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Original poster

Anyone done a major renovation project?

32 replies

Feierabend · 01/02/2010 12:49

As in, rewiring, replumbing, new kitchen, new floors, walls, cupboards, everything? And with you plus children living in the house while it was being done up? We are contemplating just that and I am wondering if we are barking mad. Come and talk to me!

OP posts:
Original poster
Feierabend · 01/02/2010 12:50

PS our DDs are 3yo and 9mo.

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nickytwotimes · 01/02/2010 12:52

Yes I have. I was pg and then had a baby/toddler.

It was bloody, bloody awful.

We have since moved to a modern house.

I wouldn't ever do it again.

Original poster
Feierabend · 01/02/2010 12:55

Oh dear. How long did it all take? Did you do a lot yourself, or use a builder to manage the whole project? What was the worst thing about it?

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Littlefish · 01/02/2010 12:57

Don't do it. Move out.

We had an extension done, which ended up affecting every room in the house. dd was 2 at the time. It was absolute hell.

We are currently renovating a house, but made the decision to move into a rented house for 6 months while it was done. It's the best 6 months' rent I've ever spent!

jay11 · 01/02/2010 12:59

yes, at our last house we ripped everything and started from scratch. We moved into our current house nearly 4 years ago. It's a work in progress, but we have put in an upstairs bathroom between 2 bedrooms (previously only had a downstairs bathroom), have knocked out a chimney breast in our bedroom, knocked through the living and dining room wall and put in french doors, rewired, new ceilings. . .next project is converting the downstairs bathroom into a study.

Tbh, I hate it, hate the upheaval, hate the dust, but when each project is finished it looks fab. I have 3 children 7 and under.

Are you planning to do the work all at once?

nickytwotimes · 01/02/2010 13:01

It took 2 years.

We did some stuff ourselves, but the big jobs were done by builders.

It cost twice as much as expected and took about 4 times as long, due to so-called project manager being an incompetent twat!

The worst thing about it was the hanging around waiting for tradesmen. And basically being the pm and having to listen to dh yelling aobut the carry-on and having to sort it all out as he was at work.

It really ruined 2 years for us and put us under unbelievable strain. And it wasn't worth it in the end, because the whole thing was tainted, iyswim?

I have a friend who still lives in her being-renovated home with her family. It has taken them years but they generally cope with it not-bad as they are less perfection-y than me and dh!

Sorry for rant, but for me, honestly, I would never, ever go through that again!

nickytwotimes · 01/02/2010 13:02

Oh, God, the DUST is unbelievable!

Original poster
Feierabend · 01/02/2010 13:05

Oh dear... We'd have the big jobs done by builders and then my dad has promised to come and do floors, walls etc (he's pretty good but getting old). I was hoping it wouldn't take more than a few months! Not sure we can afford renting, that would add another 8k to the bill.

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Original poster
Feierabend · 01/02/2010 13:07

DDs are in nursery 4 days a week, DH and I at work. Will that make it easier? Will our weekends be hell? We're already at breaking point, with DD2 still not sleeping through.

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noddyholder · 01/02/2010 13:11

You have to have a certain mindset to not let it get to you.I have done it 9 times and am still sane ish!Ds is 15 and has lived in all of them and has never been bothered tbh.I get stressed if it takes too long but have learnt to accept the dust and try to keep the end vision in sight.The house we are in now I stayed in rented for the first 3 months and it didn't really work for me tbh as only living in teh house gives me a real feel for it so we did a fair bit moved in and then i realised other walls needed to come down and fireplaces opened etc.I am about to do it again so its not that bad!maybe budget a BIT IN FOR A COUPLE OF NIGHTS IN A HOTEL WHEN BATHROOM IS OUT BUT APART FROM THAT enjoy!nOT SURE ABOUT CAPITALS KEYBOARD GONE MAD

frumpygrumpy · 01/02/2010 13:14

We've just finished a major renovation. Got builders in. Didn't live in. Took about 6 months longer than expected. Was up and down with issues but no really major prolems, I couldn't have done it living here with children.

Chandra · 01/02/2010 13:16

Yes, but without the children, it was awful, more so when all the first floor boards have to be removed after the electrician found a main problem which was difficult to trace.

It is doable, if you understand that it would take twice as long and that good planning is a matter of survival. If you are doing changes that affect the whole house, it may be cheaper to move out for a few months, as being there (with all your things that can be damaged) you are getting in the way of the tradesmen. By moving out, they can work faster and save you some money in labour.

throckenholt · 01/02/2010 13:18

yes - we are nearing the end of it now.

