Save? Donate? Dump? Your design is complete and cabinets are ordered. The contractor is ready to set the date to start your project. If you’re planning on living in your home during your kitchen remodel, get your game plan ready! With some careful planning, you can save money, lessen the hassle and come out successfully organized upon completion.
Action Item: Empty cabinets/drawers. Remove decorative items from shelves and walls as vibrations can cause them to fall. Are you going to reuse any appliances? Clean your ovens and dishwashers if they will be moved and stored in your garage, basement or other room. (No need to attract critters looking for a crumb or two!) Assemble a collection of items you tend to use daily along with cutlery and serving pieces to get through each day, supplementing with plastic and paper products when necessary. If you keep important documents in your kitchen drawers, make sure they are safely relocated and easy to find.
Call Habitat for Humanity ReStore and see if they are interested in your old cabinets, appliances, fixtures, hardware or gadgets and make a date to have them collected and out of your remodeling team’s way. As you’re unloading your cabinets and drawers, take a realistic look at what you’ve collected. Still holding on to unused kitchen gadgets? The silicone Pie Crust Protector or the ever handy Onion Goggles? The Hot Dog Slicer shaped like a dachshund? That heated knife making butter melt that never made it out of the box? How about the Corn Silk Remover that keeps scooting to the back of the drawer. The Taco Proper- because spilling tacos is no laughing matter. Some people loved the mandolin slicer. After mangling my fingers a couple times, I pitched it. Any item that has missing parts or pieces needs to hit the trash.
Kitchenette
You’ll still need to eat during your remodel, so establishing a temporary kitchen is a must. Other than a coffee pot, microwave, fridge, hot plate, or portable grill, the main issue for most people is water. Water is so much more than washing dishes. You need water to clean your hands, clean your fruits and vegetables and clean your surfaces. Purchasing pre-washed and pre-cut fruits and vegetables helps in food prep. Drying racks are nice.
Foot Traffic
Consider how you, your family (including pets) and the contractors will be entering and exiting the home. If you have a kitchen door that leads outside, problem solved. Otherwise, consider laying down plastic sheeting to deter tracking dirt and debris on your floors. Hanging plastic sheeting in open doorways can also help keep dust from circulating throughout the house.
When the project is done, it’s a good idea to change your filters and have your air vents and furnace thoroughly cleaned. Take extra care as you move appliances into your new space. Use carts and drop cloths to avoid damaging any of your new cabinetry and flooring. Then… time to enjoy.
The Taco Proper- because spilling tacos is no laughing matter. Some people loved the mandolin slicer. After mangling my fingers a couple times, I pitched it. Any item that has missing parts or pieces needs to hit the trash.