The Kitchen Workbook for First-Time Renovators: How to Survive the Kitchen Renovation Process

There is no simple way of living for weeks or months without a kitchen, especially if it's your first-ever renovation project. There is an overwhelming feeling when you realize that renovation contractors will be in your life for months, the overwhelming decisions you'll need to make, and you'll probably spend most of your time herding stray cats.

Making do without the fully functioning kitchen you've been used to can disrupt all aspects of your life. However, you can make kitchen renovations as smooth as possible by following a few tips.

Set up a temporary kitchen stand-in

Designate a temporary kitchen somewhere, out of the way of construction. This could be your dining room, a basement or a garage. Take small appliances with you, such as an electric grill, slow cooker, electric kettle and the microwave to help make your life easier.

Plan your family meals around your small appliances

Eating out can be expensive, and it gets tiresome for a family that is used to sharing family meals at the heart of their home. A slow cooker, a microwave, and a toaster oven can help you through the mealtime hump.

Invest in disposables

Without your usual dishwasher and sink, you'll need to get creative with your utensils. Keeping a stockpile of disposable plates, cups, napkins, and utensils will help you refrain from using your bathroom sink to wash dishes. A streamlined cleanup will help lower the stress of your kitchen displacement.

Stock your pantry with non-perishable snacks

Snacks can save your stomach when you're starving but have nowhere to put together a full meal. Snacks will also help you with your kids' school meals when the makeshift digs don't cut it. Crackers, dried fruits, canned foods, peanut butter and more will help you make quick meals in a pinch.

Put your grill to work

Did you know your grill can do almost anything your oven can do? If the weather allows, roast your vegetables and bake your pizza outside!

Plan dinners with friends

It's time to cash in those dinners you have always planned with the family friends you haven't seen in a while. What better way to get away from the renovation zone and get a free meal than going to see those friends you need to catch up with?  Now that you have no kitchen, you'll have a fantastic topic to go over during dinner.

Keep the big picture in mind

In the grand scheme of owning a home, a kitchen renovation is only a short inconvenience that will bear fruit with years of kitchen bliss. Once your sparkling new kitchen comes to be, you'll forget the temporary trouble you had to endure.   


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