Top Tips for Living in a Kitchen Renovation

It’s true what they say, the kitchen really is the heart of the home. So, when you decided to swap your existing cabinetry for a new made-to-measure design, it’s inevitable that you’ll experience some level of disruption.

The thought of living through a kitchen renovation can be daunting, but if you plan correctly, there’s lots you can do to minimise the disruption until your bespoke fitted kitchen is once again back sitting pretty at the heart of your house.

Here, we’ve collated some of our top tips for living through a kitchen renovation.

Think about your routine, and pack away accordingly
When starting to pack up your outgoing kitchen, really think about your usual routine and what items you’ll need to keep handy. Source cardboard boxes and then pack away everything you’re not going to need to use every day.

Select enough plates, pans and meal prep tools according to the number of people in your household, rather than using every spare plate, bowl and glass going. By minimising the amount of glassware, crockery and pans you use, you’ll reduce the amount of washing up required – always a good thing after a busy day at work.

Run a bath
Unfortunately, this one’s not for relaxing in! Sticking with washing up, you’ll have to get used to life without a dishwasher for a few weeks while your fitted kitchen design comes to life. Many people will wash up in their bathroom sink, but a solid basin can easily crack, chip or smash delicate items as they’re often too shallow to properly wash up in. Instead, use your bath to wash up and then transfer to a drying rack. Rather than purchasing a drying rack from new, try sourcing one from a charity shop or local Facebook group for free or unwanted items.

Set up a temporary cooking station
We often advise our clients to spend some time setting up a temporary kitchen or cooking station in another room. A decorator’s table or dining table from your old kitchen can make a great temporary ‘worktop’ (just ensure you cover up and protect your table if you plan on using it back in your new kitchen) and will give you a food prep area that’s quick and easy to use. We’d advise relocating your old fridge (if its freestanding) or sourcing a temporary one second hand from a site like Gumtree or Facebook to see you through your kitchen renovation.

Cover your floors and carpets
Having a new kitchen fitted is a major project, and with that comes dust! While we will always do our upmost to keep dust levels to a minimum, it’s inevitable that dust will settle on the floors/carpets of the rooms adjoining your kitchen.

Covering your floors with secured dust sheets or cardboard will help capture any dust and stop it from settling on the surface underneath. Another top tip to prevent the spread of dust through your home is to wear flip flops on the floors you’ve covered and then take them off before you go into any other rooms.

Call on friends and family (and the takeaway!)
Having a new fitted kitchen is an exciting process that you probably won’t repeat for a long time, so make sure you enjoy the ride. Schedule dinner with friends and family (most will be happy to host you or provide some batch cooked home food) and remember; enjoying the odd couple of takeaways during the course of your kitchen fit is more than okay.

Need some help and inspiration to plan a fitted kitchen project for your home? We’d love to help. You can find the Daval showroom nearest to you, or contact our team at head office with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you!