How To Prepare For Your Bathroom And Kitchen Renovation
Are you looking into getting a bathroom and kitchen renovation for your home? These two rooms do represent a lot of upheavals as they’re being updated, so you’ll want to ensure that you’re ready and prepared for when they do happen. Here are some tips to help you prepare for that kitchen and bathroom renovation and ensure it goes smoothly.
Budget For Your Renovation
The very first thing you need to think about when you’re planning a kitchen and bathroom renovation is the budget you’ll have for it. This is something you must have at first, as you need to know how much cash you have to dedicate to the project. That will dictate what kind of work can be done. For example, if you have a larger budget, you’ll be able to replace the cabinets in your kitchen, but if it’s smaller, you’ll want to look at painting them instead.
Always remember to build some extra into your budget in case of emergencies. For example, if tiling is taken off the walls and you see more issues underneath them, they’ll need to be addressed before you can install those new tiles. Having that budget for that will take a lot of the stress out of the process.
Plan With Your Needs In Mind
Next, when planning your kitchen and bathroom renovation, you’ll need to consider what you need from the process. It’s very easy to start looking for inspiration online and then find yourself looking at all the exciting styles and ideas that are in fashion right now. While you could go ahead and use these styles in your kitchen and bathroom, think about whether they’re what you really need.
Instead, think about how you use the rooms and start planning from there. While marble is a gorgeous material for countertops, for example, you’ll see that it takes a lot of upkeep. Is that something that you’re ready to do? If not, then there are lots of other materials that would work for your needs.
Find The Best Contractors For the Job
If you’re going to get a kitchen and bathroom renovation, you need the best contractors to come and handle it for you. You need to take your time here and look for contractors who can give you just what you need. Talk to any friends or family who’ve had renovations done recently, and ask if they have any recommendations. Also, look on trusted review sites like Angi and BBB to see who are the best contractors in your area.
Plan Out The Flow Of Traffic
Once you’ve got a plan in mind and have booked the contractors to work on your home, you’ll need to think about the flow of traffic in your home. As they’re working on the kitchen and bathroom renovation, they’ll be going in and out all day. That leads to extra noise, dirt, and work for you, so you need to plan this in advance.
Pick a door that they’ll enter and exit from, considering how easy it will be for them to reach these rooms from that door. An entrance that’s close to those rooms and allows easy access to vehicles outside is best. Also, consider putting towels down so you won’t have extra dirt coming in off their boots. Communicate this plan with them so everyone is on board.
Start Removing Items From The Rooms
Before the contractors come to start work, you’ll need to remove the items that are in the space. Everything will need to be moved before they can work, so set time aside so you can do this. Get some boxes and start storing items that you won’t need again until the work is done. Don’t forget the markets to mark those boxes, so you can easily find them again. Once all the items are packed, store them in an area where they’ll be safe. Your attic or basement are usually two good choices.
If you’re having the kitchen renovated and have perishable items, you’ll need to consider what you’ll do with these. If you can, use up as much as you can before the renovation, so you won’t be wasting food. Also, a small bar fridge is a good idea as that can hold items you’ll need until you can go back into your kitchen again.
Plan How Your Home Will Work Without The Kitchen Or Bathroom
In a kitchen and bathroom renovation, you will need to consider what you’ll do without these rooms. After all, they’re very much essential. There are ways of being without them for a while though, so you should plan for this ahead of time. When renovating your kitchen, you can set up a temporary kitchen next to a water source. Have a microwave set up along with that bar fridge or freezer, as that will allow you to cook microwave meals for the time being. You can also order takeout or go out for meals, should you wish to do so.
As for your bathroom, it’s not too much of a problem if you have another bathroom in the house you can use. If you don’t, then ask your contractor to add a makeshift bath for you. This is a temporary shower and toilet that can be set up in the basement.
Remember Your Children And Pets
There’s going to be a lot of upheaval during the kitchen and bathroom renovation, so you’ll want to plan how you’ll help your children and pets deal with it. With your children, make it clear where they can and cannot go during the process. The rooms being renovated should be a no go until they’re finished. As for pets, set up gates to keep them out, or consider hiring a pet sitter while you’re having the work done.
Conclusion
If you follow these steps, you’ll easily prepare for a kitchen and bathroom renovation. It’s always somewhat inconvenient while it’s being done, but with these tips, you won’t have to deal with too much disruption during the process.
