Remodeling the kitchen is exceptionally difficult as it requires paying close attention to details and being extra thorough in managing tasks, which often means completion time is longer. The bigger the job, the more critical it is to find a great team of professionals. Surviving a kitchen renovation can be tricky because remodeling creates a mess, even if the end result is well worth it, and no matter how hard you try to stay organized, more stuff keeps piling. 

Contractors and professionals with years of experience, not to mention people who’ve lived through the experience, agree that it’s best to beat a hasty retreat and stay somewhere else while it might seem inconvenient or unnecessary. The crew can work faster because it has a few more hours a day. If moving out isn’t an option, you’ll have to make sacrifices if you want to survive the weeks to months of construction ahead. Read on for essential tips to help you navigate various obstacles in a kitchen renovation scenario. 

Be Ready for What’s About to Happen

While you’d say you’re excited, you’re also scared, imagining the best and worst that can happen, so this would be an excellent time to go and do the work to prepare. You must be mentally prepared to make an overwhelming number of big decisions, whether selecting the proper layout for your space or judging if your kitchen is suitable for upgrading with replacement kitchen doors to stay on budget (and on schedule). It can leave you feeling incredibly anxious and stressed, and the emotional upheaval comes with having your home upended for a very long time.  

The decisions can be enough to throw your brain into a meltdown. You can’t make breakfast to jump-start your day, or you find yourself washing and rinsing the dishes in the bathtub, which would make you appear somewhat behind the times. It’s better to let go rather than hold on. Take advantage of this opportunity to practice yoga or learn how to meditate because remodeling the kitchen is a complicated process with many moving parts, from scheduling subcontractors to coordinating deliveries for the new hardware you just ordered. 

Set Up a Temporary Space for Cooking (Away from The Construction) 

You and your loved ones eat all your meals at the kitchen table, but it’ll be unavailable during remodeling, so move the refrigerator to another room, along with mugs, plates, and cutlery. It’ll take some time to get used to living in a construction zone, but at least you can avoid food delivery, which can be expensive and detrimental to your well-being. If you find it hard to scoot the fridge, get a small college fridge for the essentials. In the summer, you can use the patio for cooking, but otherwise, the temporary kitchen can be the dining room, utility room, or anything that makes sense.    

Invest In Paper Plates and Disposable Utensils 

Maybe you find it unacceptable to throw the dishes into the bathtub to mass wash everything. If that’s the case, use paper plates and disposable utensils because they take less time and effort to clean up and are safe to use when the kids are around. Pick compostable items that don’t have a plastic coating to leave behind no detrimental impact on the environment and create a better future for your children. Keep the lid of the trash bin firmly closed to prevent nasty odors and pests from escaping. 

Keep A Donation Bin Nearby While Packing the Kitchen 

Unload everything in your kitchen and pack it away, having a donation bin nearby. Donating your unneeded possessions keeps functional and often desirable items out of the landfill, and you get to help others by getting rid of your trash. Ask yourself what’s worth packing, storing, unpacking, and so on. Examples of construction waste that can be donated are cabinets, working appliances, tiles and wood flooring, and door handles. You can become part of a process that helps families create independence, stability, and a better future.  

Seal Up Other Areas of The Home That’ll Be Affected When Remodeling 

If there are rooms nearby, they’ll be affected by the excess dust and building debris, so protect your home and make cleanup easier by creating a barrier between the kitchen and the rest of the house. Be prepared to improvise and use what you’ve got at hand. Protect the floor that leads to the kitchen, but don’t forget about the less travelled paths, like the one that leads to the bathroom or the room where the electrical panel is located. Protect the countertops from nicks, scratches, and cracks by covering them in cardboard. 

Be Strategic About Where You Spend and Save 

Contractors have been in short supply, and because of this, they have more power. If they leave projects half-accomplished or don’t do a good job, opportunities are always there, and new clients line up at their doors. Unless you make a plan, legal protection is close to non-existent. Try your best to negotiate the deposit down and know for sure what it’ll be used for – you can request monthly accounting with detailed items and progress lien waivers. Sometimes, contractors use the capital to finish the job before yours. 

While the options for hardware finishes and cabinet styles are seemingly infinite, your budget isn’t, so you’ll want to make all your choices really count, not just for your lifestyle but because they affect the resale value of your property. Really know yourself and what you’re happy to compromise on. You can add two ovens so you can cook different things at the same time and at different temperatures, but that means you can’t splash out on a porcelain tiled floor that comes with a hefty price tag. 

Wrapping It Up 

Irrespective of how challenging it might seem, surviving a kitchen remodel isn’t as hard as it looks, so be patient because even if it takes a long time, the result is worth it. When the mess and stress get to you, make a list of the things you’re grateful for to remind yourself it’s not so bad.