Overwhelmed....someone tell me it will all be worth it...

[FishfingersAreOK]

Doing up a house...living in a static in the front garden. I long for a decent bed, a decent cooker a fridge that is not a camping fridge. A freezer. -drools at the thought of frozen peas...oh how I have missed thee pea.

House currently has no roof, not many windows, a sagging bay. Roofer due next week. First fix electric nearly done, plumbing pipes gone in, plasters due soon. Windows ordered, bi-fold ordered.

But oh how I wish it was over. The dust. The noise. The lack of privacy. The endless decisions. The money! Oh the money!.

I nearly wish we hadn't started. Is it worth it? Really? Trying to will away the tears.

It will all be worth it when you move into your dream home. In the meantime, could you spend a night or two in a hotel?

It will be worth it but the finishing takes forever. Try to get as much done as you possibly can before moving in..... It will be very tempting to go early but it drags the little jobs on, or means they never get done! We did a lot less than you and it took me a couple of years to recover - but our builders were bloody awful so if yours are good it should take a lot less! Keep going! Good luck.

Where are you fish fingers? Want to cometo mine fir a proper roast and a hot bath?

My parents renovated houses when we were children, I vowed I would never ever be without bath and oven when I grew up! The house we just bought does need work. But not on the kitchen or bathroom!!!

Ohhhh thank you! Please could I have peas with the roast . I knew the oven in the static was rubbish but didn't realised how bad....just had a teeny, tiny baking potato in on Gas 8 for nearly 2 hours....still crunchy in the middle. [sob]

It will be worth it emotionally - it is a really tough time at the moment though as just forked out £11k on various bills and need to spend another £1k on en-suite stuff. Makes me feel sick.

Mumsnet has been a saving grace though!

It is worth it. Having all the little things where you want them like sockets and tv points and your choice of decor.

Travel lodge have £19 rooms at the moment. Big beds, a proper bath, warm towels and a tv in the bedroom. Is there one nearish that you could have a mini break too? Maybe combine with a finishing touches window shopping trip to reenergise you for what will be.

I feel your pain. I have been living in a building site for the last 7 years as we do up the house.

The first year was hell. Builders all over the place, camping out etc.

Then we got rid of all the builders and started doing everything ourselves (by this time we has a kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom).

It's been great fun since, so much so that I suspect if we ever finish this one (it's huge, so a way to go yet) we will probably sell it and get another ruin and start again.

We stayed in a Premier Lodge family room a few weeks back when at a family bash - the children thought it was total luxury - and to be honest so did I . The ability to get out of the side of the bed. The ability for me & DH to get dressed at the same time (currently not enough room in bedroom) and the bath. DCs had two. I had 2. DH had 2. We were there one night !

We did a loft conversion/entire house re-wire/plumb a few years back. Now we have a great house with another extension planned so it couldn't have been that bad.

Roof on soon, first fix... you're getting there now.. always darkest before the dawn and all that britishness stuff.

Can you microwave your baked potatoes first. Then all the totally crap oven has to do is crisp up the skins a bit. Won't help much if you're craving a roast though.

You can do a very tender "roast" beef in a slow cooker. Just put a piece of brisket on top of a chopped onion and a chopped carrot or two, and leave for at least five hours. The juices make a gorgeous gravy, too.

We are starting a project that may involve living on site in a static while we build and I am dreading winter, but keep thinking it will be worth it in the end (our alternative is living with in laws but I would rather stay in our tent in -30 temp than that)! Good luck, my thoughts are with you x

We are about to embark on a major refurb ourselves, hoping to live on site, but we will effectively be camping in two rooms. Not looking forward to it in the least but it will be worth it. Bloody better be.

Now for heavens sake get yourself some frozen peas. Just go to nearest supermarket, put them in an insulated bag or pour into a vacuum flask and eat them that day. Any that are left over you could add to a pot of soup or even just feed to the birds. Go on, treat yourself.

Poor you, I feel your pain too,
We bought a wreck over 4 years ago and have lived in it while having seroius work done - major roof and chimney repairs, rewiring, new boiler and rads, new windows, new bathroom (another planned), we have more left to do including bashing about walls and a new kitchen. It has not been fun. But I hope it will be worth it when we finally finish. At least you end up with what you like and is practical for your family.

I would recommend you get yourselves a decent mini oven/hob though, that way you can get your pea fix! Something like this which you can ebay afterwards
www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000YQ2RDS/?tag=hydra0b-21&hvadid=9551160669&ref=asc_df_B000YQ2RDS

And keep the faith!!

Do you have good friends/family living nearby? We lived through at four month renovation by cooking big batches of food at my parents' house, freezing them in single servings and then sticking however many we needed in the microwave each evening.

Good luck - you will look back and smile (one day).

Thank you all - am feeling a bit better now....the £12k has been paid/transferred to the appropriate people....just not looking forward to the next invoice....

Peas - thermos - loving that idea....think I have a flask somewhere in the static...genius. And beef in the slowcooker sounds a great idea...may try that on Sat/Sunday...yum. With thermosed pea .

MIL is near and has offered us use of the bath whenever we want it...but mostly I fancy a bath if DH out in the evening and DCs in bed so never an option then!

It is all doable really and not that bad - we are all together and Argos cheapy electric heaters work a treat when it is chilly.

Plasterboard starting to go up today - so instantly feels like we are on the home straight...

Beef brisket bought...onions and carrots ready...slow cooker at the ready.... Windows going in today.

Just picked up on your thread. We are doing the same but in a 17ft tourer in the front garden .... just sprung a leak so not amused at damp bedding and mounds of kitchen roll mopping up. Still will be worth it eventually I hope. I am so glad there are other people who are equally insane and about to spend winter in a tin box with their famillies too :-)