Living with Ongoing Renovations - Share your experience

AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 10:34

Hi,

We recently bought a two bedroom unit in Sydney. While the rest of the apartment is fine, the two bathrooms are quite dated and we are planning to do some major renovations (retiling, removing bath tub etc)

Of course, getting Strata approval is a massive pain (and time consuming). We have two options at this stage:

  1. Continue renting for an extra 2 months (potentially more…) to get Strata approval and complete bathroom reno BEFORE moving in.
  2. Move in first and live with the ongoing renovations. This would mean doing one bathroom one after another rather than simultaneously.

So if anyone has been through the above, would just like to ask for your experience in having to live in a relatively small (under 90 sqm) 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom unit with ongoing renovations. Would you strongly advice against it? Was it bearable? How long did the process take?

Thanks in advanced!

Home & Garden

Comments

  • GG57 on 11/02/2020 - 10:42
    +1

    Silly question perhaps, but do you need strata approval for the reno?
    I thought anything inside the unit is not subject to strata approvals.

    Obviously the most efficient (and therefore potentially less expensive) is to get both done in parallel, but it is more than just not having a bathroom. The whole apartment will be impacted by dust, debris, etc.

    • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 10:48
      +1

      Yes, definitely need Strata approval as it is considered major work (waterproofing required)

      So we have emailed/called our Strata manager immediately after getting the keys asking what the process is to get approval, and they've advised that they would need to call an EGM with the Owners Corp and have a bylaw written for this which would take a MINIMUM of 28 days just to get the approval.

      We've kind of resigned to the fact that we may need to move in first due to the amount of time this may take, but would just like to hear some experience from anyone who has been through this scenario on having to live through ongoing renovations or if they would strongly not recommend this.

      • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 10:50

        To add, it is a relatively small unit, so it's not like we would be able to "seal off" a portion of the place to minimize dust/debris

      • garetz on 11/02/2020 - 11:43

        What happens if you do not get enough votes for the bylaw ? It might take alot longer than you anticipate.

        • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 11:52

          Yes, that is a possibility. I'm guessing that would mean the request for the renovations get rejected and all that effort will just be a waste of time and money? Personally have not been through this so frankly have no idea.

          But you're right, would probably need to challenge the Strata's decision and/or revise reno plans which would mean additional delays.

          • Fysh on 11/02/2020 - 13:13

            @AssamLaksa: just start breaking stuff till its unlivable and then the renos are required to make it habitable.

            • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 13:36
              +1

              @Fysh: Hopefully would not be required to go to that extent!

  • raytriplej on 11/02/2020 - 10:48

    Depending on the age of the unit there might be asbestos removal needed whole renovating the bathroom.
    Quite safe if done by a professional, but you might prefer to not be there during this work.

    We recently went from one bathroom to two bathrooms. Took 5 weeks. Redoing a bathroom rather than
    cutting the slab to create a bathroom where there wasn't one before should be a easier (quicker) task though.

    Still to demolish a bathroom, say a day for each. That will be the dirtiest. The biggest drama mess wise is concrete
    cutting and removal of old tiling. After that is should be relatively clean). Electrician to install new lighting/exhaust fans
    could get a bit dirty but the sparky should clean up after themselves.

    • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 10:59

      Thanks for your reply.

      The ideal scenario, would definitely be to delay moving in to the unit until completion of the full reno works.
      However at this stage, we are looking at an additional 2 - 3 months of rent (on top of mortgage) if we were to do that.

      Hence we were wondering if anyone has lived through ongoing renovations in a smallish apartment. Was there dust throughout the whole apartment? How hard was the clean up after? Was it bearable?

  • 87percent on 11/02/2020 - 11:14

    from a project management standpoint, it'll be a lot easier to get trades in and do it once rather than trying to get them to come back..

  • Ocker on 11/02/2020 - 11:31

    From a monetary point of view, move in now and renovate one bathroom after another. May take bit longer, but also if you are not happy with one of the tradies you can sack him before messing up the 2nd bathroom.
    We lived through a major reno. and was not all that bad for mess and dust

    • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 11:38

      Thanks for your reply.

      Did you have to be present in the house while the reno works was ongoing? My partner and I both work regular 9 - 5 hours and we're just concerned about security. Do you just give the tradies a set of keys during this time or would someone need to be home?

      • Ocker on 11/02/2020 - 11:54

        We had someone home most of the time. Perhaps you could pick one of the tradies who looks trustworthy to be a job supervisor

  • elgrande on 11/02/2020 - 11:52
    +1

    Do you value your marraige?

