Getting Ready for Your Kitchen Renovation

You’ve decided to update your kitchen. You’ve hired a contractor, picked out the design you want, and scheduled a date for the project to begin. Now what?

There are certain steps you need to take to make sure your kitchen — and your family — are ready for your kitchen renovation project. Here’s a helpful checklist to help you make the project go more quickly and smoother.

Empty Out Your Kitchen

Most kitchen renovations begin with demolition. In other words, your old kitchen will be completely ripped out, including cabinets, flooring, and even wall coverings. Generally, most major kitchen upgrades begin with taking the existing kitchen space down to the bare stud walls to facilitate any electrical or plumbing work that needs to be done.

So for that to happen, everything in your kitchen that can be taken out needs to be removed. This includes everything from furniture like kitchen tables and chairs to appliances like refrigerators and stoves to anything that is in all the cabinets and drawers.

It’s a good idea to start this process weeks ahead of time by drawing down the amount of food you buy prior to your start date. That way, there are fewer cans and boxes of food to store and/or throw away.

Make Alternate Plans

While your kitchen is being renovated, your family won’t be able to use it. A lot of homeowners don’t consider this and are surprised when access to the room is completely blocked off with heavy plastic tarps.

Even if you decide to just eat takeout throughout the renovation project, you probably are still going to need refrigeration for things like drinks and leftovers. One option is to move your current fridge somewhere temporary, such as a garage or another room. Another is to buy a small refrigerator such as the type used in college dorm rooms and just use that for a couple of weeks.

Proactively preparing for your kitchen renovation reduces surprises and helps keep your project on track.