{"id":3205,"date":"2019-03-15T12:22:59","date_gmt":"2019-03-15T04:22:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/?p=3205"},"modified":"2023-06-30T06:51:53","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T06:51:53","slug":"survive-home-renovation-baby","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/survive-home-renovation-baby\/","title":{"rendered":"How to survive a home renovation with a baby on the way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s all in the timing<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Your timeline is crucial \u2013 both of them. What\u2019s the deadline for delivery of your reno and what\u2019s your other delivery date?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before you choose your reno dates, take into account what you\u2019ll need to work around. For instance, it\u2019s easier to live without a kitchen in summer \u2013 think salads, barbecues and picnics \u2013 but you may need to be more flexible as tradies often take summer holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Also consider the climate where you live. Renovating through the rainy months is hard enough, especially if you\u2019re in the southern states or a tropical wet season, but being pregnant during winter in a house with no heating could push you to breaking point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t try to do everything at once. Think about which tasks can wait until you have the time and energy for them. For some mothers-to-be, especially those who have been working full time, the last few weeks of pregnancy (which might be the first few weeks of maternity leave) could present a good window of time to choose lighting, door handles, tiles and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now or never?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

You might be keen to have everything perfect before the big day, but it\u2019s important to take a wider view. Work doesn\u2019t have to stop when the baby arrives. Living in the state of mild (or major) chaos that renovating imposes is probably still easier with a brand new bub than with a curious, mobile toddler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of rushing things, you could plan to get the job finished before the baby is six months old. Just think about the work in a logical order. For a big reno, it might be wise to tackle the kitchen first \u2013 it\u2019s the biggest and messiest job, and probably easier to manage while you\u2019re still pregnant, or when bub is sleeping lots (hopefully!) and not yet on solids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plan for downtime<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Renovations can be hectic, even more so if they\u2019re happening while your family is growing. It\u2019s important to plan for some downtime, so you\u2019re not on the go 24\/7. Here are some tips that may assist:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  • be organised \u2013 make a list of everything you want to source, supply or choose yourself (whether it\u2019s for the house or the little one!), and create a realistic schedule for when you can do it;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • preserve one livable area in your home where you can retreat, relax and escape from dust, mess and builders; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • have a bolthole for when it gets too messy, too loud or simply too much. Parents, friends, whoever \u2013 arrange a haven you can run to. It can be a sanity (and relationship) saver.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

    Of course, if you can hand your renovation over and rent elsewhere while the work is happening, that\u2019s much easier. Just ensure you have a super-organised builder with their own tradespeople, so you\u2019re not left juggling plumbers and sparkies from afar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Keep safe<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    If you\u2019re staying at home for the duration, or going the DIY route, take care that you don\u2019t do anything to put your baby at risk. Here are some things to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    • be wary of prolonged exposure to paint fumes, and be sure to avoid lead-based paint;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • avoid thinners, varnishes, lacquer and any kind of spraying<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • mould can be dangerous to foetal development \u2013 if you come across any, leave the area and call an expert.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How will you cope?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      Some families live through a baby\/reno combo without any issues, others would never recommend it. Ultimately, it comes down to how you\u2019ll cope with the situation. How do you deal with stress?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What\u2019s your tolerance for chaos, mess and having strange loud people in your personal space?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      While pregnancy and a new baby are certainly exciting, it\u2019s rarely plain sailing, so some resilience will certainly come in handy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      For expecting parents with a renovation project, lots can come down to attitude and focus. If you can endure short-term discomfort by focusing on longer-term gain, you\u2019ll come out the other side with a fantastic new pad and a gorgeous baby. Then your new life can really begin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Renovating while expecting: canny timing or a serious case of total insanity? Understand the pros and cons and then decide if is this the right move for you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3205"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3205"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3205\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8347,"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3205\/revisions\/8347"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mortgagesmoneyandme.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}