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Surviving Without Your Kitchen During A Remodel

Doing without your kitchen while it is being remodeled can be traumatic. Where will you cook? Where can you clean up? Where will you sit to eat? Many of the discomforts and inconveniences can be minimized if you do a good job of planning and preparation before the tear-out.

You can set up a temporary kitchen in your garage, basement or utility room – ideally a place with a sink. Before you get rid of your old cabinets, you may want to use a few of them for your temporary kitchen. If you can’t use a piece of your old countertop, lay a piece of plywood on top of two base cabinets for a work surface and for a place to put your small appliances. The most important appliances will be your refrigerator and your microwave. If you can’t have a working sink in your temporary kitchen, be sure you have a large plastic tub so you can carry dirty dishes to the nearest bathroom for washing.

Commonly used kitchen items can be kept in clear plastic storage containers. Be sure to label them to help in finding things later. If you will have access to a freezer during the remodel, make some meals ahead of time and freeze them in small portions. This will allow you to defrost single servings and reheat them in the microwave.

When remodeling my own kitchen, we used as many disposables as possible (paper plate, plastic utensils and cups) and used our hallway half bath for washing any dishes. If the weather permits, you can use your barbeque grill outside. Grocery stores now offer many prepared dishes which make preparing dinners a breeze. And of course, this is a great excuse to frequent your favorite restaurant. Think about these things ahead of time and make a plan that will best suit the needs of your family. Prepare ahead by clipping restaurant and take-out coupons. Have a picnic. If the weather is bad you can spread a tablecloth on the floor of your living room or den.

If you have pets, you should consider where you can keep them during the installation. The noise and strange people coming and going can be very upsetting to some pets. Keeping the pets out of the kitchen area will not only help the installers, it will keep your pets safe and keep them from tracking any construction dust around your house.

The most important thing to remember is to plan ahead. Also remember that no matter how much you plan ahead, things will probably come up requiring you to be flexible. Keeping these things in mind will help you survive the disruption with the least possible stress. For some great kitchen design ideas, check out the Photo Gallery on our website where you’ll see lots of Cabinet Discounters kitchen projects. Download the free Kitchen Planning Guide to help you get started on your project. If you have any questions or concerns, call one of Cabinet Discounters’ experienced designers and they will be happy to discuss your project and plans. You can find locations, hours and phone numbers on our website CabinetDiscounters.com.