If you are planning on renovating your kitchen, one of the most overlooked things is the fact that you will be without a working kitchen for a period of time. The length of this “down time” can vary from renovation to renovation. Here are some tips and tricks to consider which will ensure you aren’t eating takeout pizza for several weeks.
TEMPORARY KITCHEN
You will want to consider setting up an area to act as a temporary kitchen. This zone can be in a basement, living room, spare bedroom or wherever its convenient for you. Here you can consider having a microwave, toaster oven, toaster and even a hot plate or single burner hob. You will also want to move your existing refrigerator into this area. Bonus points if you can set up your temporary kitchen with close access to hot and cold running water.
If renovating during the Summer, some clients park their RV or camper on their property and use this space as their temporary kitchen throughout their kitchen renovation. This is a simple but effective solution, as your temporary kitchen is out of the renovation zone, away from dust. Ikea also has a mini kitchen that can be used as a temporary kitchen called the Sunnersta.
WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR STOVE?
After you remove your old kitchen cabinets, move your stove back into the space and use it there. Electric Ranges in North America are typically 220 volt, which doesn’t give you the flexibility of plugging it anywhere in your home, so it will have to remain in the same place as you have it.
MEAL PLAN
It is recommended that you start preparing meals to be frozen before you demolish or remove your kitchen. It can be quite a bit of work to do this, but you will be happy you put in the time. Make meals that can be cooked in your microwave, toaster oven, BBQ or stove. If you are living in your space while it is being renovated, you will really appreciate an easy to make homemade meal.
BBQ
It is really important to not forget about your BBQ, as many overlook this important item for cooking during a renovation.
NO SINK, NO PROBLEM
This is least glamourous part of a kitchen renovation. Simply put, if you plan on not using disposable plate and cutlery, you will have to find a convenient spot to hand wash dishes. Some use the bathroom sink, tub, shower, etc., again not a glamourous situation, but you have to sacrifice to win.
Other ideas include using an already plumed laundry sink or finding a place somewhere in your home to set up a temporary laundry sink that your plumber can hook up hot and cold water to. At a minimum you could always set up a temporary laundry sink outside, hooked up to your cold water line/tap that you have for your sprinkler. Laundry sinks are really inexpensive in the scheme of a renovation, so consider this simple hack.
SUMMARY
There is no doubt that you have to be in a special place to tackle a kitchen renovation. Having a good plan to feed and nourish your family during this process will make things easier for you. Remember kitchen renovations aren’t easy, but the long-term payoff is well worth it. If you are considering your own kitchen cabinet renovation and would like to meet with one of our kitchen designers, feel free to book your free design consultation appointment in one of our showrooms located in Saskatoon, Regina, Edmonton, and Calgary.
