Once you have met with your contractor and finalized a start date for your kitchen renovation, it is important to begin the preparations for construction. Kitchen renovations can not only be stressful and overwhelming, but they can be messy and inconvenient as well, so the more prepared you are the better the experience will be. Here are a few tips to ensure your kitchen renovation goes as smoothly as possible while allowing your family to maintain somewhat of a normal routine.
Meal Planning
Once the team of experts from somewhere like Matt Baker Contracting come in and begin work on your kitchen, it means that you will not have access to your kitchen or its appliances for several days. You’ll have to feed your family however, so the first thing to do when preparing for a kitchen renovation is meal planning. It’s easy to simply order in or run to the closest drive-thru for meals, but not only isn’t it a healthy option, but you will spend more money. Planning meals that can be prepared ahead of time and cooked in a non-traditional way, such as with a slow cooker or electric skillet will allow your family to have hot, healthy meals. Things to do ahead of time include:
* Prepare meals for a certain number of days and freeze them
* Set up a “kitchen” in another area of the house. Be sure to move your coffee maker, microwave, and toaster to this area. Some options for cooking may include a slow cooker, electric skillet, electric toaster oven, and/or an air fryer.
* Utilize the grill for cooking meals when the weather permits
* Pack a cooler with essentials, such as condiments and beverages
Remember to have plenty of disposable eating utensils, paper cups, and paper plates on hand; this will eliminate the need to wash dishes. You should also make sure you know how long does kitchen renovation take so that you can stock up on enough of the essentials. You’ll also need to move the foods, condiments, and other items you’ll need to the makeshift kitchen area.
Packing up the Kitchen
The day before construction is scheduled to begin you should pack up the kitchen. The fewer items there are in the space, the better it is. The workers will need room to move around and the fewer items there are in the kitchen, the less the risk is of something getting broken. The easiest way to remove and replace the items in the kitchen is by clearing them out just like you would if you were moving. Have plenty of boxes on hand for dishes, decor, and other miscellaneous items. When packing, label the boxes and be sure to declutter as you pack; throw away expired foods and broken/non-usable cooking utensils. If possible, move the refrigerator to the garage or space close to where your makeshift kitchen will be.
Once you have cleared out the kitchen, make sure to hang plastic drop cloths on doorways that allow entrance between other living areas and the kitchen. This will help to keep down the amount of dust that will be moving around during construction from getting into other areas of your home. Keep in mind that it will be nearly impossible to avoid all dust and debris from escaping and getting into other areas, but vacuuming or sweeping at the end of each workday will help reduce the amount of cleanup you’ll have after the project is complete.