When you’re planning a custom kitchen remodel, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. We know. The idea of a months-long kitchen renovation hanging over your head sounds overwhelming. That’s why, if you want to survive your new kitchen remodel with your sanity intact, it’s essential to have a plan in place, create a checklist, and have a great team on your side. Check out our tips to survive a complete kitchen renovation.
1. Establish Organization Zones
As you’re packing up your kitchen, designate three zones: storage, temporary kitchen, and toss or donate. The main goal is to remove everything from your kitchen, sorting it into these three categories. Label the boxes with very detailed descriptions. You never know when you’re going to need a particular item.
2. Create a Temporary Kitchen
It’s likely eating out every day isn’t a realistic option for your family. One of our favorite tips is to create a temporary kitchen in another room of your house. It could be a small corner of your living room, dining room, or even home office. Carve out space with room for a few small appliances: mini-fridge, toaster oven, maybe a microwave. Bonus points if you can fit a coffee maker, slow cooker, or folding table. Allocate a few dishes, but only the ones you’re willing to hand wash. Add in disposable dinnerware and utensils to cut down on time spent washing dishes.
3. Make Mealtime Easy
Once you have a small temporary kitchen set up, the next question is what to eat? Sandwiches, cereal, toast, fruit, yogurt, and salads make for nourishing meals, and better yet, they are easy. Take-and-bake pizza is perfect on the grill, and if you’re feeling ambitious, stock up the freezer with pre-made dishes you can quickly microwave. Budget a few nights for takeout when you need a break. If you can’t survive without caffeine, have a coffee plan, be it cold brew, instant coffee packets, or your trusty Keurig.
4. Have a Cleanup Game Plan
If you’re lucky, your remodeled kitchen will include a beautiful new sink. In the meantime, you need a plan for washing dishes. If you have a utility sink nearby, great. Otherwise, plan to set up a dishwashing station in your bathroom with a tub reserved for dirty dishes and a dish-drying rack next to your bathtub. You’ll likely be rinsing vegetables, filling up water, and rinsing cups in your bathroom sink. When it comes to the rest of the house, your contractors should cover all carpets and floors, as well as hang plastic sheeting and tarps to minimize the mess. Just in case, we recommend moving anything breakable from the worker’s pathways, from outside to the kitchen and to the bathroom.
5. Plan for What to Do With Kids
If you can, we recommend scheduling a visit with relatives you’ve meant to see or a vacation to overlap with your renovation. This way, you can avoid the mess, and your kids or grandkids aren’t underfoot during the busiest part of your kitchen renovation. Even if you don’t have kids, getting away is one of the best things you can do during your remodel. If that’s not feasible, lean hard into your temporary kitchen eating area and keep it clean to maintain a semblance of order. Also, keep in mind the time of year. Spring and summer are the best seasons to remodel with kids because it’s warm enough to dine al fresco and play outside.
6. Be Patient With Your Family
Most families’ lives center around the kitchen, and any disruption will throw things off balance. Kitchen remodels bring unfamiliar people, noises, smells, and interruptions of all kinds. Make sure you practice patience with each other as the inevitable tense moments bubble up. Take a deep breath. Once your renovation is over, you’ll have the kitchen of your dreams. Having a plan is half the battle. It’s also essential to work with an experienced and qualified kitchen remodeling contractor you respect and trust. Hiring an efficient team to work with you to design and remodel a custom kitchen is paramount. To build a custom kitchen with custom cabinets, contact RM Kitchens for an enjoyable and rewarding experience.
About RM Kitchens
RM Kitchens Inc is a custom cabinet maker serving the continental USA. We’re also a full-service bathroom and kitchen remodeling contractor in Lebanon County, PA that serves all of Central PA (including Lancaster, Harrisburg, Reading, York, Hershey, etc) (see entire service area). Focusing on high-quality custom cabinet design, handcrafting, and installing, RM Kitchens has been making homeowner dreams come true since 1969.
To discuss your unique kitchen remodeling needs, contact us today at (717) 967-4038