To think 'how the fuck will we manage'...

[WiddlinDiddlin]

Post relates to Disabled Facilities Grant.

Finally, I have a date for the start of our disabled facilities grant (DFG) funded kitchen and bathroom refurb... i have been waiting almost 7 years for this!

2nd of January.

They want to do both at the same time. The contractors are meant to be managed by someone else... but in reality, we're on site - we have to live here and we can't move out whilst the works are done, oh and I also have to work whilst the work is on-going, from home or I have no income.

Um...

This is going to be hell isn't it?

Practical suggestions - DP, myself and three dogs will be spending all day confined to livingroom and back yard, with contractors having to access upstairs, hall and kitchen via the front of the house.

I have space to have kettle and a tub with basic food stuff in here.

We will apparently have a working toilet by the end of each day.

Realistically... how long would one expect this to take. From childhood I recall a similar size kitchen and bathroom job being done by my two parents and some child labour in around four days each, I expect they'll have more people though.. but then I also suspect it benefits them if it takes longer... and they know that whilst I am the client, I am not the person they directly answer to (something I am not overly happy with but theres nothing I can do). I am worried about piss-taking...

Any ideas whatsoever to reduce stress... stress tends to trigger autonomic dysfunction and I am already pretty much buggered working 3 shifts a week (2 til 10, thats another issue, I sleep til 12, ill have to be up and downstairs by 8.30 I expect at the latest!)...

I wish I had a responsible adult do sort this out for me, I realllllllly do, but the only one there is is... me!

We had a new kitchen fitted in a week. However they had to come back to finish the flooring off as the screed wasn’t dry but that only took a day.
I’d start by emptying your kitchen cupboards of all non essentials in the week between Xmas and new year. Set up a ‘camp kitchen’ in the room you’ll be spending the most time in. Table, Kettle, microwave, toaster, beg borrow or buy a small air fryer if poss. The first day will be them stripping out the old stuff so you may still have power and a working toilet. Each day I filled every container I could with water before the water was turned off. The power was off and on intermittently so I didn’t bother with the slow cooker. I did washing up once a day, upstairs in the bathroom sink. Or get paper plates.
If you have more than one toilet fill watering cans or buckets with water and pour water into the pan after using the loo, the water forces ‘stuff’ through the system. If only one loo, could you ask a neighbour to use theirs?

So many glib posts on here without regard to cost or ignoring the fact that the op is disabled and has a limited income!

Rent a cottage. Join a gym put dogs in kennel...........that ll takes money!!!

The stress of having your house turned upside down is a lot to cope with before you factor in a disability / health condition made worse by stress.

I hope it goes well for you , try and focus on how much better it will be once it is finished. Any scope to change or reduce your hours while the work is being done?

A few years ago I had a full kitchen refit. It took 2 guys 5 days.
Similarly, I've had both bathrooms refitted including fully tiled. One took 3.5 days, one took 4 days.
You'll be fine. Fill your kettle, fill your coffee maker. Fill a large water jug before they turn the water off each morning.

We ate at our local pub every day when the kitchen was being done, conveniently close and handy for the loo too if needed when the bathroom is out of service. Do you have a local pub or coffee shop you can decamp to?

I had a DFG wet room put in years ago - it took about 4 weeks. The worst thing was the dust.

I didn’t have the kitchen done, so that was still in use.

It is a hassle, but if it has to be done, then it’s a case of getting on with it.

I live in social housing and had a kitchen, toilet and bathroom refit done a few years ago. It took two weeks. It does not benefit them to make the job take longer, they want to be out asap.

The most stressful thing was watching what they were doing, that they weren’t cutting corners. I had to check everything they did. The toilers were wobbly, there were leaks, the finishings were terrible, plug sockets were put in stupid places.

My advice to you is treat this like a project you are paying for, after all, you will be living with the finished product. Check the specs of everything before they start, ask what they are doing every day and check everything as they go along.

it was very stressful but worth it.

For cooking buy or ask around and see if you can borrow a ninja foodie [other brands are available] multicooker. Since I got mine I haven't needed to use my hob or oven. Absolutely brilliant and saves on fuel bills too

Our kitchen only took 3 days but it was small and nothing needed moving. I coped with not having a kitchen and just ate out.

The bathroom however, very nearly killed me. It took two weeks and whilst we had to (by law) have a working toilet at the end of each day we didn't during the day. We went to a friend's each morning for a shower.

I will be doing up our new home soon and I am either having an additional bathroom installed or at least hiring a portable toilet thing. If you are working from home you will need access to at least a toilet.

I've heard that some people rent a kitchen and park it on the drive although it's probably very expensive.

Can you do an Airbandb for a bit until the bathroom is done?

Your shifts make the loo difficult. I would order a portaloo and shower at work.

I haven’t had a kitchen for two years. It’s entirely possible, well beyond that entirely normal now.

you require:
ikea induction hob
ninja 5 in 1 max size - big square one
Microwave
kettle

Recommended meals - must have one hob component and one air fryer max.
Ie. Air fry sausage and hob mash and microwave veg dish

for ease I recommend:
chicken Kiev’s and potato salad
lasagne ready made and salad
salmon is amazing in air fry
stirfrys
one pot stews with air fryer dumplings or half bake bread 🥖 .
Etc etc.

Goodluck

@WiddlinDiddlin microwave in living room. Paper plates. Washing up in sink (they’ll leave running water). We got our renovations shut down in lockdown with no proper kitchen or bathroom. You’ll be totally fine! And it’s worth the hassle.

