Renovation work: sequencing it, whilst we all continue to live in the house.

[Zhang Dawei]

I bought a house outright in fair condition back in 2002. Since then, I've got married and now have a stepson, and so effectively all rooms in the 3 bed semi are now occupied (my wife and I sleep separately because of snoring issues, etc).

We now realise that we do need to do some large scale removation of the house:

electrical rewiring new gas boiler/central heating replastering of the hallway/stairway and possibly the lounge new kitchen new bathroom replace carpeted flooring in lounge and bedrooms with wood, to reduce the problems of asthma and allergies that have developed in the previous years. This may require concteting a new floor in the lounge as the old one may well be crumbling.

We can't afford to do it all in one go, and so it needs to be staged. So, the question is, what might a sensible sequence be for the renovation?

Can anyone advise or help us to specify things more particularly to eneable a sensible sequence of renovation to be produced so that we can then move on to seeing what we need to actually start it all?

[Ash]

I'd go for

1. electrical rewiring
2. replastering of the hallway/stairway and possibly the lounge
3. new gas boiler/central heating
4. new bathroom
5. new kitchen

6.replace carpeted flooring in lounge and bedrooms with wood,

Ash

[Tim W]

Ash wibbled on Wednesday 14 October 2009 19:58

I agree - it looks perfectly sensible. I would certainly lay in conduit (16mm oval takes most useful cables and costs tuppence). But the electrical work (unless you already have conduit or are running surface stuff) is the messiest and best done first so that subsequent replastering can make good.

(OP) If you are replastering the hall and lounge - do you want to disconnect the rads and remove those pipes first so that the walls behind can be replastered for completeness? You could cap the pipes and leave the rest of the system running.

[george (dicegeorge)]

have you room for a big caravan with shower, kitcehn, bedroom etc?

[g]

[Pete Verdon]

Would it not make sense to do the plastering after the plumbing, in case any chasing or rerouting of pipes is wanted? Yes, it could probably be avoided, but it would be nice to be able to take the opportunity knowing that you're about to replaster anyway.

Pete

[Zhang Dawei]

No, we don't, and the possible expense of that, and the money needed all in one go to do it all in one go is beyond us. Hence the need to stage the work. It is possible that from time to time during some work, my wife and son could visit a relative, but that couldn't go on for too long.

[Zhang Dawei]

Thanks to everyone who has replied. As for these kind of details: we intend to get in people to do the work, since I have never done diy like tis before and I would now find it tricky anyway because of physical lack of mobility and other ongoing illnesses. WE think we have the sequence specified now, wich corresponds to the list above, but with swapping round the replastering and the installation of new boiler, etc, as another poster suggested. Any other comments would still be most welcome, however.

[Anna Kettle]

Bathrooms dont take too long to do, but it is very disruptive while they are out of action. If possible keep another loo in use while the bathroom is done. Make friends with your neighbour so they let you use their shower / loo

Kitchen refit is even more disruptive because there are so many trades to dovetail that it takes forever to happen. Think about setting up a temporary kitchen in the sittingroom because you will get heartily sick of microwave and takeaway meals

Buy some earplugs. You dont want to be using a room while it is being decorated, so I suspect that you and your wife will end up sleeping in the same room sometimes

Anna