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Living in your renovation is a fantastic way to save money whilst you renovate. The thought of renovating your house is very exciting but that excitement can quickly wear off if you’re not prepared. Here are five tips to help you survive your live-in home renovation.

It’s important to prepare yourself for what’s to come. This means putting a proper renovation plan in place and understanding which trades you intend to use and what you plan to do yourself. Pinning down a timeline is important for you to understand how long things will take. In my experience, renovations very rarely finish on time as inevitably surprises or delays will happen, so preparing yourself for the reality of time is very important

Create a plan but prepare to be flexible

The one consistency with renovating is that plans will change, there will be the inevitable delays and hits to the budget. You have to understand you can’t plan for everything. But as you’re living in the renovation, you need to be realistic about timing and factor in your contingency for time and budget. You also need to prepare yourself for the disruption and dust and plan to work around your renovation zones.

Phase your renovation

It’s not realistic to completely demo each room and start to renovate. You need to consider how you will use the house during the renovation so you will have to phase your renovation to suit living there. Ensure you have a running toilet and water as well as somewhere you can prepare food and eat. 

Remove any hazardous or harmful materials

A lot of old houses can contain lead paint and asbestos so the I would highly recommend having a professional come in to flag any potentially harmful materials and have them removed. Asbestos can be found in ceilings, walls, insulation and lino as well as other materials so always get a professional company to walk through before any demo is done. Don’t take any chances when it comes to your health and always use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) if you’re sanding or stripping walls with lead paint.

Remove any porous materials

Removing any porous materials or materials that hold a smell or bacteria, like carpets or water damaged wall boards or any rotting wood that may contain mould will go a long way to making your live-in reno more comfortable. 

Consider climate control

Consider temporary air con or heating units to provide comfort. You can pick these up on Facebook Marketplace. If they aren’t a longterm solution you don’t need to buy brand new and this will save you some money and you can always re-sell after you’ve finished.

Create a safe place to play

Renovation sites get messy and there’s usually construction waste and nails etc so if you have pets and/or kids then create a safe and comfortable space outside for some play and fresh air. Create allocated areas for construction mess and add temporary fencing to ensure there are safe areas for you kids and pets to play.

Have fun

Renovating is stressful and if you’re living in it you literally never leave the mess and it can get you down. Don’t forget to add joy into your life! Celebrate the progress and the wins. Having a proper plan and budget is a great way to reduce the overwhelm so stay organised and on top of your plan. Remember you’re creating a beautiful home for yourself and your family so if it’s all getting too much, take a couple of days off and go and do something you enjoy. This will help you to unwind and come back with renewed energy.

Follow Claire and husband Derek on Instagram as they renovate their 15th house, and this one’s to actually make home with their family.

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