10 Ways to Prepare for a Kitchen Remodel

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September 7, 2016

Renovating your kitchen is an exciting process, resulting in the custom kitchen of your dreams. However, preparing for a kitchen remodel and all it entails can be a rather daunting experience. It takes a little creativity and a LOT of planning, but it is possible to still live and dine at home in the midst of a kitchen renovation.

Here are a few helpful tips to get you prepared and guide you through your kitchen remodel project with as little inconvenience as possible.

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Know the Timeline

Sketch out a timeframe with your kitchen design team to get an accurate estimate of how long your kitchen area will be off-limits. Find out if parts of the kitchen will still be available for use, or if the entire area will need to be avoided. Once you have this information, come up with a creative plan for the areas which are still able to be used, if any.

Pack it Up

Plan on taking down and storing any and all objects in the kitchen that you want safe from harm, as renovation can be a messy business and accidents happen. This includes window treatments, mirrors, small appliances, and framed photos. Better safe than sorry!

Set up a Temporary Kitchen

Just because your kitchen’s out of commission doesn’t mean you have to skip your morning coffee. Designate an area of the house to use as a stand-in for your kitchen and set up your essentials (coffee pot, toaster, tabletop microwave, etc.) as well as any pantry items such as cereal, granola bars, and canned goods that you may wish to use.

Stay Organized

Nothing is more frustrating than not being able to find the thing you need when you need it. Avoid the stress of, say, not knowing where your spatula is by organizing your kitchen items by category in clearly-labeled bins or cardboard boxes, and keeping the things you need to use every day in a handy spot

Prep Meals in Advance

No need to be without delicious home-cooked meals while your kitchen is unavailable for use! In the weeks leading up to the renovation start date, cook and freeze meals that reheat nicely in a microwave, such as soups, casseroles, and lasagna. That way you will be able to just nuke your dinner each night while still having peace of mind that your family is eating nutritious meals.

Dishes? Done!

Save yourself the hassle of figuring out how to wash your dishes in the bathtub or in the yard with a hose, and stock up on disposable cups, plates, and utensils while your renovation is in progress. Feeling guilty about Mother Nature? Plenty of biodegradable and recyclable options currently exist in your paper goods aisle at the grocery store.

Get Out of Town!

If at all possible, why not take this opportunity to hit the road? Take the kids to visit Grandma for a week, or rent an RV and see the U.S.A. with your family. Schedule that business trip you’ve been putting off for a while. Any excuse you have to leave home while your kitchen is being remodeled is a good excuse!

Grill, Baby, Grill!

If you are renovating your kitchen in the warm-weather months, why not use your backyard as your family eating space while the kitchen is off limits? Nothing like a tasty grilled burger with sweet corn on the cob on a hot summer evening, right? You can even expand your grill repertoire by looking online for easy grilling recipes!

Don’t Forget your Pets

Home improvements can put extra stress on our four-legged friends due to the noise and confusion that ensues for the duration of a project. Not only that, but a construction site can be quite hazardous for a pet if he/she manages to accidentally get in the work zone. If your fur baby is prone to anxiety or has a tendency to get into things, you may want to consider letting him live with a friend or relative until the remodel is complete.

Keep your Eyes on the Prize

No matter how prepared you are for your kitchen remodel, there will be days when you feel completely overwhelmed by the remodeling project. Change is always stressful, and having a large part of your home off-limits for long periods of time can take its toll on even the most easygoing person. Just focus on the light at the end of the tunnel and how much you will absolutely love your beautiful new custom kitchen when it is ready. Your kitchen design team is always there for any questions, concerns or guidance you need.

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Thinking of a kitchen remodel? Call the design pros at The Kitchen Company today for your free consultation. We are New Haven, CT’s choice for quality custom kitchen design. We look forward to hearing from you!

Comments

I liked that you had mentioned that when it comes to remodeling a kitchen that it can be important to have a temporary kitchen set up to handle day to day tasks. My wife and I have been wanting to remodel our kitchen for the last few weeks because we feel like we could make so much more room in there with a remodel. We'll have to start looking for a company that specializes in kitchen remodeling to help us out in this case and we'll be sure that we can set up a temporary one in our home somewhere.

Submitted by Roger Middleton (not verified) on Thu, 2017-12-07 20:34

I like how you suggested to set up a temporary kitchen while your kitchen is being renovated. My family is planning on renovating our old kitchen this spring. Thank you for the tips for preparing for a remodel.

Submitted by sutton turner (not verified) on Tue, 2018-02-27 13:32

It sure was nice that I came across this article. You were right about the idea of figuring out how to wash the dishes in the bathtub or in the garden using a hose first because doing so in the kitchen will not be possible during the remodeling. I never actually thought that is necessary, but I still practiced. It was good that I learned it because we intend to have the kitchen upgraded sometime soon.

Submitted by Mina Edinburgh (not verified) on Wed, 2018-07-18 01:13

Thanks for the tip to have our dog stay with friends or family while we remodel the kitchen. I didn't realize how much noise and commotion would occur during remodeling. We'll be sure to send him to our son's house after we've contacted a contractor and know what the schedule will be for the remodeling.

Submitted by Sarah Smith (not verified) on Tue, 2018-08-14 16:49

I really like that you suggest that you should prep meals and freeze them in the weeks leading up to your renovation. This is a genius idea, I'll have to start right away. I've been wanting to renovate my kitchen for years and I am finally looking into finding the best contractor. Hopefully, I can do some research and find a contractor that can give me a dream kitchen.

Submitted by Ellie Davis (not verified) on Wed, 2018-09-05 20:12

When my sister mentioned her interest in a kitchen renovation, I got excited. I have always wanted to help her on a project like this since we have so much done things similar to remodeling. It might help her to look into professional services for the bigger installations as well as making sure her pets don't get in the work zone.

Submitted by Camille Devaux (not verified) on Wed, 2018-10-17 20:12

My husband and I are wanting to remodel our kitchen as soon as we can. Thank you for suggesting that we should make sure and take anything down that was in our kitchen. I'll have to start doing this as I try and find the best contractor in my area.

Submitted by Ellie Davis (not verified) on Wed, 2018-10-17 22:05

My sister wanted to remodel our kitchen as a present to my mom who loves to cook. It was advised here that we should set up a temporary kitchen during the remodeling. Moreover, it's recommended to hire professionals when considering kitchen remodeling.

Submitted by Sariah Meagle (not verified) on Sun, 2018-10-21 22:36

I really like that you suggest asking the contractor how long they think the kitchen will be under construction. My husband and I are wanting to remodel our kitchen before the holidays and want to find the right contractor to do this. Hopefully, I can do some research and find the best contractor in my area.

Submitted by Ellie Davis (not verified) on Thu, 2018-10-25 18:50

It got me when you mentioned that I need to organize everything before starting the kitchen renovation so that I will be able to find the things that I need when I need them. We intend to convert a part of the yard as a kitchen, but we will leave the items in the real kitchen despite being remodeled. Organizing them will make the search a lot easier, and we wouldn't have to bother the remodeling professional. Thanks for sharing.

Submitted by Tammy (not verified) on Mon, 2018-10-29 22:18