In what order do you 'do up' a house?

[NickNacks]

Basically our house needs doing up top to bottom. Nothing major like re-wiring or plumbing but decorating, new flooring thoughout, new fireplaces, new doors furniture.

We will be doing it all next year but how should we tackle it? One room at a time or one 'item' at a time like the flooring (will be same throughout so this makes sense) or doors all replaced together. So confused as have never had to do this before!

Thanks for all tips and advice!

I would do one room at a time - and do it in a way that suits you and your family.

Will you be living in the house while the work is done? If not you can just go for it on the whole thing.

If you are, make sure you work your schedules around the things you will be missing - e.g. you can do the kitchen in the summer when you can cook in the garden, and so on.

I personally would always try to get the kitchen done as early as possible, but I love to cook so the kitchen is really important to me.

Obviously do the hallways last, or they will get trashed when the rest of the work is being done!

Thank you.

Yes we'll be living here, I childmind from the house so careful working around this is vital.

Sounds stupid but i didn't even think of doing the hallways last.... in fact i was going to do the H/L/S FIRST! (Its the worst colour right now!)

Really need to do a lot more planning don't i? EEK!

We are kinda the same. General re-decorate throughout but some minor works to do (ensuite bathroom needs toilet installing and we are probably going to knock through the two reception rooms, a set of doors have to go somewhere...). Was going to start from top to bottom (after ensuite toilet gets installed) but the loft room is going to be our master bedroom and weird shape so I gave up on that and started on the boys' playroom and bedroom first (straightforward paint job and new curtains). Then the loft bedroom has to be done as we are moving into that (now in what will be the guest bedroom), guest bedroom after that. Family bathroom last so upstairs is all done! Then building work will have to happen downstairs and a whole re-decoration job. 3 months in and only the boys' sleep room is done, the decorator is coming in to do the play room next week and plumber installing ensuite bathroom starts next week so I reckon all the bedrooms will be done by the time we are in 6 months and the rest will get done in a year or so.

Advice is to start with the simplest room first. Cos as you finish it, it inspires you to tackle the bigger jobs iykwim. Also, I think the whole house in a mess is very depressing. If you get one room done, you can close the door on that room and breathe a sigh of relief but with big jobs, I guess you need to factor in labour time and whether it works to do it in 'blocks' or the whole job! Good luck, keep thinking and it will come. And speak to builders! They will know better than you. :)

If you are having all the doors replaced, then surely that can be done anytime and all at the same time so that the doors are all bought together, possibly at a discount and fitted by a joiner working his way round the house rather than coming ten times.

I would say:

Any electrics and plumbing first.
Then anything else messy - like if there is any work involving bashing into the brick or plaster, or new plastering
Then carpentry (incl any new door furniture), new fireplaces
Decorating comes last (incl any new carpet)
Yes hallways and stairs should come after the upstairs is done

If you can, it's best to do all electrics together, all plumbing together, all carpentry together etc - rather than room by room - because otherwise you will be asking the various tradesmen to work for a day, then stop, then come back, etc - which tends to be nightmare for you and for them.