If you have any old towels, sheets etc then use them to pack under the door while work is ongoing so it limits dust transfer too

I agree.
A person with a serious health condition working part time and eligible for state funding just can’t afford hotels, kennels for three dogs, or to jet off on holiday!

More information of your situation might help but I’d encourage you to lean on friends or family for some help.

I think working 3 shifts a week from home (particularly as most will be in the evening) sounds do able.

If your health condition means you need to sleep until midday most days then so be it. You’ll have to let workman in and rest upstairs. You don’t need to be “on hand” the whole time they’re there.

Practical stuff - you work from home, what about toilet facilities, if working toilet at end of each day, what do you do during the day? If no other loo or sink available, save 2 litre bottles and buy or borrow a 5 litre jug and fill with water each night. You will use more water than you think, so have several filled and stored.

Have you got a friendly neighbour or cafe nearby who would let you use toilet facilities? Otherwise, use an empty margarine tub for a quick wee during the day, empty discreetly in the garden where the dog goes.. save number 2s for when builders are gone!

Dust gets everywhere - I recommend taping plastic (best) or fabric (ok but can be porous) to the sitting room door frame, helps to keep out the worst. The builders gave me a huge piece, they had a big roll of it which they covered stuff with. Use masking tape rather than gaffer or parcel tape as it wont take the paint off.

Kettle, toaster, microwave, slow cooker will give you decent cooking facilities along with getting them to put your fridge in one corner of the sitting room.

They generally get paid by the job so should be actively working to minimise their time on-site.

Grit your teeth and think of how lovely it's going to be. Good luck - I had seven months of it on a major extension but now have a proper ground floor brick-built room with adapted bathroom and wheelchair ramp from the front rather than a leaky conservatory, no downstairs loo and steps from the street. It was worth it..

Get a gym trial membership to shower & use toilets at local shops- no help or advice outside that

When we had our kitchen done, I bought a plug in tabletop oven with 2 rings. It was fine for 2 weeks.

Lots of ideas suggested OP.

. i have been waiting almost 7 years for this!

But this^^ keep what you have written above in mind, and start the new year knowing that there will be no more waiting.
Hope everything goes well and you enjoy your new renovations.

I know how you feel OP! I got my bathroom done over lockdown. One bathroom here.

Can confirm they will never ever leave you without a loo. I would have gone to the gym / office to shower but it was lockdown so I just had strip washes in the sink in the kitchen. Ask neighbours if you can go over for a shower or shower at the gym or your workplace. Puregym gym membership you can cancel any time and it’s like £15 per month so might be a good investment.

Put microwave/ kettle and some crockery in the living room so you can make a brew and something quick for lunch without getting in the way (pot noodles, tins of soup etc.)

You might have to have some microwave meals for tea some days or go out for tea but that won’t kill you.

Perhaps put the dogs in kennels or ask friends or relatives to have them while work ongoing

I'd book an airbnb- definitely less stress. Just having my kitchen done last November was a huge pain on its own - it took three weeks to redo completely from scratch, plastering and tiling as well, and my builders were pretty efficient, so I'd assume at least a month for what you're getting done.

I WFH and it was freezing cold with the back door open all the time, and the builders played hideous Romanian hiphop (which clearly is a thing) which drove me nuts, and having a microwave in the utility room to do the cooking stank the house out. Definitely get out if you can!

If it’s a disabled facilities grant speak to the OT who liaised if you can and explain what’s going on. I don’t see how it’ll be liveable for someone with a disability if they’re doing both at the same time. I had a wet room installed a few months ago - admittedly not via DFG - but that took ten days and was fairly disruptive.

This makes all the difference.

If the local authority use trusted contractors to do the work, they are usually brilliant, understand that the client/s are disabled and get the work done as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Im an OT and a wet room adaptation would usually take around a week.

The biggest issue would be having no water for food, drinks and the toilet.

I would fill some containers to use for the kettle.
Also put the kettle and microwave in the front room and have meals that require little preparation.

I would look into internet cafes or libraries, where you’re able to work all day but also have chance to use the toilet whenever you want.
Some university libraries will let you work there but you’ll need permission first.

There’s no way I could go all day without going to the toilet and so this would be my priority.

Terraced,same here. Open plan bungalow,DH did kitchen, while working,long commute,so could only work on it, Sundays. Took months, he had to dig up concrete floor for new pipework. I washed up in the bath on my knees! When came the bathroom, I said I would live with the pink suite rather than a building site again. We had a toilet,chucked a bucket of water down from the butts outside to flush, washed in the kitchen sink, again several months.

Can you ask your OT to include provision of a portable toilet cabin for your front garden, (if you have one) I mean the workmen will need the loo too. You'll still need to store as much water as possible for cooking etc. Drink cans of pop instead of water, use antiseptic hand wipes to wash. Eat microwaveable ready meals or sandwiches, fruit, cake etc. Wee in a bucket (obviously, not easy for anyone disabled) and tip it down the drain. I think it can be done. It won't be worse than the average camping holiday. Lack of electricity for wfh may be tricky, but hopefully not all the time.

We had this scenario for 7 months just moving from room to room as it progressed.
I can't deny it was hell but try to focus on the end result it is afterall just a brief spell of inconvenience for a worthwhile (🤞) result.
We found the slow cooker very useful.

Can you leave the house during the day and work from a library or cafe or somewhere just so that you’re not stuck inside with the works going on for the whole time? I imagine they will be noisy and potentially hard to work through.