Preparing for Your Kitchen Remodel
Welcome back everyone!
I hope you had a wonderful July! Summer is half-way over and if you've been thinking of sprucing up your home before your family visits for the holidays, now is the time. I know that sounds like a line to sell my services (which it partially is) but it is also because a lot more goes into a kitchen remodel than you think.
HGTV is a wonderful thing, but it really creates unrealistic expectations about the costs of a home remodel, whether in time, energy, or money. One thing they all seem to gloss over is what a homeowner should expect during the process and how to prepare for the inconvenience of it all. People on TV may be able to move out of their homes for an undisclosed amount of time, but you might not have that luxury.
Most remodeling projects are fairly similar when it comes to what you should expect, but kitchen remodels are much more disruptive than all the rest. So, for all you preppers and planners out there, here is my guide to surviving your kitchen remodel!
Time!
Time is a relative unit of measurement and passes differently for everyone. It is even different for your head compared to your feet! But there is one universal truth when it comes to time: it doesn't seem to move when you want it to. Like when you don't have access to your kitchen (but I'll touch on that a bit later).
Kitchen remodels can take a lot longer than you would expect, depending on what you want done. Plumbing may have to be run to a different area. Floors and cabinets may need to be replaced. A lot of the time, the whole place has to be gutted and rebuilt from there. There are a multitude of tiny details that have to be attended to for one of the most important rooms in your home to be as perfect for you as possible.
But all of that takes time.
Temporary Kitchen!
During the remodel, your normal kitchen will be unavailable. I know, that seems obvious, but it really isn't. This is a process that can last for months. That is months where you can't use your oven or your stove! And that is why I help my clients figure out alternatives.
Get yourself a tabletop microwave! Many of my clients set up portable shelves with food in their dining room, along with their refrigerator and microwave. Honestly, it will feel a lot like you are setting up a college dorm for your son or daughter.
No matter how you look at it, it is going to be wildly inconvenient and you won't be hosting any dinner parties during the process. If you love to cook, this may be particularly daunting but don't worry, the end result is worth the annoyance.
Pack it up!
Again, this seems pretty obvious, but you will have to pack your kitchen up before any work can start. This is the perfect time to purge those cabinets and find gadgets that you forgot how to use!
All jokes aside, this is actually quite difficult because you will need to figure out what you need and can still use while the kitchen is being renovated. You will also need to figure out how to clean them and where, not to mention storage for the items you will continue to use and the boxes you are putting away until things are finished. Just don't forget to label everything very well because I can almost guarantee that you will need something and not remember which box you packed it in.
Clean up on aisle 4!
Remodeling is a dirty business. There is all sorts of dust in the air, not to mention fumes from the paint and other little inconveniences. Even with special tarps keeping the room separate from the rest of the house, be aware that you will probably have to clean more.
Dust travels like a ghost and will drive you crazy if you let it. Just be aware and be prepared.
Also, while the contractors are good about wiping everything down and getting things clean before they finish the job, nothing is perfect. You will still need to wipe things down again, until everything in the air fully settles and everything in the kitchen sets. For instance, if we choose to use a dark grout for your backsplash, there will be residual grit on the tiles for a few cleanings after the remodel. It is just a part of life, inconvenient but there. And plan on changing those air filters when the work is done as well!
Don't forget...
A remodel is a process and it comes with lots of frustrations if not planned well, but at the end of the day, you get will have your dream kitchen and that is what really matters.
