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Survival tips: living in your house while you renovate it

By Guest Poster โ€ข Leave a Comment

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Are you planning to live in and renovate your home at the same time? You need these seven tips from serial flipper Claire O’Connell to make your renovation survivable!

Claire’s own kids are right at home on a (safe) building site!

Living in your renovation is a fantastic way to save money whilst you renovate. The thought of renovating your house is very exciting but that excitement can quickly wear off if youโ€™re not prepared. Here are five tips to help you survive your live-in home renovation.

It’s important to prepare yourself for whatโ€™s to come. This means putting a proper renovation plan in place and understanding which trades you intend to use and what you plan to do yourself. Pinning down a timeline is important for you to understand how long things will take. In my experience, renovations very rarely finish on time as inevitably surprises or delays will happen, so preparing yourself for the reality of time is very important

Create a plan but prepare to be flexible

The one consistency with renovating is that plans will change, there will be the inevitable delays and hits to the budget. You have to understand you canโ€™t plan for everything. But as youโ€™re living in the renovation, you need to be realistic about timing and factor in your contingency for time and budget. You also need to prepare yourself for the disruption and dust and plan to work around your renovation zones.

Phase your renovation

Itโ€™s not realistic to completely demo each room and start to renovate. You need to consider how you will use the house during the renovation so you will have to phase your renovation to suit living there. Ensure you have a running toilet and water as well as somewhere you can prepare food and eat. 

Remove any hazardous or harmful materials

A lot of old houses can contain lead paint and asbestos so the I would highly recommend having a professional come in to flag any potentially harmful materials and have them removed. Asbestos can be found in ceilings, walls, insulation and lino as well as other materials so always get a professional company to walk through before any demo is done. Donโ€™t take any chances when it comes to your health and always use appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) if youโ€™re sanding or stripping walls with lead paint.

Remove any porous materials

Removing any porous materials or materials that hold a smell or bacteria, like carpets or water damaged wall boards or any rotting wood that may contain mould will go a long way to making your live-in reno more comfortable. 

Consider climate control

Consider temporary air con or heating units to provide comfort. You can pick these up on Facebook Marketplace. If they arenโ€™t a longterm solution you donโ€™t need to buy brand new and this will save you some money and you can always re-sell after youโ€™ve finished.

Create a safe place to play

Renovation sites get messy and thereโ€™s usually construction waste and nails etc so if you have pets and/or kids then create a safe and comfortable space outside for some play and fresh air. Create allocated areas for construction mess and add temporary fencing to ensure there are safe areas for you kids and pets to play.

Have fun

Renovating is stressful and if youโ€™re living in it you literally never leave the mess and it can get you down. Donโ€™t forget to add joy into your life! Celebrate the progress and the wins. Having a proper plan and budget is a great way to reduce the overwhelm so stay organised and on top of your plan. Remember youโ€™re creating a beautiful home for yourself and your family so if itโ€™s all getting too much, take a couple of days off and go and do something you enjoy. This will help you to unwind and come back with renewed energy.

Follow Claire and husband Derek on Instagram as they renovate their 15th house, and this one’s to actually make home with their family.


Check out their handy budget trackers, reno calculators and more for purchase

Serial renovators embark on 15th house and this one’s for keeps!
Claire O’Connell and her now husband Derek have been renovating for profit for the last decade after meeting as backpackers…
When cost of living increases put your reno in jeopardy, be smart
With a piping hot property market over the last two years, you may have bought the imperfect house in the…

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June 20, 2022

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Appliance colour trends: They've certainly change Appliance colour trends:

They've certainly changed over the years. Remember when ALL fridges were white?! I remember the original BROWN wall oven in our 60s kitchen here pre-reno! I think the dishwasher was brown and beige (and it tripped the electrics every time we used it!) ๐Ÿ˜œ

What do you think of this new dark stainless steel option (pictured) from Westinghouse as seen in @dnaofdesign_'s latest reno? Yay or nay? 

What colour do you like your appliances?

See the rest of this home and kitchen and laundry design tips from the ex Blockheads on the blog now via link in bio.

#kitchenappliances #walloven #wallovens #combioven #combioven #microwaves #builtinappliances #builtinoven #builtinovens #homeappliance #westinghouse #kitchentrends #ovens #laundryappliances #darkstainlesssteel #stainlesssteelappliances
SALE ALERT! Listen up Sydneysiders, one of my fav SALE ALERT!

Listen up Sydneysiders, one of my favourite home stores @shack.furniture.homewares are having their annual warehouse sale this week, from Thursday until Saturday.

HUGE savings on furniture, homewares and decor with 30 to 80% off. Wowsers!

I'm a big fan of SHACK and can never leave one of their stores without a few styling goodies for my place! It's just too tempting!

While you're at the sale, mention Interiors Addict for an extra 10% off!

Unit 16a, 1801 Botany Rd, Banksmeadow NSW 2019

Thursday 1st to Saturday 3rd June 2023, 9am to 4pm. Not online.

#sydneyshopping #sydneysale #sydneysales #sydneyfurniture #shackfurniture #shackfurniturehomewares #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #comeshoppingwithme
A door to door continuous curved stone ledge in th A door to door continuous curved stone ledge in this bathroom is one of the cleverest designs we've seen in a while!

This mega ledge, made of Corian, even incorporates a sink, seamlessly.

