How to Prepare for (and survive) Your Kitchen Renovation
Whether you’re doing a minor remodel or a major renovation, the thought of being without your kitchen for four to six weeks may seem daunting. The process can be hectic, crazy and downright frustrating. Eating out can get old very quickly, not to mention costly. And washing dishes in a bathroom sink is anything but convenient.
With a bit of planning, you can survive, thrive and even have some fun while your new kitchen takes shape. Here are a few suggestions you may find helpful as you plan to get your project under way:
- Plan on setting up a temporary kitchen in another area of the house, like the dining room or den. A folding table can be an ideal temporary countertop. It will provide a surface to work on, and you can set up a few small appliances. Dust infiltrates everything, so keep commonly used kitchen items in clear, airtight plastic storage containers and label them accordingly. This will make it easier to find what you need. Box up items that you use only occasionally and store it in an out-of-the-way place.
- Start clipping restaurant coupons or use Groupons before your remodel starts. If you plan and budget for dining out, you’ll save a few dollars in the process.
- If you have pets, please keep them out of the way of the work crew. As much as we love pets, they could disrupt work, or worse, get hurt. If your pet is accustomed to eating in the kitchen, you may find it helpful to begin feeding in another area of the house prior to the start of the project. This will help reduce the stress your pet will feel when his space is intruded upon.
- If you have a freezer available during the remodel, make some big meals ahead of time and freeze them in smaller portions. This way you can defrost single-meal portions and reheat them in the microwave.
- Consider purchasing a one or two-burner hot plate. This will come in very handy when you’d like to heat something up without using the microwave.
- Make good use of your outdoor grill. Although it’s nice if your remodel will take place in warmer weather, statistics indicate that more than 60% of backyard chefs grill year round!
- Protect or relocate breakables and valuables in rooms adjacent to the kitchen. Items in the next room may even suffer damage during construction or when work crews are carrying equipment in and out.
Maintaining your sanity while the work is being done.
Keep your focus on the finished product: Your beautiful new kitchen, as opposed to any inconvenience along the way.
Take a positive approach: View the process as an adventure in camping... at home! And on the plus side, you get to sleep in your own bed, without mosquitos!
Take a realistic approach: This will help alleviate the feeling that things are not progressing quickly enough. Although every effort is made to keep work moving along as rapidly as possible, there will likely be some days where no work is being done in the house. It’s just one of the realities of scheduling a number of tradespeople for each phase of work. Your scheduler will provide you with a project time-line showing the sequence of events, along with their anticipated dates. He will keep you updated with any revisions as necessary.
Feel free to “get away from it all”: Use your remodeling project as an excuse to enjoy a short getaway, someplace to relax and unwind. We are glad to furnish a lock box to hold a house key, allowing you the freedom to be away from the house while work is taking place.
Before you know it, the dust will have cleared, the workers will all have gone, and you will be enjoying your beautiful new kitchen, for years to come!
Download our free Preparation Guide