  • Love a bargain on 11/02/2020 - 13:17

    What about move in now & then stay at a hotel for a few days while the bathroom reno is happening?

    Yes, you'll still have to cover up your stuff and yes, some dust might get through (although I'd imagine you can move most of the smaller items into the bedrooms and seal those rooms off), but you only have to clean up once once it's over.

    • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 13:34

      Thanks for the suggestion. Unfortunately the bathroom reno would take at least a month to complete due to the amount of work involved (even if done simultaneously).

      • garetz on 11/02/2020 - 13:45
        +1

        actually if you time everything down, it should take no more than 7 days. When i did my bathroom, we did it all within 4-5 days time, the tiling took 1.5 days and half additional day to dry. You need to line up all the trades to do the work when needed.

        Day 1 - demolish everything remove everything, might take 2-3 people to do this.
        Day 2 - waterproofing and all the prep work, should take about half a day
        Day 2 - 2nd half tiler starts
        Day 3 - Tiler finishes - remainder of the night to dry.
        Day 4/5 - Install the cabinets, toilet - do the plumbing and install the vanity and shower/bathtub, also paint as needed and electrical work.

        This all depends on the size of the bathroom mind you, if its larger than average will take longer to tile, but the rest should be pretty accurate.

        • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 13:56

          Unsure about the details of the timings, I'm just going off the number provided by the tradie who gave an estimate of 3 weeks/1 month to complete.
          Need to allow time for rendering and for the floors to dry properly.

          Bathroom renos are something I'd rather not rush especially with the waterproofing bit to avoid leaking issues down the road.

          Our ensuite is relatively small. And the second bathroom is quite standard for an apartment I believe.

          • garetz on 11/02/2020 - 14:02
            +1

            @AssamLaksa: waterproofing isnt about the time it takes, but the quality of the work done and the quality of the materials used. It should only take 2-3 hours.
            It sounds like your tradie might have multiple jobs taking up their time, so is taking alot longer to complete it to give them more leg room.

            Even tiling to dry only takes 2-3 days max if you want to be 100% safe.

            I found all the tradies myself and employed them separately. So didnt have to pay a middle man, who probably also overcharged for the tradies work.

            • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 14:12

              @garetz: Thanks for the info. I sort of assumed that waterproofing was about waiting for the silicon to dry!

              We did not engage separate tradies for the different task. Just getting the one tradie team to do all required work (demolishing, tiling, waterproofing, installation etc).

              I appreciate you sharing your experience though so we know what to expect! If you had any other advice to impart, I'll be happy to hear them.

            • User210686 on 12/02/2020 - 08:21
              +1

              @garetz: I understanding that managing project yourself like you did saves you a tons of money but that is quite unrealistic to anyone who’s never had experience in managing tradies and anyone who has a 9-5 job.

              I suggested my partner to just manage the project ourselves and saves $$ when building a new house by becoming an owner builder, but we heard about a mum at school who’s doing that (reno or new house) herself and been taken advantage of by tradies big time,
              and ultimately she ended up spending more money and time for her project.
              It’d be difficult to line up tradies because they might not show up on time and once they realize that you have no experience, they’d try to take advantage of you. Obviously, bathroom reno is much smaller in scale than building a new house but I believe it’s worth paying someone to manage the project if you have no experience and aren’t rough enough to boss tradies around.
              However, what you said about the timeline is worth exploring because the OP may be able to find someone else who could finish the job faster.

  • [Deactivated] on 11/02/2020 - 15:09

    Are you doing the reno or is someone else doing it?

    How many people are in this renovation crew?

    I have done both - as a DIY and when using contractors. With contractors, I would have moved out. I was getting in the way and the contractors were getting in mine. Overall, the process would have been quicker and cheaper (even after the cost of rental) to just get out of the way in the interest of speed.

    If it is a small crew of contractors (1 or two people), it is not too bad. You can move things aroumd quicker than they can make progress.

    If DIY, living outside may actually motivate you to work faster.

    Final consideration is dust. Unless you're engaging a very high end team, the dust barriers and dust collection systems are going to be minimal. If they have to hack into concrete or strip out tiles, the dust can be unbearable (I know, I have been doing this after work for the last month.)

    • AssamLaksa on 11/02/2020 - 16:09

      We're engaging a bathroom renovator to do this. Not sure how many people will be involved, likely to be 1 or 2 as it's a tight space.

