6 Tips to Have a Stress-Free Kitchen Remodel
Remodeling any part of your home can be stressful, but it takes on a whole new level of stress when you are remodeling your kitchen. The kitchen is one of the most heavily used areas of your home and a remodel can displace you from that area for days and even weeks depending on the scale of remodel. Even though there are some stresses that can’t be avoided, it is helpful to be mentally prepared for them before they come. Here are 6 tips to help you have a stress-free kitchen remodel.
1. Have a budget; and a cushion
It is always a good idea to go into your remodel with a general idea of your budget to avoid overspending and turning what should be a good experience into a headache down the road. However, there will be hiccups along the way; that is inevitable. Be prepared for unexpected things to come up along the way that will be an extra expense and could put you over the budget you originally made. Having a little bit of cushion above your budget will make these unexpected expenses be less of a shock to your wallet.
2. Have an idea of your design
For a lot of homeowners, the biggest point of stress is all the different options when it comes to your kitchen remodel. Choosing cabinets, countertops, flooring, backsplash, hardware, storage solutions, and layout can be overwhelming to a lot of people. That’s why a lot of homeowners choose to hire a kitchen remodeling company or a kitchen designer to help with all these decisions. Even if you do hire someone, it’s important to have a good idea of your must-haves and the style you are going for so they can help point you towards the right things. Doing a little bit of pre-research and saving photos as inspiration for your contractor and designer will help make the design stage less stressful.
3. Set up a temporary kitchen
With your main kitchen being torn up for days to weeks at a time, it is important to set up a secondary kitchen somewhere in your home before the work even begins. Maybe it’s near another sink like in the bathroom or the laundry room. Wherever it is, grab the things you use daily from your kitchen and move them to this area to prepare. Small appliances like your coffee maker, blender, air fryer, and a toaster can easily make the move and be used to set up a temporary kitchen to use during the remodel. Bonus points if you have a good neighbor who is willing to let you use their kitchen a couple of days a week! At Kitchen Solvers, we do everything we can to make your kitchen useable during the remodel and we clean up every day before leaving, but there are of course times where it will be best to stay out of the construction area.
4. Stock up on disposables
With your main sink and cleanup areas being out of commission, you might want to use mostly disposable plates, silverware, and bakeware. This will cut out the stress of trying to wash dishes in a small bathroom sink. It might add a little cost to your remodel, but it’s worth working that into your overall budget to minimize stress and clutter in other areas of your home. It also might be worth it to include some budget for eating out during this time. Going out to eat can be a nice brain break and treat during these high-intensity times.
5. Communicate
Both with your family and with your contractor. Tensions can be high in your home when things are not where they should be. Make sure you are communicating clearly with the people you are living with if you are feeling stressed or overwhelmed. Sometimes simply saying the words out loud can relieve the stress on its own. Beyond communicating with your family, it’s also important to be in constant communication with your contractor as well. Knowing where you are in the process and the next steps help you keep your eyes on the prize at the end—a new kitchen! Your contractor should be sharing with you hiccups and obstacles along the way and what they are doing to combat them and stay on schedule and on budget.
6. Trust your contractor
If you did your research and hired a good contractor, they should know what they are doing! It can be tempting to try to step in a solve all the problems when you are overwhelmed or don’t think the remodel is going how it should. Remember though that your contractor is a professional and your kitchen is hopefully not their first rodeo. They know what they are doing and have the connections, knowledge, and experience needed to make your kitchen dreams come true.
If you hire your local Kitchen Solvers to do your kitchen remodel, they will be helping you every step of the way and can be trusted to give you a pleasant remodeling experience. They will be there at every point from start to finish to make sure your dream kitchen becomes a reality…stress-free!
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