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Is there going to be replastering and some decorating involved afterwards?
We had some lesser work done including whole new bathroom, plastering of some walls and ceilings, flooring laid, etc. The whole took like 9-10 weeks iirc (maybe 12 can't remember for sure).
We were still living in but my partner found it really stressful. I was okay and loved seeing the little baby steps each day working up towards the finished product. It was worth it. If you have got the option to move out it'll be better for your family AND the builders. It might even enable them to work faster. Although I do think that 3-4 is unrealistic. Are you drawing a contract with them?
EagleEyez-
Some, yes - but it's changed slightly in that we decided to nix any work upstairs for budgetary reasons. Should make it slightly easier to stay there most of the time and won't take as long. So what we're having done is:
Front/dinning room knocked through, inc RSJ. New flooring, skirting, decoration
Kitchen totally refitted and remodeled inc RSJ, door and a window blocked up. New flooring, skirting, decoration
Repointing back of house + new guttering
Maybe getting a downstairs toilet added too - haven't decided on that, again due to cost and whether it takes away too much living spacePic 1 is current floor plan, and will end up more or less like pic 2, if all goes to plan...
J0nathan
Potentially having a lot of internal work done around the whole house, including removal of walls and inserting of RSJs, completely new kitchen, new radiators around the house, new skirting-board in every room etc. Estimate was 3-4 weeks, which I think is fairly optimistic, but what do I know.
Builder asked if we'd be living there during the works, and seemed to suggest we'd be ok for most of it, but I'm wondering if it is better for everyone (me, wife, 3 year old) if we put as much stuff as we can into storage and go on holiday with relatives for some of it and stay in a local airbnb for the rest and just let them get on with it and not try and live through it.
If someone has done this and has any useful learnings, please do share.