Renovating whilst living in the property - what problems?

[NewHomeOwner]

As we're doing it gradually we don't want to move out and then have to shell out for rent and moving costs for the time we take to complete the renovation (mainly tiling, carpet, bathrooms and if budget permits the kitchen)

What kind of problems can we expect and what did you do to minimise the inconvenience? Thanks for any advice

 

[amiaow]

Having spent the last 18 months living in our house as I renovate it, I can say that the most annoying parts are...
- Having to move furniture which makes rooms unusable while you're working on another (unusable) room or two
- Not being able to buy new furniture/storage etc until your renovation is done
- Having a house that looks like a building site
- Saying goodbye to every weekend, though this just becomes normal after a while
- Realising that every job you start leads to another five jobs that you need to do first/as well!
- Near the end of your renovation you will think that you could have done things so much more efficiently, but this is just a result of the learning process and you can apply your newfound skills to your next reno

The best tip I can give is to clean up properly at the end of each day of work. It helps you to keep your sanity and makes the house feel 'normal'. Also tending the garden/getting outdoors helps to keep you sane

They say camping and house renovations are the two things that really test a relationship, so if you can do those successfully you'll be just fine!

 

[lizzie]

Keeping the dust under control. Best investment was some massive plastic drop sheets strung at every entrance. But then again - we were completely shelling the rear of the house and ripping out some massive internal walls/ceilings.

Asides from that - it's only as much as an inconvinience as you allow yourself to mentally make it. All in the mind.

As long as you have a clean space, a spot in the sun and a cold beer/wine at the end of the day - nothing is a hassle

 

[akiwinut]

Having spent the last 18 months living in our house as I renovate it, I can say that the most annoying parts are...
- Having to move furniture which makes rooms unusable while you're working on another (unusable) room or two
- Not being able to buy new furniture/storage etc until your renovation is done
- Having a house that looks like a building site
- Saying goodbye to every weekend, though this just becomes normal after a while
- Realising that every job you start leads to another five jobs that you need to do first/as well!
- Near the end of your renovation you will think that you could have done things so much more efficiently, but this is just a result of the learning process and you can apply your newfound skills to your next reno

The best tip I can give is to clean up properly at the end of each day of work. It helps you to keep your sanity and makes the house feel 'normal'. Also tending the garden/getting outdoors helps to keep you sane

They say camping and house renovations are the two things that really test a relationship, so if you can do those successfully you'll be just fine!

+1
Our 2 year reno included an outdoor shower and toilet, the first year was cooking on a bbq (including choc caramel slice) and for the last 15 months a baby!

Do a bedroom first and make it your sanctuary, its good to finish working on the house have a shower and retire somewhere nice. Lounges become bedrooms, bedrooms become kitchens etc etc.

Also dust gets into everything, no matter how well protected it is, get a removable cover for your sofa and chairs so it can be washed.
Buy a good quality industrial vacuum, don't use your normal house one, it wont last...mind you, I bought a 30L wet & dry ryobi from bunnings and its still going strong.

 

[luce.rocks]

Do you have two bathrooms? If not, you'll need a back up plan for when you're retiling the bathroom floor and can't use the loo/shower. Check into a hotel or the in-laws for a day. Or do what we did: use the local Maccas/pub loo during the day, the showers at the gym, and at night, under cover of darkness, pee in the bushes in the backyard

 

[wylie]

Are you suggesting we should have moved somewhere for the week when I was 8 months pregnant and hubby decided Sunday night to remove the only toilet we had? But it was okay because he would get a new one next weekend .

We've done three major renovations whilst living with children. The last was the worst. I remember one time the phone ringing and I could NOT climb over the pile of furniture between me and it.

Our youngest little chap watched The Lion King twice a day for months because he couldn't go anywhere in the house. I swore then I would pay rent next time.

 

[luce.rocks]

Are you suggesting we should have moved somewhere for the week when I was 8 months pregnant and hubby decided Sunday night to remove the only toilet we had? But it was okay because he would get a new one next weekend

congratulations on remaining married!

 

[depreciator]

I've renovated every house I've lived in while I was living there.

Clearly I need to take up a sport or a religion or something.

Be prepared for the fact that every job will take longer than you think it could possible take.

