To continue with my building work

[Freshfaced]

Am aware this will be divisive...
We are at the final stage of a whole house renovation. We couldn't get a short term rental so the plan was to live in the house and manage for the final 4 weeks the builder estimated the work would take (with him throwing manpower at it.) He had just finished ripping everything out when all this happened. We have

• no kitchen

-no downstairs living space

• a toilet but no bathroom.

The plan for the 4 weeks was to live in the bedrooms, shower at work and at friends and at the gym, and to wash clothes at the laundrette. We were going to order take away and have a microwave and mini fridge on the landing. There are 5 of us. The kids are 13, 10 and 5. Obviously this is a nightmare. I have to shop every day because we only have a mini fridge. No space to live, wash clothes or shower! The builder has said he'll come in with a reduced workforce, keep everyone doing solo jobs and get us something functional in the next week. He's thinking a partially built kitchen, a plumbed in washer and installing the bathroom. I've thanked him and told him to carry on but my sister has just had a right go at me saying I'm risking them and us. Builders seem to be a bit of a grey area.... However we cannot live like this for months and I don't see what other choice we have.

If it was cosmetic or you were just starting the work then I could see your sister’s point but living in a shell of a house is a ridiculous idea. Sounds like you and your builder have come up with a sensible compromise to heh the essentials completed quickly. I wonder if your sister would still see this as such a risk if she was living in a house with nowhere to cook or wash!

I think getting it to a state in which you can wash and eat is necessary.

Oh god what a nightmare

We are in a very similar position, currently have no kitchen at all and only a fridge and microwave. Our builders are carrying on as government advice is work from home if you can and obviously they can’t, we are either at work or keep out of their way upstairs and communicate through WhatsApp or from a distance. I think your sister is being unreasonable as you can’t be without a kitchen for however long this goes on for and builders need to work, it’s costing us a fortune in take aways and microwaveable meals, launderettes are extortionate, cost £20 to wash three loads of clothes at the weekend, that’s not even drying them, thank god it’s sunny and warm.

We are keeping entirely out of their way. Only communication via WhatsApp. My sister is being judgemental from her lovely home with a big garden and one child. I understand what she's saying but I can't see what else to do. I'm a bit distraught frankly.