Daily Living Through Your Kitchen Remodel

Daily Living through your kitchen remodel doesn’t have to be as chaotic as it my seem to be.You can make it less chaotic with just a little smart planning and preparation. There are many tricks of the trade. Here’s our top tips:

• Create a makeshift kitchen—Find an area of your house like a basement, garage, or dining room where you can set up a temporary kitchen.If possible, find a long flat surface like a folding table and make it your counter. Now is the time to plan meals around using your secondary kitchen appliances, like the panini press, the outdoor or countertop grill, toaster oven, coffee maker, crock pot, rice cooker and waffle iron.Keeping a small microwave handy will allow you to do some cooking, and getting an electric single burner can allow you to get back some kitchen function.
• If you can, move your refrigerator next to your makeshift kitchen–If you’re replacing your refrigerator, why not keep the old one as an “overflow” fridge in the basement or garage?If you can build your temporary kitchen near it, it will save steps…and keep you from keeping everything in coolers.
• Use paper plates, napkins and plastic utensils whenever you can.—Just for the period of construction, this tactic will save you hours of headache and mess.
• Keep a small box of only the pans and cooking utensils you think you will need, right where you can get to it.–Don’t forget to keep a small box handy with essentials like tin foil, plastic wrap, garbage bags, and sandwich bags. Take all the rest of your kitchen supplies and store them in an out of the way place.
• Store food systematically—Chances are, pantry storage will be non-existent during a renovation.So create a system of boxes:one for canned goods, one for tall boxes and cereal, one for spices, one for snacks, etc.When you grocery shops, meticulously restock according to your system. Soon the whole family will know where the food they want is located.
• Determine how you will handle washing dishes—No matter how careful you are, you will eventually have to wash some dishes.If you are able to locate your temporary kitchen nearby a laundry tub, or bathroom sink, you’ll save valuable time.
• Keep a small supply of bottled water handy—Though it’s unlikely you’ll receive significant disruption to your utilities, there may be a day or two during the construction when your water is turned off for plumbing construction.Having a supply of water for drinking and cooking with help you feel prepared.
• Seal off your home from dust—Dust from demolition and building is always a concern.But you can keep it under control by sealing off the kitchen area doorways with plastic sheeting.Close vents on the same floor as the kitchen during construction days, to keep dust from circulating from room to room.Close as many doors as you can. Cover furniture with blankets, and other items like pianos, bookcases, etc. with plastic painter’s tarps.If you have rooms adjoining your kitchen, it is especially important to provide cover-ups here.Rooms not on the same floor with the kitchen should not be affected.
• Don’t be afraid to take a break—If the mess is getting to you, have a plan for letting off steam.Go out to eat a few nights a week.Or have a relative or friend who can let you stay over a night or two.