucks it’s taking so long, how is it getting on now?

I budgeted for overrun and hotel stays if necessary. I think I’ve underestimated though. Eurgh.

If you can afford to move out for the duration I would advise that you do. I had similar work done recently and I don’t think I would have survived it with a 3 year old. It will be worth it in the end though - well done for taking it on!

We had an extension years ago and moved out , do check on the builders every day thou they might go on go slow if you're not there.

We did it. Pack up everything from down stairs and just live upstairs - think of it like camping.

What does everyone do with big furniture that won’t fit upstairs? My dining table, sofa and dresser definitely won’t go up there (barrow terrace stairs!). Dust covers?

Also in regards to telling neighbours. I was going to pop round a couple of weeks in advance and give them my number, so if there’s any issues they can text me and I can try and sort. Is that a reasonable idea?

Literally no idea what I’m doing, obviously

Big furniture dust cover and gaffer tape on.

Neighbours plan sounds good. Are the builders likely to need to block the road/people’s drives? That’s where it goes wrong frequency ime. If they do need to do so telling people in advance/asking if drives can be blocked temporarily really helps. Reasonable people will work round you with adequate warning and politeness from you.

It’s all on street parking, so I’m probably going to piss off the street with the skips/trucks. Not a lot I can do about it though.

Just keeping the end product in mind, because I’m truly dreading it. I’ll post before and afters when done!

Well you can get the parking spaces you need and for the skip blocked out by the council (for a fee). Worth doing to make it clear?