Coping with a major home renovation project is never much fun at the best of times, but if you have small children, the stress is magnified by a thousand. As adults, we can learn to live with no hot water, no electricity, and no internet, but for kids, the novelty of having no TV or games console access soon wears off. If your kids are at school, it won’t be quite so bad, as they won’t be around through the day, but if you have pre-school kids, you are in for a rocky ride. Here are some useful tips to help you cope with the extra stress of renovating a property and managing children.
Hire Reputable Tradesmen
Home renovation problems are often caused by incompetent tradesmen. It’s always better to go with a personal recommendation when hiring tradesmen. However, if this is not an option, read reviews on local tradesmen before you make a hiring decision. Most people are quick to leave negative reviews if they have had a bad experience, so scour social media and Google the name of anyone that you are considering hiring for a project.
Find out What the Job Entails
Speak to your contractor before work begins and ask for a detailed timetable of what you have in store. Any contractor worth their reputation will be happy to discuss the project in greater detail so you can plan around for the different stages of the job. For example, if you are having a new kitchen fitted and you won’t have hot water or cooking facilities for a week, it is better to know in advance so you can make alternative arrangements.
Kids are usually happy to eat at fast-food restaurants, but this will soon wear thin if you are looking to save some cash. In some cases, it might be a good idea to vacate the property for a while, in which case you need to find somewhere else to live. However, unless you speak to the contractor, you won’t have a clue until the power goes off or the toilet is ripped out and you are left high and dry.
Plan the Project Carefully
Try to do as much forward planning as is humanly possible. Choosing new appliances, ceramic floor tiles, and even paint colours all takes time. The more you can do in advance of the start date, the faster the renovation will be completed.
Be Aware of Safety Issues
Renovating a home with kids around is difficult from a safety perspective. Young children are curious and completely immune to the dangers of power tools and other dangers. Keep your children out of harm’s way at all times and never let them play in a work area unsupervised until the project has been completed.
Lastly, consider moving out to speed things up. It’s a lot easier to get the work done if you are not living on-site. Take a holiday or go and stay with friends or relatives to minimise stress.
I live with my daughter and grandsons, and it took us YEARS before we attempted any in-home painting of our walls. It was hard to find the time to even do it, plus keeping my grandsons away from the wet paint was a huge task.