Having a refuge i.e. a relatively undisturbed part of the house to retreat to is important. So try and compartmentalize the renos as much as possible.

And avoid as much as possible starting to reuse a room before the reno on that room is 100% finished. I fall into that trap every time - my kitchen ceiling isn't finihsed despite everything else in that room being finished 5 years ago.

 

[b simpson]

I did it for a couple of years.

The biggest thing was moving furniture around and dust as others have mentioned.

Make sure you use lots of drop sheets, seal up doorways with tape and plastic drop sheets if you are doing a room.

Gyprock is the worst for dust. Maybe hire a gyprocker, or at least a professional gyprock sander vacuum combo. Using a normal random orbital sander with vac attachement just doesn't cut it, those pro ones don't make any mess.

Good luck, I won't be doing it again unless I only move into 1 room and leave the rest of the house empty...

 

[Tuppence]

Be prepared for the fact that every job will take longer than you think it could possible take.

Agree with this - twice as long and twice as expensive as you've planned, that's become my motto .
I second what others have said too, re doing one room and having a nice place to retreat to, and about the dust.
Good luck!

 

[goonandtell]

Discuss sacrifices you will have to make e.g. there won't a x for y time and make sure both sides understand this.

I never did the sanctury thing, i am unsure of it since most jobs kinda of run together. e.g. i didn't have built ins or carpet until right at the end because you can't easily get one room installed.

Put your stuff in storage/parents place, the biggest issue i had is moving stuff, i pulled down and rebuilt my bed something like 10 times in 3 months between moving house, campaing at my parents for 2 weeks, moving between rooms at my new place. But i didn't have to worry about my other stuff as it was in tubs somewhere else, if you have a garage or similar use it, i didnt have that luxury.

Write lists lots of lists and tick them off, it helps with your planning, motivation and review.

Outsource where you can/should, i can plaster but to do a whole house would take me for every and i would make a mess. I will seriously consider a tiler next time around because floor + wall to ceiling is generally take me 3 weekends by the time i buy/install/finish off, etc... if its my only bathroom i am not hosing myself off in the bath tub again for a month.

Always be thinking 4 weeks ahead, this comes under lists, because you won't be able to book in every trade to show up tomorrow, or that cutting job you ordered will take 2 weeks not 4 days like you want.

Get your projected cost and double it and take your projected time and tripple it.

Buy the proper tools, sure you could borrow your mates nail gun to do skirt and arc but all up the kit costs less than $500 and then its there all the time.

 

[depreciator]

Yep:

Put your stuff in storage/parents place, the biggest issue i had is moving stuff,

I've still got a couple of boxes of stuff from a couple of renos ago. They are labelled, 'Completely useless stuff that Lisa probably doesn't even know she owns.' (Lisa is my wife's name.)

And yep:

Outsource where you can/should, i can plaster but to do a whole house would take me for every and i would make a mess.

I wouldn't bother doing a big plaster job myself anymore given how fast somebody who knows what they're doing can do it. Floor sanding is another one where DIY really is a false economy.

 

[NBS]

Now many would say this is sexist ................... BUT I am specking from my own experiences.

1. Ask wife what she wants and be VERY clear on this including colours in writing.
2. Put wife up in 5 ****** hotel, visit if you need.
3. Ensure YOU have not made ANY executive decision.
4. Ensure house is cleaned within an inch of your life.
5. Call wife when done.

Brian

 

[NewHomeOwner]

Thanks for all your tips - I found them very helpful. Luckily, ours is a pretty big house and with plenty of storage space I should hope it will minimise some of the storing issues.

 

[Francesco]

I think it is important to have a transition place between normal living and working zone. The transition place is where you take off your normal attire and put on your working attire or vice versa. Working attire and cleanliness or lack there of is not to end up in the normal living zone or it will mess up with the Minister of Home Affairs .

When you are doing the job yourself, you will live with the end result in your face for a long time so take a professional expectation on the job. A job well done will give you years of contentment as you lap up the result everytime you see it. Don't rush so that you can get it right without compromise. If it is not right take it out rather than build over it and compromise the end result.

 

[Francesco]

One more tip. A reno area is a working area and safety for all non workers, family or visitors should be in your mind. Power tools, electrical power, half done work, nails, etc - keep the rest of the family away from them.