SURVIVING A KITCHEN REMODEL

Congratulations! You’ve made a big decision to renovate your kitchen. Now is the fun part! It’s almost demolition time and you and your family need to function in a home under construction. You’ll realize quickly that the kitchen truly is the epicenter of the home when you have to live without it for a few months. There is no escaping the inconvenience, but with smart planning you can ease the pain. First priority is to be prepared and RELAX!

2. DESIGNATE A TEMPORARY KITCHEN

This could be a family room, sunporch or basement. You will need a place to make coffee, school lunches and eat dinner. Your temporary kitchen should be out of the way of construction, noise and dust. Set down temporary plastic sheeting on the floor to protect carpeting etc. from food stains. (An extra sheet can be used to cover the kitchen area from construction dust during the day. ) Keep things simple in this space. You won’t need your waffle maker, hand mixer or blender during this time and would be surprised at the amount of delicacies you can make with a toaster oven, mini fridge and microwave. You can buy disposable liners for your crockpot and whip up homemade chili for your family on a cold night. Paper plates, cups and utensils may not be environmentally friendly, but will save your sanity. Keep a stash of non-perishable snacks handy such as granola bars, cereal, peanut butter and crackers. Move your grill closer to your back door and think of this as camping without the tent! Most of all be prepared for eating out a few times a week. This can be fun, but detrimental to your waistline !

3. Consider a vacation. If you are comfortable with your contractors, this is a great time to get away! Schedule a business trip if you can or visit relatives. You might even score a home cooked meal or two. If you travel internationally , download the WhatsApp app for free communication with your contractor. You can send and receive messages and pictures of your new kitchen from abroad. Most importantly, relax and enjoy the process. With construction comes bumps. Go with the flow and don’t stress too much .