      • GG57 on 11/02/2020 - 17:01

        The number of tradies onsite at any one time will probably only be one or two, but the number involved in the end-to-end reno is surprising.
        We had a contractor renovate our ensuite. He was a certified plumber, but arranged for the other trades to be onsite when required. The plumber did the demolition (with one other) then we had a waterproofer, two tilers, a screen / vanity installer, someone who just did the silicone sealing, a painter, and the plumber regularly attended to do the plumbing and final fitout.
        You might find some with multiple skills, but we found that the specialists were in and out pretty quickly.

  • Stewardo on 11/02/2020 - 19:53

    Move in, organise Reno, do both bathrooms at once.
    Buy a camping toilet. Bath in a bucket with water from kitchen. Or shower at work, gym, mates, Reno’s, pool.
    Should only take a couple of weeks if well organised.
    The experience will make you stronger.

  • Hoju on 12/02/2020 - 07:10

    Moved in April 2019
    Renos still going sporadically, usually a week per job at a time

    Swore that if we did it again it would 100% be worth just going away for a month and not going through the stress of being around absolute fn chaos during those periods

    Regarding the bylaw, we had this process as well
    It was going to take ages and we had the tradie (finally!!) all lined up to do the work. So they said just do the work and we sign the bylaw post the next scheduled agm and everything is done in retrospect. That was 9 months ago, agm was 2 weeks ago and we still haven’t seen a bylaw so don’t expect things to happen fast.

    • AssamLaksa on 12/02/2020 - 08:27

      Thanks for sharing!

      So your strata basically said to go ahead with the reno prior to the reno? How did you manage to convince them that? What kind of work were you doing in the unit if you don't mind me asking?

      Our strata is extremely strict. Only things we are permitted to do without seeking permission is painting our own unit! Even changing the toilets and installing ceiling fans require approval.

      • Hoju on 12/02/2020 - 08:33
        +1

        They said it’s quite common to have a retrospective bylaw passed so that the owner takes responsibility for any ongoing costs and issues associated with the works.

        We were having roof windows installed so quite significant modification to common property.

        Permission for painting the inside of your unit seems ridiculous, I’d ignore that!

        • AssamLaksa on 12/02/2020 - 08:44

          Did you bring up the retrospective bylaw to your strata or was it a suggestion from them?

          Also, were you responsible for writing the bylaw (i.e. engaging a solicitor to draft one up)?

          • Hoju on 12/02/2020 - 09:07
            +1

            @AssamLaksa: I was quite pushy with the fact that we had waited a long time to organise tradesmen and if I lost their slot to do the job it would be a massive inconvenience. At this point they suggested the retrospective by law. I can only assume they have drawn it up because I’ve never been asked to engage a solicitor or anything to do so.

            • AssamLaksa on 12/02/2020 - 09:18

              @Hoju: Thanks again for your input! Much appreciated :) I will give our strata a call to see how we can expedite this process!

    • Hoju on 12/02/2020 - 09:11
      +1

      I should add that we have 4 kids including a toddler and newborn so living with renos just makes it all the more challenging…

  • [Deactivated] on 12/02/2020 - 08:09

    Lived through a full house renovation in 10 months while working full time, as did my partner working from home (also happened to get pregnant during that period). I had no problem living in the Reno, made sure one bedroom was done and a bathroom was serviceable. Did most of the work ourselves, hence more arguments than usual.

    The key questions you need to ask are:
    • Can you and your partner live and adapt to mess/inconvenience?
    • Do you have alternative places to store items/materials if needed?
    • Are you wanting it done quickly or to save money?

    • AssamLaksa on 12/02/2020 - 08:33
      +1

      Wow! Very impressive! We definitely won't be doing the work ourselves.

      I'm wanting it done both quickly AND to save money lol. But as they say "Fast, cheap, good. Pick two"

      I'm guessing it is down to the individuals after all and their ability to cope with the mess and stress!

      • [Deactivated] on 13/02/2020 - 08:28

        Agreed, sometimes you can’t have it all. Some people can’t cope with the mess and change to routine.

        Knowing your trades and treating them well always makes things go faster. 😉

  • Hoobz on 12/02/2020 - 10:01

    Being in construction, new, renno, large projects…30 yrs.

    If you can, when living in, as you renovate. Just do one room, from start to finish at a time.

    This is totally taking in mind focusing on keeping you sane while living in it.

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