Hello,
we are currently buying a house built in 1900, last extensively renovated in the 1960s. After an inspection with an architect, it’s clear that the building structure is good, but the typical work needs to be done: water pipes, electrical system, bathrooms, kitchen, floors (and their insulation, there is no basement), walls, windows, heating... Fortunately, the layout will remain the same.
We are under time pressure because we are currently renting, and the landlord has announced personal use. Ideally, we would like to rent a small apartment during the renovation period and then move in comfortably. This idea is now fading away, as we simply cannot find anything (with 2 children and a cat). We have been searching for 3 months with no success. The prospect of only short-term renting is not attractive to landlords, vacation rentals and temporary worker accommodations don’t exist here or are mostly fully booked for the spring or prefer “real” holiday guests.
What now?
Our current considerations:
- Temporarily prepare 1-2 rooms in the house for living and place a mobile bathroom unit with a shower and toilet in the garden. Disadvantage: living in the middle of the mess, which is terrible, especially if a child is sick and next door tiles are being broken up :-(
- A construction trailer or camper in the garden. Disadvantages: where to dispose of the wastewater? No usable shower (told by an experienced camper). No idea how to connect such units!?
What alternatives are there? How did you manage this? Surely there are people who renovate a house completely while already living in it... do they all move out? Is it possible to live like this for 3-4 months? Where do you do laundry (no laundromat nearby!), how do you shower? Where does the power come from when the electricians dismantle the wiring?
Thanks for any advice!
we are currently buying a house built in 1900, last extensively renovated in the 1960s. After an inspection with an architect, it’s clear that the building structure is good, but the typical work needs to be done: water pipes, electrical system, bathrooms, kitchen, floors (and their insulation, there is no basement), walls, windows, heating... Fortunately, the layout will remain the same.
We are under time pressure because we are currently renting, and the landlord has announced personal use. Ideally, we would like to rent a small apartment during the renovation period and then move in comfortably. This idea is now fading away, as we simply cannot find anything (with 2 children and a cat). We have been searching for 3 months with no success. The prospect of only short-term renting is not attractive to landlords, vacation rentals and temporary worker accommodations don’t exist here or are mostly fully booked for the spring or prefer “real” holiday guests.
What now?
Our current considerations:
- Temporarily prepare 1-2 rooms in the house for living and place a mobile bathroom unit with a shower and toilet in the garden. Disadvantage: living in the middle of the mess, which is terrible, especially if a child is sick and next door tiles are being broken up :-(
- A construction trailer or camper in the garden. Disadvantages: where to dispose of the wastewater? No usable shower (told by an experienced camper). No idea how to connect such units!?
What alternatives are there? How did you manage this? Surely there are people who renovate a house completely while already living in it... do they all move out? Is it possible to live like this for 3-4 months? Where do you do laundry (no laundromat nearby!), how do you shower? Where does the power come from when the electricians dismantle the wiring?
Thanks for any advice!
... I completely agree with you – it also has to be practical. I would definitely not move onto the construction site. Our major renovation took almost 18 months, and if you want to live in the house during that time, it usually takes longer rather than shorter because work can only be done in stages. It will probably feel like a thousand years to you; some marriages have failed in less time 😉
Could you possibly consider a flat swap with your uncle?
Could you possibly consider a flat swap with your uncle?
Nofret schrieb:
Could you possibly arrange a flat swap with your uncle?That’s exactly what I was about to suggest.
Hi,
Okay, then it’s probably best to forget about the hardline solution.
Sounds like a good suggestion! Or could your uncle find a comfortable temporary solution?
Best regards,
Andreas
JahneKess schrieb:
Our landlord is my husband’s uncle and needs our house for personal use because his wife has MS
Okay, then it’s probably best to forget about the hardline solution.
Nofret schrieb:
Could you possibly arrange a flat swap with your uncle?
Sounds like a good suggestion! Or could your uncle find a comfortable temporary solution?
Best regards,
Andreas
A full renovation CAN definitely be completed in significantly less than a year.
The key requirement: don’t do it yourself—hire professionals. I recently had water and sewage systems, electrical wiring, bathroom and guest toilet fully redone, floors replaced, a new kitchen installed, some windows replaced, and all surfaces finished (including numerous ceilings and even layout changes in drywall) within just two months in a house. I personally only handled the demolition work (ceilings, wallpaper, tiles).
Of course, this wasn’t a full renovation on a very large house. Still, I consider less than a year entirely realistic if the right personnel is involved.
And please don’t even think about living on site during the construction. It’s simply not feasible for humane living conditions. The noise and dust levels are unimaginable.
Regarding apartment hunting: I would strongly advise parting with the cat quickly. That drastically increases your chances of finding something. If that’s not possible, then the uncle will have to bite the bullet. You can hardly sleep with your family at the train station, so he will just have to manage.
The key requirement: don’t do it yourself—hire professionals. I recently had water and sewage systems, electrical wiring, bathroom and guest toilet fully redone, floors replaced, a new kitchen installed, some windows replaced, and all surfaces finished (including numerous ceilings and even layout changes in drywall) within just two months in a house. I personally only handled the demolition work (ceilings, wallpaper, tiles).
Of course, this wasn’t a full renovation on a very large house. Still, I consider less than a year entirely realistic if the right personnel is involved.
And please don’t even think about living on site during the construction. It’s simply not feasible for humane living conditions. The noise and dust levels are unimaginable.
Regarding apartment hunting: I would strongly advise parting with the cat quickly. That drastically increases your chances of finding something. If that’s not possible, then the uncle will have to bite the bullet. You can hardly sleep with your family at the train station, so he will just have to manage.
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