OK, having 4 bed house redecorated, with 5 of us in it...am I mad? Tips please..

[mumonthenet]

House desperately needs redec from top to bottom...and I am dreading it. Moving out for two weeks is not an option.

How the hell do we manage it?

Well I think you just do it by playing musical rooms. It's not uncommon really. Uncomfortable but not madness IMO. Otherwise no-one would ever redecorate.

That's what dh says, one room at a time.

But something tells me tis better to get one half done first like kitchen, living, dining, while we camp in the other half then vice versa.

The very thought of it makes me shudder!.

Thanks. So there's no useful tips then. Just grin and bear it?

And the clutter and the furniture to be moved makes me feel sick.

I asked DH if he thought it might be a good idea to throw away his old Videos, since we no longer possess a Video Player. He still hasn't done it.

Ah, well that's where you invest in some boxes, pack all junk into boxes and hide in the shed. Then don't bother unpacking and three months after everything is lovely just tell DH that you're getting rid of some boxes from the shed and hey presto! gone.

I would say your plan is pretty good - do kitchen, living, dining now, while weather remains good and have option of bbq and eating outdoors when possible. Also keep kitchen and bathroom separate (if possible) so can wash up in bathroom sink while kitchen in pieces.

Then when do bedrooms probably do in groups so there are places to sleep and pack into. If you're replacing carpets, see whether the fitter can work around the decorators and do a single carpet order but fit a few rooms at a time once they're done.

The furniture is the limiting factor - you need to have the room / rooms your're about to paint free of furniture (good furniture isn't perfectly safe in the middle of the room under cover, no matter what they will tell you), at least one room with the additional furniture stored in it, and other rooms for living in. So if you've got enough rooms to live in and put the furniture away in, then do it in two halves, but if not, you'll just have to do it one room at a time.

It's really not too bad - painting is not dusty or dirty, so there's no reason to worry about it.

That's just it...we have loads of furniture, MASSIVE sofas and bookshelves. I don't think dh has the remotest notion what is involved....there's a table football table, an upright piano, fitness equipment, (wish it could all go on the tip )

I know what will happen, I'll be humping armchairs and beds around in the early morning before an 8 hour day at work.

Yes, good idea Ladyb, good opporunity to declutter forcibly, must go and get loads of boxes and binbags.

Do it a room at a time De clutter first and move all furniture into the middle of the room while its being done/drying.Share bedrooms eat takeaways and open the windows IT WILL BE FINE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No tips but share your pain in a way as having a new kitchen done and soooo sick of anything BBQd and sandwiches etc.... And realising that we have seven potato mashers...

The thought of it is always worse than the reality. Once you get stuck in you'll be fine; just think how nice it will be putting your furniture back in lovely redecorated rooms!

We also did our 4-bed house from top to bottom, but it was made easier by the fact that we had just moved in, so we didn't unpack straight away.

Thanks for sympathy and advice.

(Am still feeling sick though!!!!!)