If you are already at breaking point I would seriously think about waiting a few years until the kids are a bit older. And relying on your dad sounds like it might not go smoothly.

Agree the constant dust is the worst (and comments from my mum about how unhealthy all that dust is for the kids ...).

hormonalmum · 01/02/2010 13:19

We did a major renovation (extension and refurb on existing property) when dd was small and I was heavily pregnant.
Got builders in, we rented a property nearby. If we had not been able to rent, we would have got a caravan in the garden.
No way would I live in it - it would have been impossible as we had no kitchen / bathroom facilities for at least 5 months.

Would depend on the set up you have though as to whether it would be do-able for you.

ilovemydogandmrobama · 01/02/2010 13:19

We had a loft extension which was awful, but bearable.

Then had the kitchen/dining room gutted, wall knocked down, re wired, gas supply installed, etc.

Moved out for 3 weeks, but still wasn't finished.

You are barking mad to live through it.

Think about the cost implications where the builders would have to establish or reestablish electricity supply every day, clean up, as opposed to doing the job all at once.

throckenholt · 01/02/2010 13:20

By the way - if you are planning to live in it - try and plan it so that you do a room at a time - so that you do have some sane space to retreat to.

SarahMumtoAlex · 01/02/2010 13:22

OUr builder just started this morning. We're rebuilding our kitchen space (taking out a wall) and installing a new Kitchen. DS is 3. We had similr scale work done while i was pregnant and it was draggy but ok. I'm nervous, but we love our house and this will make a big difference to us.

We're expecting it to be complete in a month

I'll let you know

dinkystinky · 01/02/2010 13:23

We are going to do one - DS1 nearly 4, DS2 nearly 1. We are definitely moving out - DS1 has asthma and dread to think what the dust would do to him, let alone all the exposed wires etc. etc. with DS2 on the prowl...

jay11 · 01/02/2010 13:28

I'm lucky in that dh and my fil can do most of the work themselves. Dunno how i'd cope with loads of builders in the house. And you say a few months?! It always, always takes longer than you think.

We are living in and doing a few rooms at a time - its bearable. When we have knocked down walls me and the kids have stayed with relatives - i spent 3 weeks sleeping on a campbed in my mum's back room with dd2 (6 months then).

sandyballs · 01/02/2010 13:30

We are doing this in May. Originally intended to rent nearby but have decided against it due to the cost involved. The plan is to live upstairs whilst downstairs is done and vice versa. We have two 8 year olds so prob easier for us than you. Not sure I would do it with very young kids. I am planning to stay at friends/tent in the garden/travelodge now and then when it gets too bad. I've waited ten years for this though so am really looking forward to having a larger/nicer home and will try to keep them in mind when living with the chaos.

Original poster
Feierabend · 01/02/2010 13:31

Okay, silly question, where does the dust come from? We are not knocking down any walls?

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neume · 01/02/2010 13:33

If you live in it will take longer and cost more. It will also be dirty, noisy and stressful, and the builders hate it as well - more time spent cleaning and less time spent working. Also doing it room by room is very inefficient as the different trades will keep having to come back to site as you move to each new room. If you live out you have to budget for rent.

Either way it is very stressful and you need to be on top of the details yourself. We had an excellent builder and got on well with the architect but they still managed to miss things that luckily I picked up on in the drawings.

On the plus side we are very very happy with the result and so far (2 years on) there is nothing we would change. The project took a year although the build itself was 6 months. DCs were 3 and 1.5 at the time. We moved out.

honeybunmum · 01/02/2010 13:40

We had a complete re-wire whilst DD1 was 2yrs old and I was pregnant. That was very messy and noisy (and took many weeks) and the worst bit was the carpets and floorboards being up upstairs.
Then... we had all the windows replaced the week before DD2 was due. The workmen finished 2 days early as I was having a HB and they were a bit worried I'd have it with them present!
Then... we had a new kitchen installed when DD2 was 6wks old and that was the hardest. It was the messiest of all the jobs, went on for a long time and obviously I had to cope without a kitchen. Our house is open plan and they had to put sheets up as a screen but we still had no privacy.
Then... we had the bathrooms done but they did one at a time and we managed ok.
It was stressful and difficult with the children but I didn't feel we needed to move out.
HTH. x

Eretansal · 10/01/2022 09:42

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BigotSpigot · 10/01/2022 18:54

I did it a few times before children, but actually nearly always lived elsewhere. I tried to do it with an 18 month old... and moved out after 1 night! Don't do it, it's a dangerous and dirty business with young children. Also, the building situation is very different from even a couple of years ago and you may end up with a situation that rolls on for months and months and costs spiral....