Combined with venetian plaster on the walls, it's no wonder this Illawarra bathroom by @birdblackdesign feels like a day spa!

Come check it out via link bio.

Lead designer Stuart Gibson says: "One smooth curve, right around the room, from either side of the door opening. As it moves around, it creates a ledge for the bath: for bath oils, lotions, a book and a champagne glass. The ledge continues around and becomes the vanity, widening out to create a custom seamless basin."

#bathroomhappiness #bathroomdetails #bathroomshelves #bathroomshelf #venetianplastering #coriandesign #coriansolidsurface #spalikebathroom #spabathroom #sustainablebathroom
Catch the season finale of @sellinghousesaus last Catch the season finale of @sellinghousesaus last night?

We have all the before and afters for you on the blog now, via link in bio (and swipe for a taster).

#sellinghouses #sellinghousesaustralia #foxtel #lifestylechannel #beforeandafterkitchen #beforeandafterlivingroom #beforeandafterrenovation #realitytv #housetours #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
๐Ÿ˜ Not sure what's better: the custom mirror abo ๐Ÿ˜ Not sure what's better: the custom mirror above the fireplace in this Art Deco one-bedder or the wallpaper in the kitchen (swipe)?!

It's been a while since we featured an apartment makeover on IA. Would you like to see more apartment interiors? Head to the blog now to see more of this one. Via link in bio.

#artdecoapartment #artdecointerior
#artdecomirror #artdecofireplace #artdecomelbourne #artdecofurniture #artdecobuilding #artdecointeriors #apartmentrenovation #apartmentinterior #smallspaceliving #melbourneapartments #melbourneairbnb #kitchenwallpaper #wallpaperaustralia
Low tox and planet friendly laundry liquid (and sh Low tox and planet friendly laundry liquid (and sheets and soap and powder!). We have a great roundup of the best options on the blog today. 

A whole host of brands are offering eco-friendly, low tox alternatives to the more chemical-laden ones. Not only that, they often smell amazing, look good on your shelf and come in recycled or recyclable (or even better, both) packaging. 

Good for your skin, your clothes and the planet: whatโ€™s not to like?

Do you use any of these?

COMPARE THEM ALL VIA LINK IN BIO NOW.

#lowtoxliving #lowtoxlife #lowtoxlifestyle #lowtoxhome #lowtoxlaundry #lowtoxswaps #naturallaundry #naturallaundrydetergent #naturallaundrysoap #ecolaundry #lowtoxcleaning #ecofriendlyhome #ecofriendlyhouse #laundryliquid #laundrypowder #laundrysoap #naturalcleaning #chemicalfreecleaning #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome
Play room goals!๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป This is just one room fr Play room goals!๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

This is just one room from today's real house tour which I really love because in employing interior designer @issyandhcreative the owners weren't looking for a complete rip out and re-do but rather to work with what they had in their new suburban home (including a dated kitchen) and give it a largely cosmetic glow up with styling and new furniture (some of which was upcycled). 

The brief was to create a family friendly home. "They weren't looking for perfection but rather a warm and relaxing retreat for their busy young family." This playroom though? Pretty close to perfect! And the mum did the colour coded books herself. Love that๐Ÿ˜

Head over to the blog now via link in bio to see the rest of this home.

#playroomideas #playroomgoals #playroomdecor #familyhomes #kidfriendlyhome #kidfriendlyinteriors #familyhomedecor #sustainabledecor #affordablerenovations #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #beanbagchair #beanbags #colourcodedbooks #colourcoded #toyroom #kidsroomdesign 

Pix by @tealily
All the heart eyes for this little setup ๐Ÿ˜ Hea All the heart eyes for this little setup ๐Ÿ˜

Head to the blog to shop this and two other gorgeous styled images from @greenhouseinteriors 

The stunning @mrsniceart artwork has already sold but the good news is, you can still get prints of it!

Styling by Aisha Chaudhry for Greenhouse Interiors, assisted by Nikki McGar, Kylie Harris, Rachael Blake and Max Green. Photography by Stephanie Rooney. 

#poolart #sideboardstyling #buffetstyling #consolestyling #vignettes #greenhouseinteriors #barcartstyling #shopthelook #bluehomedecor #poolumbrella #beachumbrella
Bookworms need a cosy book nook! ๐Ÿ“– ๐Ÿ› Seb an Bookworms need a cosy book nook! ๐Ÿ“– ๐Ÿ›

Seb and Charlie had one of those kid size couches in their playroom but frankly, they'd outgrown it! I picked this Aussie made compact 2-seater Ruby sofa from @fantasticfurniture 

I'd usually go for grey to keep it neutral but as it's in a kid's room I went for this heather blue fabric to make it a little more fun while still classic. There's more than 50 fabric choices for Fantastic's Aussie made range so good luck choosing ๐Ÿ˜‚ 

I left the legs off to keep it below the windowsill. I'm super happy with the quality. It looks a lot more expensive than its $699 pricetag ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

Books, natural light and a cosy couch = happy boys! And let's not pretend they won't be watching the odd movie on there too ๐Ÿฟ because #keepingitreal

#FantasticFurniture #FantasticFamily #booknook #booknookstagram #booknook #bookwormsofinstagram #littlereader #littlebookworm #cosycorner #cosycorner #playroomideas #toyroom #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop #heartyourhome #aussiemade #aussiemadefurniture #twoseater #kidssofa #kidscouch #bluesofa #loveofreading
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