The fridge is in the dining room, the waffle maker’s in the basement, and your favorite sauté pan? You’ve got no clue where it is. Welcome to a typical kitchen renovation! It can be frustrating to live in a home where nothing is where it used to be, and making dinner is all about compromise. A major kitchen renovation means letting go of some of your everyday routines and being patient. To get you through the process, here are ways to cope in a challenging environment.
Be realistic
On TV, some contractors manage to renovate an entire house in six weeks, an unrealistic goal in the real world where a kitchen renovation alone can take anywhere from four weeks to four months. If you’ve never done a renovation before, be prepared for lots of highs (the stone floor looks gorgeous!) and plenty of lows (the custom cabinets are a half-inch off). “It comes down to communication with the client and setting expectations upfront,” says Chris Black, president of Blackline Renovations, Dallas. So when your contractor says the job will take eight to 10 weeks, take a deep breath and believe him.
Create a temporary kitchen
You’re going to need a place to cook simple meals and eat, so figure out where to put a transient kitchen during the renovation; think dining room, living room, even laundry room. Set up the basics: a table, mini fridge, and small appliances to cook with, such as a toaster oven.
Simplify your tools
Unless you really use your bread maker every day, don’t move it into your temporary kitchen space. Take just what you’ll actually use to make simple meals – besides a toaster-oven, take a microwave, crockpot, hot plate, plus a coffeemaker. Same goes for cooking utensils – you may own five spatulas, but really only need to take one. Pack the rest and store elsewhere along with other nonessential kitchen apparatus.
Cook ahead
Make your family’s favorites that can be easily reheated, and store in small containers that will fit in a mini fridge or toaster-oven.
Make mealtime fun by doing an indoor picnic
This isn’t only for a family with young children – it’s fun for any age. Spread a blanket on the floor and eat takeout. It’ll be a nice break from crowding around your cramped temporary table or eating on the sofa.
Don’t leave town
As tempting as it may be to hightail it far, far away to visit family or go on vacation, Black advises against it. “We prefer that clients stay in town so they can keep their eye on the renovation’s progress,” he says. If you go away on vacation and something happens you weren’t aware of, your vacation calm will evaporate the moment you walk in the door and hear the news.
This article was originally published on Post Bulletin.