renovations painting, decorating, bathrooms etc

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Joey Camb

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what do people do about when a room or a bathroom or both need doing? We did one room while open ie closed it off for guests for a week and dashed about straight after breakfast and painted like crazy people and was knackered. At the moment I am closed and have a million jobs to do but am enjoying not having guests in and getting a lot done. Am trying to decide which way is best. What do other people do? PS the handy man, dh and my dad have been drafted in to help and they are making a right mess so I am certain I made the right decision!
 
We do try to limit our major work for our slow periods where it is easier to just close down and not loose any - or little business. Since we do much of this ourselves, we usually try to work around bookings during these times rather than mark off all the rooms.
If it is a must do and can not wait until the slow period, we do just as you mention..close the one area and try to limit what the guests sees and hears to a minimum.
 
Major work (ie- stinky, messy painting) is saved for when we are closed. Small jobs we do on the fly. Example- we just changed out all the shower heads in all the bathrooms in one hour.
 
For us, one word, March. It is by far our slowest month so that's when all major interior projects get done.
 
What I have tried to do is schedule all the majour work to be done at the same time so while it is chaos it is fine. Ie 4 rooms carpet and I have decided to redecorate one while the old carpet is in so if I spill it won't matter. Block paving all round the back door to make a nice large step ie person and two large cases can get on it. We had to have a fire door put on 12 and a new door on the false front all to be painted white. wash all the curtains, 2 new king size beds ie 5 foot accross, 2 new head boards and various furnature to be moved and changed. It is going faster and more to schedule that I had hoped so I am pleasantly surprised. everwhere is chaos though. We couldn't have guests in cos we have blocked fire escapes and stuff with the furniture but it will look amazing when it is all done. Plus deep cleaning all the rooms ready for september which is going to be bonkers! we are virtually booked solid for the whole month.
 
What I have tried to do is schedule all the majour work to be done at the same time so while it is chaos it is fine. Ie 4 rooms carpet and I have decided to redecorate one while the old carpet is in so if I spill it won't matter. Block paving all round the back door to make a nice large step ie person and two large cases can get on it. We had to have a fire door put on 12 and a new door on the false front all to be painted white. wash all the curtains, 2 new king size beds ie 5 foot accross, 2 new head boards and various furnature to be moved and changed. It is going faster and more to schedule that I had hoped so I am pleasantly surprised. everwhere is chaos though. We couldn't have guests in cos we have blocked fire escapes and stuff with the furniture but it will look amazing when it is all done. Plus deep cleaning all the rooms ready for september which is going to be bonkers! we are virtually booked solid for the whole month..
Wow! That's a lot for 2 weeks!
Why is Sept such a busy month?
 
What I have tried to do is schedule all the majour work to be done at the same time so while it is chaos it is fine. Ie 4 rooms carpet and I have decided to redecorate one while the old carpet is in so if I spill it won't matter. Block paving all round the back door to make a nice large step ie person and two large cases can get on it. We had to have a fire door put on 12 and a new door on the false front all to be painted white. wash all the curtains, 2 new king size beds ie 5 foot accross, 2 new head boards and various furnature to be moved and changed. It is going faster and more to schedule that I had hoped so I am pleasantly surprised. everwhere is chaos though. We couldn't have guests in cos we have blocked fire escapes and stuff with the furniture but it will look amazing when it is all done. Plus deep cleaning all the rooms ready for september which is going to be bonkers! we are virtually booked solid for the whole month..
Wow! That's a lot for 2 weeks!
Why is Sept such a busy month?
.
Noop that is what I have planned plus deep cleaning in 7 days! it is crazy! two rooms re fitted today block paving starts friday! DH is back tonight from visiting his gran so can help me put all the furniture back in to room 10 from room 9. My chamber maid comes back from annual holiday Friday so she is having 3 days cracking on with the cleaning.
 
This is a timely topic. We are about to gut our personal bathroom and convert part of a large porch into a laundry/mudroom. I'm afraid the only choice we have is to either close one of our guest rooms until the renovation is done or shower in the guest rooms after the guest have left. Fortunately, we do have a functional outhouse......don't relish the thought.
Like Camberly, we haven't had a slow-down yet and we're booked most every weekend through October. Since we're a little slower Sunday thru Wednesday, we may just have to do some lighting fast building in three-day spurts.
In our attempt to be "green", I redesigned and had installed a much improved system for handling gray water from our cottages....THIS MORNING.
It was a well coordinated effort. The backhoe arrived early dug the 8'x8'x4' pit followed by the delivery of the catch basin (100 gallon concrete tank) delivery of gravel and installation of the lateral lines. They were out by noon! Our guests arrived awhile ago none the wiser.
I guess my point is PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. COORDINATE, COORDINATE, COORDINATE. If all your ducks are in a row, execution of any project can and should be doable.
 
This is a timely topic. We are about to gut our personal bathroom and convert part of a large porch into a laundry/mudroom. I'm afraid the only choice we have is to either close one of our guest rooms until the renovation is done or shower in the guest rooms after the guest have left. Fortunately, we do have a functional outhouse......don't relish the thought.
Like Camberly, we haven't had a slow-down yet and we're booked most every weekend through October. Since we're a little slower Sunday thru Wednesday, we may just have to do some lighting fast building in three-day spurts.
In our attempt to be "green", I redesigned and had installed a much improved system for handling gray water from our cottages....THIS MORNING.
It was a well coordinated effort. The backhoe arrived early dug the 8'x8'x4' pit followed by the delivery of the catch basin (100 gallon concrete tank) delivery of gravel and installation of the lateral lines. They were out by noon! Our guests arrived awhile ago none the wiser.
I guess my point is PLAN, PLAN, PLAN. COORDINATE, COORDINATE, COORDINATE. If all your ducks are in a row, execution of any project can and should be doable..
Bravo PT, you are a coordination master planner!!! Good job.
 
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