Are you thinking of renovating your home?  Are you wondering what life will be like through a major disturbance like home renovation?  Then continue reading on as I share my 5 go- to- tips to surviving and thriving during home renovation.

We are in week 7 of bathroom renovation.  How have we survived almost an entire summer with out having a full bathroom you may wonder?  Read on to learn more.  I know this may not even be THAT long compared to some who have spent several months renovating.  But when your home isn’t functioning as your sanctuary, a week can feel like a month.  Any amount of time that your house doesn’t feel like your own personal space, is too long and can throw off your whole life.   It can cause feelings of stress, anxiety and complete loss of control.   I know this because I’ve experienced all these emotions in some way.

Let me start by saying we’ve been extremely fortunate to spend majority of our home renovation at my parents house in Cape Cod.  Now, this took some planning ahead and foresight on my part.  I knew, with young kids, to spend 4-8 weeks with out a shower/tub would be an insane move in the winter.  When the kids are in school and we are stuck indoors all the time would be an extra challenge.  Plus, traveling to shower at relatives or a friends house in the freezing cold would have been torture.

Summer has been the perfect time for us as a family to do a bathroom remodel and addition.  However that was achieved with a little planning ahead.  I started meeting with contractors in the fall, several months before I had any intention of starting our bathroom renovations.  Don’t expect to  book a contractor a few weeks or even a month out, sometimes you need to get the ball rolling really far ahead of schedule, to secure the time frame that is most ideal for you or your family to go through a home renovation.

So let’s dive in to some of the ways we made the best of our shower-less summer.  Ways we coped when things got tricky and just some things we learned along the way that you may find helpful if you ever go with out a bathroom.

Coordinate with Friends & Relatives

That’s what friends are for…. right? To help you, even when you are shower-less.  Especially when you are shower-less I mean who wants stinky friends?  It’s so helpful to have family and/or friends that live close by to let you use their shower when you are going through renovations.  I remember one day after soccer camp another mother was doing pick up and bringing the kids back to her house and that’s where we were all do to pick up.  I didn’t want to sound strange but I was desperate and I knew it would make life so much easier if Griffin just took a shower at their house. I sent out the random text explain the situation and of course they were so nice they let him take a quick shower.  Luckily he is 8 and completely able to shower independently.  You’ll find yourself in these situations and you literally just have to laugh and make the best of it.

Gym Membership

You may already have a membership to a gym, and if your going with out a shower during a renovation you’ll definitely want to take advantage of their amenities.  Ben took advantage of our gym membership and would often times work out, then shower at the gym before starting his work day.  This was so helpful on days that going to a relatives house or being in Cape Cod with us wasn’t possible.  It would be SO worth it to join a gym if you are doing a bathroom renovation just for the shower convenience!

To-Go Travel Sets

Living with out a full bathroom for almost two months means living on the go a lot.  We kept all our toiletries and weekend bags by the back door, always.  There was no reason to have any of it upstairs (we were bathroom less up there).  We kept all of our stuff right by the door so we could go into the first floor bathroom to brush our teeth and wash up at night.  If we were going to a friend or relatives house we had a towel by the hook on the way out the door or in our weekend bag.  We kept our favorite toiletries ready for traveling to and from Cape Cod, on a family trip or to the gym, & so on.  The trick was having it all organized together in a way that made life a little more manageable on the go.

These are some of my favorite weekend bags and toiletry cases.  I think it would have been great to have one specifically for the kids as their stuff got lost at different houses a lot.

Shop Travel Sets

Shop Kids Travel Sets

Create Order 

Are you renovating a kitchen? Then maybe it’s time to freshen up your bedroom or organize the laundry room.  Maybe tidy up your bathroom. Create order in the other areas of the home so they function well and put you at ease. This will help you focus on something else.  For example if you are renovating a kitchen, and don’t have storage or counters, set up a place in the dining room that holds all your paper plates, cutlery and napkins.  Put together a little binder of all your favorite take out places.  Organize and clean the areas of the home you still have control over.  Honestly, one day I was so overwhelmed with the state of my house that I focused on cleaning up my kitchen and then lit a bunch of candles on the first floor. After that I was completely relaxed and honestly forget that my upstairs was a horrid construction zone.

Take Time to Relax

Now is the time to take care of yourself and ease your stress.   Book yourself that hair blow out ( I did this multiple times and it saved me). Showering so many places was giving my hair a beating.  I would skip days of washing my hair of course but treating myself to a blow out just gave me a little confidence and made me feel good. Try a new facial or grab a manicure (not all in the same day, well not that there’s anything wrong with that!). Spread out the treatments so you have a little way to unwind on the days that are just very overwhelming.  Home renovation can be very overwhelming at times.

Do little things that will calm you down plus get you out of the chaos happening at your house.  We faced a really big decision in the midst of our renovation that forced us to consider potentially spending another 5k and adding another two weeks to our renovation.  It was a small blemish in the ceiling that caused an imperfection and we didn’t know if we should live with it or fix it.  It was all cosmetic.  We went back and forth for almost two days – there was no clear right or wrong.  It drove me crazy.  Finally we made our decision and I booked a relaxation acupuncture treatment (one of my new favorite forms of relaxing and health and wellness for myself.)  I felt SO SO much better after I left my treatment.  Then we completely moved on.

REMEMBER,

Somethings don’t always go as planned in home renovation, but the good news is it will come to an end.  I always love the saying “this too shall pass’. It will come to an end and before you know it, it will all be a memory.  Take a deep, deep breath and trust that it’s all going to come together and your home will be even more amazing because of it.

I really hope that you find this helpful if you’re thinking of renovating or are in the midst of it.  You can and will get through it!  Make the best of it, treat yourself at times and you will be rewarded with a beautiful home! Have you ever gone through a home reno? Any more tips to add? Thanks for stopping by!

Jordan