Tips For Living At Home During a Kitchen Remodel

When a homeowner decides to take the plunge and overhaul their kitchen, one of the most overlooked decisions is whether to live in the home during the remodel or move out. For those who are willing to put up with a little inconvenience and mess, living in a home during a kitchen remodel has its benefits. It's more affordable (as there's less eating out and no rental or hotel bills), homeowners can monitor the progress of the project and are nearby to address any problems quickly. While the process has its challenges, there are a few steps homeowners can take to make living with a remodel easier, and we'll do our part to help you.

Planning Ahead

To avoid eating out, homeowners need to prepare for weeks of living in a home without their normal functioning kitchen. If space allows, set up a temporary kitchen with a microwave, coffee maker, toaster oven, and small dorm fridge. If possible, premake meals and freeze them in single meal portions in a box freezer. Along with a temporary kitchen, dedicate a location for the family to eat their meals. Keeping all food related activities to one area keeps the house clean and reduces the chaos factor.

Occasionally, clients will ask us to create a more extensive temporary kitchen, witha real sink, refrigerator, and even a hookup for the range. We'll help you weigh the cost of this extra work against the cost of eating out, so you can decide if the convenience is worthwhile.

Don't be afraid to break the rules

Some people don't eat fast food. Others prefer a salad with every meal. While a kitchen is under construction, homeowners need to learn to break their own rules. Buy cereal bars for breakfast, microwave dinners and single portion meals from the grocery store convenience aisle.  If the project is during the school year, consider buying the school lunches for a few weeks, or stock up on single-serving snack foods to make packing lunchboxes easier. 

A kitchen remodel is temporary - Think disposable!

No one wants to do dishes in their bathtub every night, so stock up on disposable dinnerware, like paper plates, napkins and plastic utensils. It may not be great for the environment, but the temporary use of disposable dinnerware will help homeowners maintain some sanity.  If the kitchen remodel is timed during warm weather, consider making an enclosed porch or covered deck area the temporary kitchen. Meals can be made on the grill and dining outside makes for less clean up inside the home. Morning coffee and a store-bought muffin on a screened in porch offers a quiet bit of sanity before the construction crews arrive and a family meal outside by the grill is a fun and relaxing way to end the day.

Keeping your house clean

No matter how hard you work to separate the living area from the part of the home under construction, dust will always be a factor. Do your best to seal off the construction zones to reduce dust making its way into bedrooms and other living area. Remember that installing sheetrock is the messiest and noisiest part of the process, plan for a big clean after it's complete and then again when the project is over. Even better, hire a cleaning service to do the work, or ensure your remodeler has these services included in the contract. 

Staying organized will also help restore your house to sanity once the kitchen remodel is complete. Keep all kitchen items in one area and label boxes for easy access when putting your new kitchen together.

Safety concerns

Children and pets offer up additional concerns, especially when it comes to safety. Remember to always wear shoes in and outside the home during construction. Keep pets away from construction and staging areas that may have hazardous materials. Set up baby gates to keep dogs from work zones, and if you have especially curious pets, consider boarding or animal day care for the duration of the project.

If you have a young child at home, naps can be a challenge. Find an alternate place to nap or consider finding temporary childcare during kitchen remodel.

Visit family and friends

If you are trying to save money on hotels and dining out, why not spend a few days with family or friends. If you have people to stay with within a few hours travel, it can be a good time to catch up while also saving on lodging and dining out. If your budget allows, time a family vacation during the work. Getting away when a kitchen is under construction, even if for a few days can help reduce the stress the noise and dust can bring.

This article was updated 10/10/17.

About Degnan Design-Build-Remodel
Since 1981 Degnan Design-Build-Remodel has provided home improvement and construction services to customers throughout Greater Madison, Wisconsin. Our goal is to WOW you with a "Designed For Your Life" solution using a process that will transform your home into a beautiful living space, delivered on time, and on budget. We are known for our communication, respectfulness, and a commitment to our customers and our community. Contact us to speak with one of our designers about your home improvement project.