Tips for Living With a Kitchen Renovation

How can you prepare for and cope with living in a home that's being renovated? A kitchen renovation can be headache, not only are there important decisions regarding design, plumbing and electrical work but you also have to live without your kitchen. You’re probably picturing living off microwaved dinners made in your family room, a constant head-pounding ruckus of a jackhammer all day long and constructions workers who wear their muddy shoes in and out on your nice clean carpet. Sounds fun, right?

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While the convenience of eating out is readily available, the bills can add up depending on how long construction takes and end straining your renovation budget. Here are some tips and tricks to survive your kitchen renovations with your sanity intact.

Get creative and set up a temporary makeshift kitchen, preferably in a room with a sink such as the mudroom, garage, basement or utility room. Make sure it’s out of the way of construction. Set up portable tables, storage bins and temporary shelves to organize and prep daily essentials like a coffee maker, microwave, toaster oven, crockpot and two-burner hot plates.
If you can’t create a temporary kitchen with a sink, stock up on disposable tableware so that you don’t have to worry about dirty dishes. You can also use bathroom sinks, tubs or a giant bin and a garden hose.
Move your refrigerator into your makeshift kitchen or invest in a mini fridge. You can also rent a mini fridge from an appliance-renting center.
Consider cooking and prepping meals right before the renovations start and freeze your meals to heat up in the microwave or crockpot.
If it’s warm enough put your outdoor grill to use. You can place your cookware directly onto the grill to cook just like you would on a stovetop.
Buy more in foods like fresh fruit and salads that are easier to prepare and high in nutrients.
Stock up on non-perishable food items such as soup, crackers, peanut butter, trail mix and dried fruit.
Have disposable shoe covers available for the construction workers if heavy traffic areas are carpeted or cover the floor with a tarp.
Maintain good communication with your contractors to keep updated on the schedule. Surprise setbacks and unintentional delays are very common in the construction world so be prepared. Create a list to keep track of the renovation process so that you can visually map out the progress. Remember, it’s only temporary!