How to stay sane when taking on a major renovation project
Staying put while renovating can be a dust-covered nightmare. Reporting live from a building site in Devon, Linda Clayton offers tips on staying sane, safe and, mostly, sober
One thing I’d change about renovating our four-bed home (a complete overhaul and massive kitchen extension) if I could, would be our decision to live on site, with our two young girls, two dogs, two cats and two hamsters. Given half a chance (or rather a wedge of cash), I’d have moved out in a heartbeat. Sadly, like so many, living elsewhere just wasn’t an option. Our budget was stretched to breaking without adding rent and double utility bills to the list. ‘I costed up moving out for six months, and it came to around £6,000-£8,000 including furniture storage, moving costs, agents’ fees and break clause penalties. Basically our flooring budget for the entire build,’ says Lauren Gibson, aka The Wilmslow Curtain Maker (@laurengibsonuk). ‘Bearing this saving in mind throughout was helpful though – even if I take into account the odd nights we escaped to a hotel or hostel, we’re still thousands of pounds up for staying put.’
Looking back, this is a topic I wish I’d written about some eight months ago, so I could have followed some of my own advice. Often it’s only in hindsight that you realise what you could/should have done better #shouldawouldacoulda. Stuff like storing daily use supplies in plastic containers to protect them from dust could have saved so much stress (and cleaning). Before you even look for a builder, write a list of absolutely everything you can do to try and minimise the trauma (see our tips, right), and refer to it as frequently as possible.
Don’t follow my lead and let the builders start without putting in measures to contain that dust. We cleared rooms out for them to work on but should’ve put more things in storage. Approximately 80 per cent of our evenings are still spent moving our filthy belongings from room to room. ‘Store as much as you can out of the house, even if it’s in a container in your garden or drive – this is the cheapest option,’ says Elizabeth Assaf, director of Urban Front and reno survivor (@house_of_assaf). ‘And don’t let the builders into every room at once, get them to do one at a time, otherwise you end up with mess literally everywhere.’
Containing the builders is great advice, but what if they have to work in every room? We had the whole house rewired and replumbed, to comply with regulations. For about a month, no floorboard was left unturned and every room churned out 100-year-old red brick dust via the electricians’ wall chaser saw.
Sad times. Gathering furniture into the middle of the room and covering it in heavy plastic helps protect against thick dust and rubble. Stick it down with parcel tape to get a snug fit. During the worst of it, we filled the car with our bedding and towels during the day – no amount of plastic sheeting will stop fine dust – and sealed up wardrobe doors with masking tape.
Logistically, living in a building site is made 100 times worse if any (or all) of the main facilities are out of action. Going without a kitchen is the worst scenario, closely followed by no shower. Thankfully, most plumbers won’t leave you without a toilet for more than eight hours, tops. If it’s no more than a week or two, it’s possible to exist with an area to make drinks, a microwave and showering at the gym. Any longer and it’s wise to invest in more substantial, but still temporary, facilities. Camping and caravanning suppliers are great for sourcing portable ovens, fridges and (urgh) loos that won’t take up much space. Washing up in the bath might sound sensible but really hurts your abs and knees. We took the plastic container on the dining table route but you can also buy camping sinks.
‘If it’s a really long project, think about hiring a temporary kitchen and/or bathroom pod, or small caravan, to sit on the drive or garden,’ adds
Louisa Eggleston, creative director at Humphrey Munson, who has renovated herself and sees many homeowners/ clients go through it. ‘It’s not the cheapest option but makes such a difference for washing and getting kids’ meals sorted on-site.’
When you’re facing a major undertaking like renovating, you’re usually prepared for the big hurdles and accept things will go wrong. But when you’re living at (and in) the coal face, it’s often the unexpected, minor things that tip you over the edge. Like having to clean every single utensil or toothbrush before you can use it, and the eardrum-busting volume of the builders’ music. Or buying a bottle of gin and realising there’s no electricity for ice. When nerves fray and patience goes AWOL, it’s time to get the hell out of Dodge. ‘We often found ourselves snapping at each other, through exhaustion and stress. When this happened, we’d down tools and go out for the day as a family, or go for a meal to eat some proper food!’ says blogger Nicola, aka @wildflowerandthebear. ‘One day off won’t hold the project up in the big scheme of things, but time away from the house will do you the world of good.’
Don’t be a martyr. Accept help from family, friends, even school mums offering a cake-filled play date. Intersperse trips to the laundrette with the odd load or two in someone else’s machine – and enjoy some dust-free chat while you wait. These bonding moments are the ones you’ll remember fondly, long after the orifice-clogging dust has (please God) settled.