With that in mind, we asked House Rules design expert Carolyn Burns-McGrave, what her top tips are for renovating your home with kids in the house.
Carolyn has recently jumped back into an all-encompassing design project of her own and has just moved into her partly-renovated home, with phase two of building still to come. “It’s taking a lot longer than a week, but believe me, I have a new appreciation for ‘paint night,’ admits Carolyn. The mother of two boys, Fintan, 17, and Lorcan, 15, Carolyn knows what it takes to survive.
1. Renovate in stages
“Renovate in stages if you can. A great place to start is your kid’s bedrooms so that they have their own haven away from the chaos and mess.”
2. Pack up
“Put as many belongings as you can into storage. Less clutter means less stress and it’s a great way to then be mindful of what you let back into your house after the renovation.”
3. Set up a temporary kitchen
“Temporary kitchen must haves: a toaster oven that will fit a family sized quiche or pie, a large electric frypan, a large microwave, a sandwich toaster and last, but not least, beg, borrow or steal a dishwasher and hook that baby up. We are renovators, not animals!”
4. Use plastic sheeting
“Use plastic sheeting to mask off the dusty areas. It feels like extra work at the time, but a clean space to retreat to will help keep you sane.”
5. Get the family involved
“Involve your kids in things like colour choices for their bedrooms and helping to clean up around site so that they feel part of the process.”
6. Be kind
“Be kind to yourselves. Don’t expect life to go on as ‘normal’. If you need to ramp up takeaway meals or activities away from home to give you all a break, just factor that into the cost of renovating.”
Watch the House Rules: High Stakes episodes at Seven Plus
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