Suggestions for living in house during building works...

[MM22]

Hello, We are looking to do rather extensive renovations (side extension/ garden / loft conversion...) to our house starting in September /October. The work should take roughly 6 months.

To save costs we are looking to stay living in the home (family with 3 young children). They will put a temporary kitchen in the living room and we have enough rooms where we could sleep.

Is this a terrible idea? Does anyone have any experience / suggestions regarding living in what is essentially a building site ( especially with kids)?

Also - does anyone know of any good last minute short term lets we could use in case living here becomes unbearable? Air BnB was an idea, but still rather expensive.

Your input would be most appreciate! Many thanks

[Salsaboy]

2 main problems. Dust, which will get everywhere no matter what you do to stop it and noise during the day.

[Seabag]

So that's all through winter in what's essentially a rabbit hutch?

Good luck, I feel for you

To be helpful, strip out and store all but the bare minimum, put a fresh lick of paint in the living spaces. And have lots of side/main lights that work

Have a weekend work free policy from the builders, for some peace

[stringvest]

My friend did this. They put their belongings in a container and lived in caravan ? Fortunately they had a large side access. Got room for a summer house/granny flat ... could be useful for guests in the future as well as NOW !!

[Pickle]

We had to do this when building work overran, at the time had two preschoolers. We have a double reception room, which became kitchen/living, and had use of bedrooms and bathroom.

Prepare to need to completely renovate the rooms you live in while the work happens, they take a hammering. Washing dishes in the bath is fun for one night, then a COMPLETE pain, paper plates become your best friend.

Dust is constant, and very draining. I also found it very difficult to get washing dry (it just got dirty!) so had to resort to using a laundrette a few times a week.

Also, mentally prepare for the fact that when a builder says 6 months, it will take 9.

With kids, the winter months living in a building site are even harder, as you can't escape outside as easily.

Good luck - personally I wouldn't do it again, I found it very stressful!

[MrBen]

We did it. Temporary kitchen in the lounge. 6 month build became 9. We saved about 15 to 20k as a result but that said I'm not sure we'd do it again tbh. We bought this zip polythene sheeting system to separate downstairs from upstairs and managed to keep some sanity...but the dust always wins eventually and after a while you start longing for a clean house. And that was without young kids.

If you do do it then perhaps divert some of tour notional saving to some holidays and long weekends to break it up and give you some respite. In the end once it's all over you'll soon forget the experience and start enjoying the new space. Good luck.

[MM22]

Thanks for your tips everyone. I think we may hold off the building work until spring next year. No real need to rush, and the thought of going through all this in freezing temperatures is just too much to bear! Furthermore the summer holiday could bring some relief as mentioned in your posts! I think we'll just try to go for it, but have a plan B in mind in case it becomes unbearable. So thank you for your input!

[civilservant]

we did it too, with a small child and a small dog - it was supposed to last 6 months, but went to 9.

we lived in the sitting room which was converted to kitchen/living room - it helped to have access to cooking facilities (a portable induction hob and microwave), a washing machine and a fridge - although through lucky coincidence we were away for two weeks in the summer while they knocked down walls

when it all got a bit much, it helped to remember that it was a lot like how most people lived well into the last century; and it was also useful that the child was young enough to be persuaded it was all an adventure!

overall not an experience we'd want to repeat it, but not impossible to survive either; and of course it'll all be worth it in the end. good luck!

[Nepsi]

We did it, with a 2 year old and pregnant with n2, 5 months of building work. It was hell but we saved ourselves a lot of money, which we put straight into the house. It helped it was summer though. Had it been during the winter it would have been a lot tougher (eg with no heating). Good luck!

[bobby's bear]

We're currently 4 months into it with two pre schoolers and I'd echo the posts above. We waited until Spring to start which means we can have picnic lunches and teas in the park and happily eat cold food sometimes. Downside is we have no garden to play in / dry clothes. Couldn't imagine going through it in the winter.

[Piaf]

We also did it with a 3yr old and a me pregnant ... 5 mths of not much fun especially as I had my 2nd about 1 mth in (went into labouring the day the builders had switched off water eek). It was doable though and actually worse for me as I was at home all the time. We turned our front reception into temporary kitchen and the builders put in a sink and the dishwasher and washing machine (definitely need the dishwasher) and we made do with hob and microwave. They then boarded up the back reception (whole back of the house came off) and we spent most of our time upstairs turning our bedroom into living room and camping in the attic ... With a newborn baby!

It helps if you have good builders like we did who are sensitive to the family being there. The dust is the worst as is the house shaking when the steels etc go in. I would recommend trying to go away for the worst of it as it also helps the builders get on. We housesat for 3 weeks and went to my mums for 2. Getting back from the latter we found the house uninhabitable and I had to go to the Victoria inn for a few days. Not good with husband away working and a 3 yr old and 8 week old... But whilst hard, I have pretty much forgotten the horrors (like labour) and the kids think it is an adventure. Plus you save so much given the inevitable overrun. We got industrial cleaners at the end but otto ok mths to finally rid of the dust. Good luck

Ps echo waiting til spring tho you do lose use of the garden

[vito]

have done it last summer and it was a disaster...

Dust, rough conditions, bathroom etc it s hell!

surely your builders are better than mine but as much as you can plan on an house renovation there will be plenty of things coming up once they start working with delays and temporary caos..

If You can You better find an alternative solution on airb&b or also on this forum; I have hosted a young family of 3, 3 years ago, while I was on vacation and it did work for both of us. Now...my house it s on the small side for a bigger family like you but surely especially in the summer you can find temporary accommodations...

Furthermore i suggest You to put everything needs to be done and a time SCHEDULE on papers..

My work suppose to take 6 weeks but it ended up being 13 weeks...

all the best!!