Remodeling the kitchen in your Rochester home can have an enormously wonderful impact on your whole house. Of course, there are a lot of things to consider before you begin construction. There’s a basic design to consider. There may be flooring to choose from and cabinets to pick out. On top of that, you’ve got fixtures and lighting to figure out. There are a lot of details, but the process can actually be fun and exciting. If you’re looking for help with these kinds of details and decisions.
There is, however, another aspect of remodeling that’s equally important. But it has nothing to do with cabinets or flooring or appliances. It’s all about how you prepare yourself for the remodeling process.
The Importance of Planning Ahead
Remodeling doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It happens in the middle of your home and in the middle of your life. It’s also something that isn’t finished overnight. Depending on the scope of your project, it could take a few months. How will you live during that time? Preparation can mean the difference between enjoying the process and being stressed out by it. Here's one big hint: Don't wait until the project has started (i.e. the tear-out of your existing kitchen) before tackling these tasks. These tasks really aren't too hard if you take them on ahead of time. Trying to do them during remodeling can be really frustrating.
Here are a few things to think about:
Meal Preparation
Life doesn’t stop when you remodel your kitchen. Your family still needs to eat! But where will you fix and eat your meals when your new kitchen is "in progress"? You may eat out a bit more frequently during the remodel than you normally do, but you probably won’t want to leave every meal to restaurants and take-out joints. Here’s one way to deal with that situation.
Set up a temporary kitchen in another room in your house. You might want a portable microwave, a hot plate, and even a dormitory-style refrigerator to make fixing meals a little easier. Your remodeler may be able to move your refrigerator to a safe place outside of the construction area where you can access it.
Pre-Plan Your Meals
It’s helpful to do a little bit of meal planning in advance. Think about meals you can easily fix using the microwave and hot plate. If it helps, think of it as camping out in your home. Maybe you’ll even fire up the outdoor grill more often than you usually do. Another solution is to pre-cook meals and freeze, or refrigerate them. Then pull them out and heat them up in the microwave.
Clean-Up
It’s one thing to prepare meals outside of your kitchen, but how are you going to handle clean-up? Where will you wash the dishes and pots and pans? And where will you keep the trash can? If you happen to have a laundry room with a sink, that may be a great solution for doing dishes. But think about what you’re going to need ahead of time. You might want to purchase a drying rack if your dishwasher is out of commission for a while. And you may want to get a large Rubbermaid® tub or tray for hauling items from your temporary kitchen to the area you’re using to wash dishes.
Organize and Pack
Think about all the stuff you have in your kitchen cabinets. If you’re replacing your kitchen cabinets, all of the items you store there will have to go somewhere. Make a list of things you’ll need on a regular (daily) basis. Set aside enough flatware and dishes to get you through a day or two. Set aside cleaning materials you’ll use every day. Keep out some dish towels, paper towels, and napkins. Think about what utensils you’ll need to prepare your meals. It may be great to think: “We’ll just open a can of soup and heat it in the microwave,” but if you can’t find a can opener, you’ll be frustrated.
Pack away any items you don’t use regularly and label the boxes clearly. It will make things so much easier to put away at the end of the project. Plus, if you pack and label carefully, you’ll have a better chance of finding that one utensil you forgot to leave out!
Preparing for a kitchen remodel can be fun and exciting. But don’t forget to prepare yourself and your family for living with the challenges that come with the process. A little bit of planning ahead of time will make the whole experience less stressful and much more enjoyable.
Photo by Wokandapix
Adapted from the original April 2016 post
.png "NY Custom Home Floorplans (1)")
