5 Tips to Prepare for a Kitchen Renovation

A kitchen renovation is a fun, exciting, adventurous, and even stressful task to take on. You want to ensure it’s done right the first time, or you’ll be left with a mess to deal with later on.

If you decided it’s time to renovate your kitchen, now is when you create your plan. Having a plan will help keep you on task and on budget. Without one, it’s easy to go overboard and end up blowing your budget.

Whether you’re taking on the renovation yourself or hiring an expert, it’s best to prepare yourself and the space for the renovation. With a kitchen renovation though, because of everything that goes into making a kitchen, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.

To help you plan out your kitchen renovation, here are five tips to help prepare yourself and those involved.

See if You Need Permits

You may need permits before you begin your kitchen renovation. Especially if you plan to extend the property, move the kitchen somewhere else, or add in another one, your local municipality may require permits for the project.

Renovate According to Your Lifestyle

There are typically two types of renovations we want: the first is the practical one that fits our lifestyle, and the second is our dream renovation. Sometimes, those two paths can meet up. However, that isn’t always the case.

With a kitchen renovation, you want to put practicality first. It’s a space that gets used every single day. You wouldn’t want to create a kitchen that is the opposite of your family’s lifestyle, to end up hating it once you start using it.

Consider your family’s lifestyle and what you use the kitchen for. If it’s a place for gathering and entertaining, then an open-concept with a large island may be the best fit. If you’re a chef and love to experiment, lots of counter space is likely up your ally.

Plan to Not Have a Kitchen

It’s easy to forget that you won’t have access to a kitchen. You cannot guarantee you’ll be able to use your stove and other appliances during the renovation, so prepare for it. Plan your meals before the renovation begins. Otherwise, you’ll have to eat out all the time, and that can get pricey very quickly.

Pull Away Everything

You can’t renovate the cupboards if you still have cups and plates in them. Spend some time cleaning out the entire kitchen. Have a designated room for all of the stuff that needs to go back once you’re done.

During this time, it’s an excellent opportunity to go through your kitchen supplies and declutter. Give away, sell, or throw out anything you don’t use anymore or that is broken (or breaking). That way, when the time comes to put the kitchen back together, you’ll be more organized and less overwhelmed.

Protect What is Staying

Maybe you’re renovating every aspect of the kitchen, or you’re only doing a certain chunk of it. If that is the case, protect what is staying. A renovation could turn costly and get out of hand quickly if something happened to parts that are staying. Maybe you spilt paint on the floor or dropping something on the counter. No matter what it is, if it’s staying, make sure it’s protected.