Tips for getting through a bathroom refit with a young family!

[DrSpechemin]

Bathroom refit will finally start in a few weeks and I'd love your tips for getting through it all with a young family in tow.

It will be completely gutted, replastered and refitted - fitter thinks it should take up to 3 weeks depending on how long it takes for the plaster to dry fully.

So - your top tips for getting through it would be most welcome - we also only have one toilet - eeeek!

Any chance of getting it done over half term and getting away to friends or family for some of it? Or are kids younger than that? If babies, a portable bath would do the trick?

we had ours done when I had 3 DC's. 4,2 and 1yrs old. We had a large extension built and right at the start the old bathroom was demolished so we had no toilet or bathroom for about 6 weeks I think.
We used a portable loo at the top of the stairs..and the bulider lent us one of his big bath sized plaster mixing tubs which i used to fill every night and bath the children and me in, in the kitchen.
TBH it was chaos but the children were young enough for it not to bother them.
you can get portable baby baths now I think.
Good Luck, hope it all goes smoothly, it will be worth it in the end!

No toilet for six weeks

Yes - have scheduled it so it runs over halfterm at least then we can disappear and I can leave dh in charge!

We are on good terms with neighbours so am hoping we may be able to use their's!

Plumbers don't normally leave you without a toilet overnight....it may not be as bad as you think.

I have a community centre opposite me and we just used their toilets during the day and showered at the leisure centre when we had ours done. It only took a week and a half though.

Hi, just gone through this. Things we found helpful.

Large garden plastic trug (the sort with handles) doubles as a bath (towel in the bottom for non-slip, towel on the floor underneath ditto).

Be prepared for the hot water to be unavailable at some point, may be for a few days (if plumber has to chop pipes out for new stud walls etc).

Plastic jugs and pitchers for drinking water and probably a bucket for loo flushing for times cold water not available.

Cultivate a few friends or rellies where you can get a shower. Also get the local leisure centre opening times for the same! BTW DH's top tip, arrive in the last half hour before pool closes and if they have cashed up they will probably let you in for free!!!

Prepare simple dinners as who ever is home will be cleaning up dust and rubble after the builder and plumber, sparkies etc. have gone home.

My DSs are 5 and 18 months and they loved it! Only hated the knocking out of the old walls, but generally loved the busyness of it all. Th

Logged on and sent the post and forgot to say "Good Luck"!!!

Should have clarified that we chose to go without the hot water (refurb was in August) as the temporary solution would have cost us in plumber's time and materials. You may not want to do that in October!

Sorry another one: if you are having tall ladder radiator/towel rail you may want to paint the wall behind it before it's installed. I chose our paint in about 10 mins once we realised this and got in on the wall in time. Thankfully it worked out with the tiles etc, but I would have liked a bit more time to consider it!

Oh - and I always paid for my shower at the leisure centre . DH set off too late for his the couple of times he went and only just got in!!

Will ask about the hot water situation.

Good tip about the radiator - will try and find the paint this weekend!

Do you pay for a swim or is their some discretionary shower fee you have to pay - or do you just not say anything?

Hi,

paid for a swim, but yours might just have a shower?? No slipper baths these days. Once I was so tired from clearing up etc that I just had the shower. One evening was the regular scuba course or some such: I couldn't be bothered with any pretence with that so definitely lined up a friend with a shower!

The hot water situation came about once the wall was knocked out, and the builder and plumber (who had just called in to meet the builder) realised that the existing pipes were right in the way of the new stud wall, hence hot water being switched off for five days. We could have had a temporary fix but I thought that we could cope. And we did, it wasn't a lot of fun though!

I guess from your name that you are 30 Rock fan. I am working my way through Series 3 at the moment - it's so good.