You see magazine-worthy kitchen photos online and on television but don’t know the stress behind it all. Stress affects your physical and mental well-being, but a kitchen renovation is temporary. How do you deal with temporary stress? You plan. There are five ways to ease your stress levels during this time.
1- Set a Generous Budget
It’s good to get your finances in order before your kitchen renovation. However, it is not enough to have that budget set in stone. Neither you nor the contractor’s team will know how it will go until you dive in. You need money to cover unexpected expenses and last-minute changes. Yet, you don’t want to spend tons beyond your budget. The stress-free solution is to have an initial budget and a cushion amount. Place that amount in a separate account from the rest of your finances.
2- Be Flexible
Be flexible with the mess and chaos coming from the renovation. There will be dust, dirt, debris, and loud noise, but it’s temporary. Be flexible with the renovation timeline, too. The renovation may or may not end on schedule. Avoid disappointment and stress by tacking on extra weeks to the end date. That will cover delays, setbacks, surprises, mistakes, and changes happening in places from the structure to the materials.
3- Clear Out Adjacent Rooms
It’s a given that kitchen items in the cabinets, pantry, and countertop must go. Also, move the refrigerator, stove, oven, tables, and seating. The cleaning should extend to adjacent rooms next to the kitchen. The rooms that may need items removed are the dining room and the living room. Depending on your home layout, you may need to clear out the bathroom, laundry room, mudroom, and bedroom. Clear the foyer, hallway, and stairs should the experts need to pass through.
4- Create a Temp Kitchen
Dining out during the remodel is fine if you have the finances. A better solution is to make a temporary kitchen in another room. It can be a makeshift kitchen or a kitchenette, but it should be a place with plenty of wall outlets. There should be space for the refrigerator and a waste basket. Buy and cook simple meals like cereal, toast, salads, canned goods, pasta, and pre-packaged foods. Bring lots of bottled water and disposable plates, cups, and utensils. Tossing those paper and plastic items in the waste basket is better than washing dishes in the bathroom and laundry room sinks.
5- Maintain Daily Routines
The renovation is so distracting that you may forget about your daily routines. However, there are some things you can still do despite the project taking over. That could range from exercise routines to running errands to checking your email. You must maintain daily routines as much as possible. That will give you some sense of normalcy in a chaotic environment.
A kitchen renovation will turn your life upside down, but look on the bright side. The stress will not last forever, and what you get from this experience is a beautiful, functioning kitchen. Follow these routines, and it will subside.
