You’ve finalized your selections, set the timeline, and demo day is on the calendar. You’re one step closer to a brand-new kitchen. Knowing how to prepare for a kitchen remodel at this stage goes a long way toward making the weeks ahead feel manageable and more enjoyable.
Here are five practical things worth doing before the work begins.
1. Clear Out Your Cabinets and Be Honest About What’s Coming Back
This is the moment to take a real look at what’s living in your kitchen and decide what deserves a place in the new one. The appliances you haven’t touched in two years, the cookware that’s seen better days, the collection of mismatched containers missing their lids—let it all go. Donate what still has life in it, dispose of what doesn’t, and move forward with only what you actually use. Your new storage was designed with intention, and it works best when what fills it is intentional too.
2. Set Up a Temporary Kitchen Before Demo Begins
Pick a spot in your home, a corner of the dining room, a spare bedroom, a section of the basement, and set it up before the first day of construction.
Having a dedicated space set up before day one makes the weeks without a kitchen significantly more manageable. Stock it with your most-used dishes, utensils, and a few key appliances and the temporary setup will carry you further than you’d expect. If you’re going to invest in one appliance for this season, we love the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer—it covers more cooking ground than you’d expect from a countertop unit and earns its keep long after the remodel is done.
3. Identify a Place to Store What You’re Keeping
Give everything coming with you into the new kitchen a safe, designated place to live during construction. A spare room, a garage, or a storage unit all work well. Taking the time to organize and label before anything gets packed away is worth it. When the day finally comes to move back in, the last thing you’ll want is to spend it searching for your spatula.
4. Make a Plan for Your Pets
Not every day of a remodel is disruptive, but some are. Demo days, delivery days, and days when exterior doors stay open for extended periods are worth planning around. Knowing ahead of time which days call for a sitter, a kennel visit, or a stay with a friend removes one variable from an already full season.
We are big animal lovers at KRB and keeping your pets comfortable and safe during the process matters to us just as much as it does to you.
5. Embrace the Temporary Chaos
Order from that restaurant you’ve been meaning to try, stock up on paper plates, and give yourself permission to let the routine slide a little. You’re weeks away from a kitchen worth every moment of the temporary shuffle.
Knowing how to prepare for a kitchen remodel before demo day makes the entire experience more enjoyable, from the first morning of construction to the moment you walk into your finished space. If you’re still in the planning stages and not quite sure where to begin, we’d love to talk. Schedule your complimentary initial consultation at our showroom on Route 33 in Stratham, NH.
Not sure if you’re ready? Start here: Come As You Are: What to Expect at Your Initial Consultation
