Often the ideal solution to survive major renovation works is to move off site completely. 

If you have young children or are a large family and the thought of being crammed into a small living space together for six months while the builders are in sounds like your idea of hell, then don’t! Moving out can be the perfect scenario for a dust-free, stress-free house extension.

By moving out, there is no tiptoeing round bare floorboards, watching out for splinters or having to contend with no hot water or the power being turned off. Instead, you can catch up on all the progress of your new extension from the comfort of warm, clean rented accomodation.

Whether you stay or go, boils down for many to one big consideration – the cost. Moving to temporary accommodation can be expensive.  And, short-term lets, those under six months are typically more expensive than long-term 12-month lets. Plus, you also have the upheaval (and potential moving cost) of having to move everything out.

If you haven’t budgeted for renting somewhere, ask yourself how much you value short-term pain for long-term gain? If you’d rather keep your sanity and sacrifice the expensive bathroom you have had your eye on for ages, then moving out can be the best option.

Staying put for a build requires a certain amount of Dunkirk Spirit. You have got to knuckle down with steely determination. Think of it as camping in your own home and be prepared for dust everywhere, constant noise, and a lack of space and privacy.

But it is possible.

Top tips for living on a building site include discussing with your builder at the start and during the work about how you can section off parts of your house. Many builders will be happy to set up a temporary, makeshift kitchen in another room of your house for instance. Think about putting some belongings into storage to alleviate the pressure of decamping to just one room. And if you need an escape, book a holiday for when the worst of the disruption will occur.

But remember, there are two massive benefits of staying put during a build - you will save a lot of money and you will also be on hand for any quick decisions that need to be made.