WHERE WILL YOU STAY?

Living in your home while a major renovation progresses has its advantages. You’ll be able to keep an eye on jobs as they get done, as well as know who’s around on site and when. The main downside is that you’re likely to get in the way, which could delay things. Your trades will want to know if you’ll be there and you’ll need to work around the jobs – ie making sure you and your possessions are out of certain rooms when required.

If you are staying in the house, you’re likely to only be able to live in part of the property, moving around as different areas of the home are worked on. It might be worth getting a storage container for a short amount of time to keep your things safe – especially if work is going on in the loft, which is notoriously full of stuff that you probably don’t want cluttering up the few rooms you are actually able to use. The site needs to be kept clean to ensure things are safe for you and your family, but bear in mind that no matter how well you tidy up, there will probably still be dust around. That’s not quite such a challenge if you’re not living in the house, so recognise that this will eat into time when jobs could be done.

The alternative is moving out for a short while, whether that’s for the whole build or just during major structural changes. Perhaps you’re lucky enough to have friends or relatives close by that you can stay with; if not, you’ll need to factor the cost of renting into your budget. Another option, if you’ve got enough outside space, is to stay in a caravan – but this comes in at a cost, too.