Renovating is up there in terms of being a stressful time in a person’s life.
At the same time it’s exciting to turn your house into your dream home.
I’m currently making some changes around here at my place.
I’m excited and nervous at the same time!

We are living within our home throughout the process.  The thought of packing and unpacking twice in a short period of time would have seriously done my head in.  Not to mention the money we would have wasted on rent and the possibility of getting only a very short term lease, well it just wasn’t necessary.

We are being kicked out of our kitchen/living room, kid’s playroom and the study, so most of the creature comforts are still intact.  We are lucky enough to have a double garage which I know will be our savour.

So what does it take to survive a renovation?

Step 1.

As a Professional Organiser I will tell you it’s all in the planning.
Keep your planning simple and hold the vision of the end result fondly in your mind and don’t over complicate things.
After all it’s only as stressful as you let it be.
Focus on the positives and everything will be so much clearer.

For me the first step was to establish what would go where in terms of the big furniture items.
With my trusty measuring tape in hand I now know the size of all my furniture and have established an action plan for where items will be relocated throughout the house.
I’m also busy on EBay selling off anything we no longer need, right down to the window furniture.
The money from the sale of these items could make the difference between the cheap tap and the good quality one. I also love that these items go to a new home where they are wanted and needed rather than adding to landfill. There is no point finding a home for things that don’t fit in with our new design. So it’s out with the OLD!

It’s important for me to still live as normal a life as possible.  I’m not saying it’s all rosy. There will be challenges that pop up along the way and household items in unusual places, but it’s not forever!  Maintaining our routines is most important in my mind and will ensure we get to sit back and enjoy the ride.  For the kids it’s a big adventure.  Watching builders work is so much more exciting than ABC kids! The rewards for us as a family will be worth the journey and this stage is not forever.  So I can live with that!

I hope you’ll join me in my journey and maybe even share some of your renovation stories with me.
I’ll be keeping you updated as I go and the temporary changes I’ve made to ensure this time is one we can enjoy rather than loathe!