... clear out a house and sort out building work?

[Annpan]

Well, apart from sitting about in this heat doing very little....

The house needs cleared, but we are hoping to continue living here while the work is going on

Anyone got any hints or tips, or a big boot to come round and give me a kick up the bum... going to get started soon, but OH isn't quite on board *sigh*

[boboff]

If you need to do all the house I would suggest that you keep two rooms clean and operational (full utilities) at all times. The Bedroom and the Bathroom. Gut everything else then, and run around your new services, do your carpentry, plastering then finish off your services. At this point you should be able to "break into" the sanctum and follow the same process. You should then be able to turn off the old stuff. Then decorate the sanctum first, and then go back and finish the rest.

When you undertake this sort of work, your sleep is vital and for this you need curtains and to be warm, it also helps to have a Bath, and watch the TV. You really can do without a kitchen, and eat in a mess, you only need to eat to live, and after all that work you won't need to worry about the calories!

Oh and as a general rule of thumb when ripping out start by the entrance and work back, when putting back together and decorating work from furthest away to the front door! This always keeps the mess traveling in the right direction.

But as you say it's far to hot to do anything!

[Annpan]

Oh, sorry should have put.... the Bathroom, kitchen, hallway are being demolished, the stairs are moving into the living area and I think the bedrooms won't be touched till the last possible point. Then we are building a new kitchen, bathroom and another bedroom.

Good tips there though, noted.

[red]

pack up sentimental stuff.. photos etc.. and remove to a friends house.

make lots of ready meals that you can just warm up

brace yourself.. stressful times ahead - allow yourself teh indulgences that help you get through it.. cake...e tc

[Millymollymandy]

Dustsheets and lots of them - old sheets or duvet covers, curtains anything to cover any area that isn't being worked on or things like computers/stereo/electronic type of equipment or any furniture that you don't want covered in a layer of plaster dust/whatever. It's also worth hanging a sheet up in front of the door to your bedroom, cos builders dust seeps everywhere, even through shut doors. You need at least one room that's dust free!

Oh and good luck, I don't envy you but just try to look forward to the finished house.

[Annpan]

Yes, we will be camping if we can't stay in the house.

Keep the tips coming....

Should I pack up all our cooking stuff, and try to do all our cooking in 1 pot? or is that going to drive me mad? likewise plates, mugs and cutlery...

[ina]

Should I pack up all our cooking stuff, and try to do all our cooking in 1 pot? or is that going to drive me mad? likewise plates, mugs and cutlery...

I noticed during my winter in the caravan how little I really need in the kitchen... Still haven't unpacked (or found ) everything yet, and I'm managing fine. OK, it's different because there's three of you, so you'd need at least three of everything, and slightly bigger pots than mine...

[StuartV]

Think about if you want renewables either now or in the future and make decisions now to make them easily intergratable, even if you arent getting them straight away. Something I wish I had done last year. I am working on it now, but its a bit more difficult :)

[Millymollymandy]

It'd be a lot easier if you didn't grow your own veg and you could just go to T**** and buy microwaveable dinners!

[Annpan]

It would have been alot easier if I had bought a new build house 2 years ago too




Veg is already planted, but we did toy with the idea of taking this year off of growing, but we would have just as much work her just keeping down the weeds. At least while we are harvesting we don't use the fridge or freezer as much, until October when everything comes at once.... I'll just need to use all the ish tips to store stuff without modern conveniences.

[ina]

Just thought - I'm trying to do something similar, although on a much smaller scale: I've got the problem of fitting the contents of a three bedroom house plus garage and shed into a much smaller one bedroom house without garage and shed. At the same time (couldn't be done before), I'm having to decorate everything, put flooring down etc. So far I've managed to sort of get the kitchen in order (at least that had a floor), the bathroom was ok anyway, and I've sorted the bedroom. Now my living room still looks like a second hand furniture dealer's nightmare, the carpet for it is in the garden (rolled up and plastic covered), the hall and the front door are permanently blocked because I have to keep the bike somewhere - and I'm just so reluctant to get started, because I don't know where to put the contents of the living room while I'm painting it - and ALL the furniture needs to go out, as otherwise I won't be able to put the carpet in - once I've painted it, of course...

I do want to put a shed up in the garden, but don't have the money for it now. My desk still lives in the garden, anyway, as it's too big to go through the doors or windows.

Oh yes, I have already freecycled a lot of stuff, and am giving away more - but still...

[Millymollymandy]

I now have visions of Ina sitting at her desk in the garden chatting away on the internet!

[ina]

I now have visions of Ina sitting at her desk in the garden chatting away on the internet!

What - in Scotland? You must be joking! No, I'm squashed into the bedroom, sitting at one of my ex-dining tables, which sits in front of the heater - only place in the house for it; so in winter I'll have cosy toes, but the rest of me (and the room) will be cold!

OK, we are having a dry and sunny spell at the moment, but normally.... No thanks. It's my father's old desk, not really worth much except sentimental value - but that counts, too, doesn't it...

[Millymollymandy]

Yes it does, much more so than monetary value and I hope it's well wrapped up to keep the rain off!

[Annpan]

I second that... Sentimental value is worth much more than monetary value.