How to Have a Place to Cook and Eat During a Kitchen Remodel

You've decided to remodel your kitchen! You've secured a loan or saved enough to pay a contractor or you're going to do it yourself. Whatever the case, you've decided to go through with it come hell or high water.

Before you get down to tearing out appliances and walls though, it's a good idea to figure out how you're going to live while the kitchen remodel is being done.

Of course the optimal scenario is getting your remodel plans perfected then leaving the country until the kitchen's done. Coming back from a long vacation to a brand new remodeled kitchen is fantasy to most people, however. Most people have jobs, kids, spouses, bills the list goes on and on.

Chances are you won't be going anywhere during the remodel. You'll soon realize how much you truly rely on your kitchen when you don't have access to it. There are some steps you can take, however to make this time without a kitchen easier.

The first thing you need to do is figure out where to set up a temporary kitchen. You definitely need a kitchen area, even if you're planning on eating out for every meal. You'll still find yourself wanting to wash a glass or even sitting down at a table to eat a snack. There's no need to go without a kitchen during the remodel.

The biggest room in your house is generally the best place to set up the temporary kitchen. For most houses this is the living room. Find a good corner that you feel would work well for a kitchen. Check for power outlets, you want access to as many as possible.

Move the living room furniture out of the way. It's best to move it out of the room entirely. Cover the furniture with sheets and don't use them at all. Couches and chairs don't fair well in kitchens, even temporary ones.

Once you have your corner picked out and your furniture tucked away buy a good sized tarp. Lay it on the floor where you want your kitchen and secure it with masking tape. This is particularly important if you have carpet. The tarp will go a long way in protecting food splatter stains. If you have hard flooring in the living room it's still a good idea to tape the tarp down. It acts as a reminder that this area is the kitchen.

The space where your living room furniture was can now be used for your casual dining area. It's a good idea to put a tarp down in this area as well. This is also a good area to put your refrigerator. If it's carpet put down some sort of platform for the refrigerator to stand on. A plank of particle board is a good option. Make sure it's stable and doesn't lean.

Once the groundwork is laid, find some cheap tables and set them up end to end. Buying camp tables is a good way to go; they're fairly stable and can be used for camping when you're done with the kitchen remodel. Set up at least three tables. Join them together with a picnic tablecloth or two.

While you're at the camp store buying tables pick up a two burner Coleman stove and a bunch of small propane bottles. These little stoves work great and can cook anything a conventional stove top can. They're also small and portable. You'll most likely get years of use out of the stove long after the remodel is over.

Be sure to crack a window while cooking with the propane stoves. It's a good idea to put the stove as close to the open window as possible. When you're done using the stove, don't just turn off the flame; disconnect the propane from the stove altogether. Propane is a dangerous gas and the area you're cooking in needs to be well ventilated.

Once you've got the cooking area figured out, you need to decide how to do dishes. The best method is to use the hot water from the bathroom sink and fill up 2 large plastic tubs. Fill the first with soapy warm water, the second with plain warm water. Set up some drying racks at the end of the table.

After a few dish washing sessions, you'll become much more aware of using dishes sparingly. For instance, it's a good idea to use just one glass over and over rather than grabbing a new one each time you want a drink. Give yourself less work by using fewer dishes.

You may also want to buy some paper plates and plastic spoons. Obviously this will cut down on dishes dramatically.

If your kitchen remodel is done in the warmer months, you can move a lot of the kitchen duties to the outdoors. A barbecue grill is an asset you'll grow to appreciate even more than before. But having to venture outside to cook and get morning coffee gets to be tedious. Kitchen remodels can take months so setting up a workable day to day kitchen in your living room is a good way to deal with the situation.

Kitchen remodels are never easy, but there's no need to deprive yourself of having a kitchen during these months.