The best part of a kitchen renovation is seeing your dream kitchen become a reality. But one of the greatest worries you might have about undergoing a remodel is the hassle the process will be.
If this is where you currently find yourself, just know a kitchen remodel doesn’t have to be an unmanageable nightmare.
While the truth is that it will inevitably cause some disruptions to your life, with the right preparation, your kitchen renovation can run more smoothly than you think.
Steps to Prepare for Your Kitchen Remodel
Trust us. The investment made in your kitchen will have an amazing return, both financially and in your overall lifestyle. From increased seating in your kitchen to updated style and functionality, renovating this part of your home is has one of the largest payoffs. So it’s worth every temporary inconvenience created.
Our Lakeside design team will guide you through the entire process of achieving your dream kitchen. But to help you get started and make your kitchen remodel run much more smoothly, here are some of our top renovation preparation tips.
Create Easy Accessibility for Everyday Items
Without the use of your kitchen, you will still need to access certain items, such as:
- Everyday cleaning supplies
- Eating utensils
- Plates and bowls
- Your most-used pots and pans
- Commonly used gadgets (coffee maker, blender, food processor, toaster, etc.)
- Pet food
So, keep these items easy to access. Don’t put them in boxes that will be taped shut. We recommend utilizing clear storage containers with snap lids. You’ll have easy access to your items and can see through the containers so you know exactly where things are.
Purge/Declutter Your Kitchen Storage
Since you’re already removing everything from your cupboards and drawers, now is the perfect time to toss expired food items, broken gadgets, or things you simply don’t want or use anymore. This will make unpacking easier and help you organize your brand-new kitchen when it’s done.
Get the Right Packing Equipment
While obvious, you’ll need to have plenty of boxes and packing tape on hand for boxing up your kitchen. But keep in mind that many kitchen gadgets and cooking equipment can be heavy. Small to medium size boxes are easier to maneuver and won’t get too cumbersome or heavy to carry.
You’ll also want to ensure you have old newspaper or bubble wrap for breakables (like fine china, glassware, etc.).
Categorize Boxes
Keep your packing and unpacking easy by categorizing as you go. Keep like items together, such as pots and pans or all specialty drinkware. You can purchase colored dot stickers and organize boxes by color, putting a blue sticker on all boxes with pantry items or red stickers on all baking equipment and so on. Having a system makes unpacking your new kitchen easy for the whole family!
Create a Temporary Kitchen Setup
Unless you’ll be eating out every day for all three meals (which we don’t recommend because let’s be honest, it’s expensive), you’ll need a temporary place to cook and even clean from.
Set up a folding card table (or push your dining table against an empty wall) for a good prep space. Make sure you have access to electrical outlets for your microwave, fridge, coffee maker, and more. You can even consider adding an electrical burner for cooking.
Do Simple Meal Prep
We know that sometimes your temporary kitchen may only be as fancy as a mini-fridge and a microwave. But even if it goes beyond that, preparing meals that can easily be reheated during the renovation period can save you time, excessive work, money, and utilizes your kitchen for a healthy lifestyle.
Find a Storage Area for Packed Items
Living in a construction zone feels overwhelming when you constantly see the displaced clutter and trip over boxes. Avoid this by prepping an area of your home to house your packed items. Moving multiple kids into one room for a time opens a second room to house the clutter, or make space in a basement or a corner of an office. Don’t be afraid to rearrange furniture. The renovation won’t last forever, and you’ll be thankful you did.
Prepare Kids and Pets in Advance
Your kids (and pets) are used to having access to your kitchen. Talk with your kids beforehand to ensure they have a say in what they might need access to during the renovation. If they are younger than school age (or home during work hours), plan activities, playdates, or even outings to keep them away from the construction zone. Pets tend to be scared of construction sounds. Consider finding a family member or friend who would be willing to take them during construction hours.
At Lakeside Renovation and Design, we take extra precautions to make sure your home is safe during a renovation by limiting our work area and cleaning up our workspace on a daily basis.
Cover Electronics and Furniture
While you don’t need to pack up every room around your kitchen for your renovation, the fact is that all construction sites produce a great amount of dust. Your contractor should put up plastic dust barriers around any openings in your kitchen to contain the dust, but consider covering your fabric furniture and any electronics in close proximity to your kitchen with drop cloths. There’s no need for extra packing.
We Make Kitchen Renovations Simple
Remodeling your kitchen is worth every bit of the work and cost you’ll invest in it. You can completely transform your lifestyle and elevate the entire look of your home with a well-constructed kitchen remodel. So don’t let a renovation deter you.
Our team at Lakeside Renovation & Design is ready to make the process as stress-free as possible. Learn more about our kitchen remodeling services to see how we can help you navigate your remodel and achieve your dream kitchen.
