Renovating
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Survival Guide: 6 Expert Tips for Getting Through a Reno
A renovation can be one of the most stressful experiences you go through – here are 6 ways to minimise the pain
A renovation is exhausting and taxing enough – add in children, pets and having nowhere to cook or bathe, and it can become downright intolerable. Fortunately, with a bit of forward-planning you can take the sting out of the experience. Here’s how.
1. Play to your strengths
There can be a huge difference in where the exhaustion comes from depending on whether you’re doing the reno yourself or outsourcing the work. Either way, you can expect to be a little – or, let’s be honest, a lot – tired.
Doing a DIY job has the advantage of allowing you to work around family members’ work and school schedules (tools down when the kids get home or having a few hours break to let your partner have a nap). However, taking the DIY approach could end up being a negative if you get distracted and the reno ends up taking longer to complete.
If you’re hiring professionals, you’ll spare yourself some of the exhaustion, but be prepared for the disruption of having more cars parked in your driveway, more noise and more people in the house. This means more management responsibilities for you, but less physical labour.
My advice is to play to your strengths and choose the route that will be more manageable for you.
There can be a huge difference in where the exhaustion comes from depending on whether you’re doing the reno yourself or outsourcing the work. Either way, you can expect to be a little – or, let’s be honest, a lot – tired.
Doing a DIY job has the advantage of allowing you to work around family members’ work and school schedules (tools down when the kids get home or having a few hours break to let your partner have a nap). However, taking the DIY approach could end up being a negative if you get distracted and the reno ends up taking longer to complete.
If you’re hiring professionals, you’ll spare yourself some of the exhaustion, but be prepared for the disruption of having more cars parked in your driveway, more noise and more people in the house. This means more management responsibilities for you, but less physical labour.
My advice is to play to your strengths and choose the route that will be more manageable for you.
2. Do your prep before work begins
- Allocate a decent amount of time to declutter the areas set for renovation. This is a great opportunity to throw away things you no longer use and put those things you won’t need during the reno into storage. Just don’t be tempted to leave this to the last minute: there’s nothing worse than having to empty a room the day before your tradies rock up.
- Ask family, friends or neighbours if you can use their bathroom or kitchen while yours is being renovated. Better yet, ask if you can stay with them during the building works.
- Nowhere else to stay? Consider a stay-cation at a nearby hotel. It’s a great chance to take sometime away with your family with access to all the facilities you need, such as a shower and laundry. Plus, it keep you close enough to home to handle any renovation duties.
3. Set up a mobile station for essentials
Sometimes when people prep for a reno, they put nearly everything into storage and forget about the things they’ll still need on a day-to-day basis. I suggest creating a compact station of all the essentials that you’ll need during the reno, such as clothes, wet-weather gear and sports gear. A clothes rack with drawers on wheels works well, as it won’t swallow up much room and you can simply roll it from room to room.
And be sure to include a first-aid kit handy in your mobile stay for the inevitable cuts and bruises that happen during a reno.
Renovation Insight: How to Choose a Tiler
Sometimes when people prep for a reno, they put nearly everything into storage and forget about the things they’ll still need on a day-to-day basis. I suggest creating a compact station of all the essentials that you’ll need during the reno, such as clothes, wet-weather gear and sports gear. A clothes rack with drawers on wheels works well, as it won’t swallow up much room and you can simply roll it from room to room.
And be sure to include a first-aid kit handy in your mobile stay for the inevitable cuts and bruises that happen during a reno.
Renovation Insight: How to Choose a Tiler
4. Look after your health
- Having people working in your house for a decent length of time can really take a toll on your health and mental state – particularly if you lose access to important rooms, such as your bedroom and bathroom. Stay healthy by eating will, drinking plenty of water and leaving the reno site regularly to get fresh air.
- Safety first: Be sure to wear protective gear whenever you are moving through the reno site.
- Soothe any fraying nerves by enjoying a night off with friends or family every so often. If your bathroom or bedroom is being renovated, keep a couple of nice outfits handy and plan to shower at your friends’ place.
- Even the happiest marriage can be put under pressure during a reno. During stressful times, try to remember that you and your partner are a team and that you’re in this process together. Help each other out and be aware that any bad moods that flair up are mostly due to stress and lack of sleep. Make it through this and you’ll be even stronger as a couple.
5. Bathing and cleaning
If a bathroom or laundry renovation is on the cards, you’ll need to make plans for somewhere to bathe and wash your clothes. I’d suggest:
If a bathroom or laundry renovation is on the cards, you’ll need to make plans for somewhere to bathe and wash your clothes. I’d suggest:
- If it’s a bathroom reno and you only have one toilet, consider hiring a portaloo and even setting up camp in the backyard.
- Establish a bathing station in the backyard.
- Simplify your beauty routine; have just one bag of makeover and toiletries that you use everyday, and put the rest in stoage.
- If it’s a laundry reno and your bathroom is free, consider hand-washing your laundry in the tub for a while.
6. Pare back your cooking routine
If you’re renovating the kitchen, you will need to minimise cooking or cut it out altogether.
Set up a simple cooking station at the dining table or another space where you can plug in a couple of benchtop appliances – this means at the very least you can make some toast and a cup of tea.
Expect to eat out during this period. It won’t hurt you for a short time – just try to choose healthy options to keep your energy up.
If you’re renovating the kitchen, you will need to minimise cooking or cut it out altogether.
Set up a simple cooking station at the dining table or another space where you can plug in a couple of benchtop appliances – this means at the very least you can make some toast and a cup of tea.
Expect to eat out during this period. It won’t hurt you for a short time – just try to choose healthy options to keep your energy up.
Learn more out Naomi Findlay’s Rapid Reno Mate app here.
Tell us
Do you have any tips for surviving a reno? Tell us in the Comments section below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join the conversation.
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Find a design and construction professional near you
Tell us
Do you have any tips for surviving a reno? Tell us in the Comments section below. And don’t forget to save your favourite images, bookmark the story, and join the conversation.
More
Find a design and construction professional near you
The level of inconvenience depends on what part of the house you’re renovating, how big the job is and whether you’ve got kids and pets to add into the equation. Plus, if you’re renovating a ‘high-use’ area such as the kitchen, bathroom or laundry then you’ll also need to plan other ways to cook, bathe and wash.
Prepare yourself for less sleep, less space and more mess!
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