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Let's be honest, renovating your kitchen is not a fun experience. Kitchen renovations can be a rollercoaster of emotions! Although the end result of a beautiful new kitchen outfitted with shiny new appliances is exciting, let’s be honest, the process isn’t all glitz and glam.
For one, it’s time consuming because you have to plan it out and do your best to ensure that everything runs smoothly from start to finish. However, no matter how thorough you are about planning a renovation project, there are always unforeseen challenges that arise along the way—especially when children are involved. Believe me, I know! To make your renovation process easier, I’m happy to share great tips from my own experience to help you survive a kitchen renovation with your little ones in tow!
Plan it together, kitchen renovations are a family affair.
A renovation is a big deal, and it's important to keep the kids in mind. Your family will be living with this new kitchen for years to come, so be sure everyone feels comfortable with what you're doing.
Before starting any renovations, have a meeting with your family that includes everyone who will be affected by the changes. Make sure everyone has their say about what they want from this process. Even your little ones might surprise you with some great ideas! You may find out something interesting from your child or partner that can help guide decisions about things like style, color schemes, and appliances.
Choose a renovation contractor you trust.
As you know, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms in your house. You want it to be beautiful, functional and a safe place where you'll love spending time preparing meals and entertaining guests. When choosing a contractor, make sure the contractor has experience in the area of work you want done. If you're renovating your kitchen, for example, it would be wise to choose someone who has completed similar projects in the past. You want a contractor who knows what he or she is doing and can prove it!
Ask friends and family members if there are any contractors they could recommend. If you don't know anyone who has done similar work recently (or ever), try asking around at work or posting on social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. You never know who might know of quality professionals with good reputations!
Once you’ve got a few contractors to choose from, go ahead and ask for references or testimonials from their previous clients and learn about how their past clients felt about working with your contractor of choice. I highly recommend doing this before deciding whether this person or company would be right for your project too.
Provide input and opinions on the design process.
It is important to be involved in the design process to ensure that the kitchen works for your family and is practical for your collective day-to-day living habits and routines.
Don’t be afraid to provide feedback on what works or doesn’t work for you as well as suggestions on how things could be changed or improved upon. Consider hiring a designer to help steer you in the right direction by bringing all family members' ideas together. A designer’s skills can help transform your visions into a beautiful yet children-friendly space.
Prepare for the daily mess, noise, and disruption.
The renovation process can be a very stressful time for parents. You'll need to allow extra time for meal prep, laundry, and other daily tasks because the kitchen will be out of commission for at least a week or more.
Be prepared for the mess, noise, and disruption to your daily lives during the renovation. A good contractor who lets you know what to expect in advance will make a world of a difference. If you know what’s coming, or what parts of your home you can and cannot access, you’ll be able to effectively keep your children out of harm’s way, avoid hazardous areas, and adjust to changes smoothly.
Don’t forget to take care of yourself as well.
When going through a kitchen renovation, you can get so focused on taking care of everyone else and forget about yourself. Your wellbeing is crucial to a successful renovation, so it’s important to take care of yourself. You need to make sure that you are eating well and getting enough sleep so that you can be at your best for your family.
If you are stressed, the kids will be stressed too! If you are relaxed, then everyone will have an easier time with this transition in life.
A great way to keep the whole family happy during the renovation process is to invest in some new play activity items. Some great pieces would be colouring books with new markers or crayons, board games, and play dough! My kids were one and four years old when we did our kitchen renovation. Having some fun new play pieces really helped entertain them and keep them busy while navigating food preparation without a functioning kitchen.
Plan for food delivery and meal prep during your kitchen renovation.
It’s important to plan ahead and make sure that your family will have enough food during your renovation project. Consider a food delivery or meal prep service. This is such a great option to take some of the pressure off you as a parent and keep your stress levels low. During my own kitchen renovation, I set up a mini workstation in our laundry room. This space had a sink, and we added a microwave to make a mini prep space for snacks and easy meals. It was a life saver and I highly recommend it!
If you're a parent, you know how much time and energy goes into raising kids. It can be stressful, but it's also rewarding. The same goes for renovating your kitchen -- there will be lots of work and sacrifice involved, but in the end, you'll have a beautiful new space that brings everyone together and nurture fond memories.
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Author:
Sarah Honour, Influencer and Content Creator
