Residential Real EstateRemodeling Your Kitchen: Can You Maintain Order in Chaos?
The prospect of a newly remodeled home, while certainly tempting, often
ignores the requisite headaches that come with the territory. Take, for
instance, the kitchen, one of the most frequently remodeled rooms by virtue
of its functionality and the amount of time families spend there.
Homeowners rarely stop to consider the imminent chaos that will befall them
when they decide to remodel their kitchens. For starters, you"ll be asked
to remove everything in your cabinets and drawers. That means all
silverware, plates, cups, pots and pans, cookbooks, and depending upon
whether or not you"re a pack rat, possibly other items, as well. Before
long, your kitchen is draped in plastic, your forks are sitting on your
living room coffee table, your spices are in the bathroom cabinet, and now
the contractors are moving your refrigerator to the dining room so that
they can reach the wall behind it. Need to microwave your breakfast? You"ll
have to head to the spare bedroom. That"s where the microwave is now. It"s
balanced precariously on a bar-stool by the computer desk. And you"ll need
to figure out where to wash your breakfast dishes, because your kitchen
sink is either filled with construction dust and tools, or it"s not there
altogether. Your dishwasher is sitting in the foyer, so you won"t be able
to use that, either. Garden hose, anyone?
No, it"s not a pretty picture. The chaos can be exacerbated by the time of
year. For families with school-aged children, it"s probably best to begin
remodeling jobs during the school year. Otherwise, you"ve got the kids
underfoot, and it"s a matter of time before your patience is wearing thin.
If you"ve never lived through a remodeling job, and you"re about to begin
the process in your own home, you"re undoubtedly experiencing some
trepidation. Aside from the obvious money-induced butterflies, you may be
asking yourself to what extent your home life will be turned upside down
during the remodeling process, which -- depending upon the project -- could
last anywhere from several weeks to several months.
How on earth are you going to retain your sanity during this messy period?
You could go with the obvious answer, of course, and find yourself a motel
room with a kitchen or even a reasonably priced corporate apartment if
you"re looking at several weeks" worth of chaos. But that"s assuming you
have disposable income left, and that"s a big if with most of us who are
embarking on what could very well be one of the biggest investments of our
lives. If it"s within your means to stay at a motel for even a short period
of time (you may want to wait until the messiest phase of construction
begins if you"re on a limited budget), just make sure that you find
yourself some accommodations near your home so you"ll be able to make
frequent and unannounced visits to monitor progress. If you"re lucky, you
might have family or friends in the area who will either volunteer a spare
bedroom or two, a sofa, or at least an occasional respite from the sawing,
hammering, drilling and dust.
No, you"re going to stay and tough it out, you say, and so will the kids.
It"ll be a character-building experience for everyone involved. Yes, it
will, but you can make it easier on everyone by attempting to carve some
semblance of organization into an otherwise haphazard household. If you
have a spare bedroom, convert it into your temporary living quarters. Move
the furniture against the wall, and set up your microwave and a card table
and chairs. If you don"t already own inexpensive shelving, purchase some
temporary shelves to store your plates, cups and silverware. You may want
to seriously consider using paper plates, cups and utensils for the time
being, because the question of where to wash your dishes can be a hassle to
solve. If you own a dorm-sized refrigerator, move it into the bedroom.
Purchase bottled water. Resign yourself to eating out as much as possible
within the constraints of your budget, electing to spend breakfast in your
makeshift kitchen, giving the kids lunch money for school, and then heading
to an inexpensive restaurant for dinner.
It"s important to note, however, that if you decide to stick around during
the remodeling process, you"re going to reach a point at which your absence
is required. Many paints, glues and other materials commonly used in the
construction process contain fumes that could be harmful to your family if
inhaled. Ask your contractors up front when they plan to use materials that
emanate potentially hazardous fumes. Plan to clear the house at those times
-- overnight, if necessary. This may, indeed, be the occasion during which
you head to a motel for the sake of your family"s safety. Make sure that
before you leave, you speak to your contractors about keeping your home
properly ventilated before, during and after the application process.
Another reason you should keep a close eye on your contractors --
regardless of whether or not you"re going to be remaining in your home
during construction -- is that you"re going to have to take steps to
protect your home from damage. Even the best contractors have been known to
scratch or cause other damage to a wood, tile or linoleum floor or track
mud onto the carpet. Cover as many of these sensitive surfaces as possible
before construction begins, and check to make sure they remain covered
throughout the project"s duration. In addition, your breakables and other
valuables -- including fine China, vases, artwork and even your television,
stereo and other electronics -- should be removed from the immediate area
and stored until the project is completed.
While these measures won"t inoculate you from the temporary inconvenience
inherent in the remodeling process, they"ll help you keep your lifestyle as
normal as possible until the dust has cleared and the plastic is lifted on
your brand-new kitchen. And regardless of how long you have to wait for
that moment, it"s nearly always worth the headaches required to get there.