House renovations - Tips on helping me to stay sane!!!! Please

[julezboo]

Hiya all

Over the next 4/5 weeks or so we need to get done:-

Roof work (whole roof taken off, timber replaced and put back on again) was told 2-3 days depending on weather!

Small amount of work in the kitchen, sink being moved a coupld of inches one way and a new work top down one side of kitchen, plus flooring!

Damp proofing-

3ft of plaster ripped off on one wall (newly decorated too ) damp proofed and then re plastered!

all the wall down one side of hall way and main wall to outside in front room!

Garden needs paving completely and trees cutting down.

I hate mess!!! We cannot really afford to stay elsewhere whilst its all going on and Im dreading it!!!! Any tips to stay sane pleeeease!!!

My dp aka Bob the Builder always asks people when they are going on hols and asks if they want the work done then!
I think you'll have to accept that it will be horrible while the work is going on, dust, dirt, water off etc while sink work being done, can't get in the kitchen while floor being done. Only advice I can offer is to grit your teeth while its going on and keep telling yourself that its only temporary and that when its done your house will be vastly increased in value .
The solution really is to move out, if you can't afford anything could you camp at inlaws for example? No matter how cramped it is better than sleeping in a building site. Roof work just pours a cloud of dust through the whole house that will take weeks and weeks to settle so there will be no chance of anything clean to touch or sit on while the work is going on. Also, having an empty house lets the workmen get on with things a lot more efficiently.
Good luck!

oh poor you ! i hate mess as well - even having a conservatory put on our last house caused me stress!! Anyway presume you have DC's? As long as their bedrooms and yours is okay then you have somewhere to retreat to then you should be okay! kitchen one a pain but dare i suggest ready meals or eat out just to keep things simpler for you? and go out as much as possible to friends/family/shops/park etc - the time will fly by and you will have lovely new house at the end of it

keep one room just for you. Keep a loo just for the family if poss. No smoking in your home - if you don't smoke.

Especially when you get the plastering done get loads of dust sheets and cover everything before you leave the house each day because builders will just get on with their work and if it comes to a dust producing job they don't think to cover things every time.
I had this last summer in UK - the kitchen was being done and we forgot to cover up in the downstairs rooms and when we came home after a day out everything (including piano) wa scovered in really thick dust. It took ages to clean up. My sister went mad and after that they put a plastic sheet up over the doors.
It's summer so if you are a SAHM make a picnic and just get out and away from it all - you can clean up when it's all over!

thanks all

il's lives miles away so do my parents!! so guess we have to grin n bare it!

Just prepare your self - dust sheets will and closed doors will offer minimal protection from the MUCK and donkeys years of dust in your roof/loft.
Just grin and bear it then be ready to hoover for britain every day for weeks and weeks as the dust will take ages to settle.
I don't want to be mean, just that DP has to warn all his customers like this.

Keep the kettle and microwave in a room you can use, go out a lot, take lots of photos so you can remember the trauma and laugh about it in years to come - good luck!

We moved the fridge and basic foods as well as kettle & microwave into a room not being used for those emergency I'm starving to death moments! Good luck, it's a foul time but will be worth it