Let’s start off by me telling you the honest truth about home renovations while pregnant. It’s not fun! I don’t recommend it! It’s really disruptive and it’s messy, and noisy, and dusty and generally a bad idea! Today is day 5 of our second phase of our home renovation; we are redoing 2 out of 3 bathrooms (I can’t face doing the ensuite right now), replacing tiles in kitchen, tv room & entrance hall, redoing our kitchen and finishing off the front & verge gardens. Phase 2B is building the scullery and office but right now we have an old grumpy couple that lives behind us that won’t sign the plans to send to council so it looks like we won’t be doing that part for the foreseeable future!

I am having a bad day today; all the other neighbours who had to sign the plans have happily signed away without a care in the world. Old grumpy couple are worried about when we sell the house and staff possibly move in there and the noise that will attract (seriously WTF). They are old; they won’t be here in the next 5 years so why the hell does it matter to them who occupies the office? In any case they will more than likely be dead by then (sorry for being so blunt but it’s the truth and I’m all about the truth you know that)!

My top tips for surviving home renovations (while pregnant)

1. 1. Move out if at all possible. If I could I would be checked into the local hotel, but at over R4k a night it seems a bit exorbitant!
   2. Do a quick vacuum every evening after builders have left. There is nothing worse than walking on dust & cement chips all evening and having dirty feet.
   3. If you have to be at home, find a quiet space where you aren’t in the middle of everything. I’m currently sitting outside where it’s relatively quiet and am feeling a little more at ease. Another good place for me is in my bedroom with the door closed but the internet sucks then so am saving that for nap time.
   4. Call on friends for afternoon playdates so you and first born (if applicable) can escape for a few hours after school
   5. Fake it till you make it! Drink out of a wine glass at the end of the day; it makes you feel like you’re actually having a glass of wine.
   6. DON’T DO IT

   Contractors advised schedule

   Apparently, by the end of today (Friday) the garden will be 95% completed and final touches will be done on Monday. Both bathrooms will be skimmed and ready for tilers on Monday. The tiling should take 2 days maximum then it’s time to paint and put in all the fittings which will be done by end of the day on Friday 15th Feb. My fingers and toes are crossed and I am hoping their schedule is right.
   

   What next?

   On Saturday 16th the kitchen gets removed (sold on Gumtree), Monday 18th the tiles start getting ripped up (and I move out; I really don’t think I’m going to cope with that dust and disruption) and new kitchen gets installed 4 March, possibly sooner. All should be done by Friday 15 March latest.

   Phase 3 is building the scullery (old grumpy neighbours better sign soon) and Shaun’s office outside. Ideally we want to start that when baby is 3 months old and I can fly to my mom for a few days while they finish the kitchen / scullery. Building the office will have little effect on my (I hope) because it’s a completely new build; from the ground up so builders won’t be in my house or around the main living side of the house. But let’s wait and see when we kick this off. Wish me luck!

   Much love xxx

   

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