How to Set Up a Temporary Kitchen During Your Lancaster Remodel

Remodeling your home is exciting! It’s wonderful to see your dreams take shape and become reality–a home you truly love. But it can also be difficult to live for weeks in a house that is also a construction zone. And one of the hardest things to live without during a remodel is your kitchen. We understand the struggle, and we are here to help! Setting up a temporary kitchen takes some planning, thought, and work, but it can be done. And it will make your life a lot easier. Not only will it give you space and supplies to feed your family, but it will give you a semblance of normalcy that is incredibly valuable during a time of disruption.

Where Should I Put My Temporary Kitchen?

Deciding where to set up your temporary kitchen requires weighing a few factors. You want your set-up to be far enough away from the construction zone that you’re not getting dust in your food or on your dishes. It’s really nice if you have a utility sink nearby, or at least a bathroom sink. You will want access to outlets as well. And you need to have enough space for a folding table, some shelving, and whatever else you decide to include. Some good possibilities for a temporary kitchen location include:

• the living room
• the dining room
• a spare bedroom
• the basement
• the garage, weather permitting
  
  

What Do I Need to Include?

When you move out of your regular kitchen, spend a little time sorting. Use this process as an opportunity to give away what you no longer need or use, and then pack up most of what is left. You want your temporary kitchen to be as pared down as it can be, while still giving you access to what you need.

Essential Appliances

What your family considers essential is specific to you. If your family loves smoothies for breakfast, you might plan to keep out your blender, while another family may not need theirs. Some appliances that are generally helpful are

• A fridge. You can move yours into the garage and plug it in there, or you can bring it into another room if there is space. If you won’t have access to your fridge, consider getting a mini fridge and using it instead.
• A coffee maker. You can keep it with your temporary kitchen if that’s easiest, although some people like to set it up in the master bathroom.
• An electric skillet or hot plate. These are great for cooking meat, boiling water for pasta, and much more.
• An Instant Pot (and a great list of one-pot meals!).
• A water cooler. Many people like to rent one for the duration of the construction project. This can be especially helpful if your temporary kitchen isn’t near a sink.
• If your remodel takes place during nice weather, plan to use your grill as much as possible!

Prep Space and Storage

After you decide what appliances you need, start preparing the space. You will want a folding table or two to serve as food prep space and to hold supplies and appliances. Under the folding tables, you can use some plastic drawers or bins to store food, dishes, utensils, and other necessities. The more you can organize and label the storage containers, the easier it will be for everyone in the family to find what they need and–hopefully!–put it back where they found it. If you have space, shelves next to your table are great for holding larger items like cereal boxes. You can also put a couple of baskets on your shelves for more storage.

Consider keeping a small empty bin or two near your food prep space. Stick dirty dishes in them throughout the day and then wash them in the utility or bathroom sink all at once. This is especially helpful if your sink isn’t near your kitchen.

Supplies

You’ll need basic cookware like a spatula, a few good knives, a cutting board, and a mixing bowl. Consider using paper plates, plastic utensils, and paper napkins to make clean-up easier. Use one travel mug and one reusable water bottle per person so you’re not keeping up with an endless stream of dirty mugs and cups.

Bring your kitchen trash can into the space along with a roll of trash bags. And make sure you have paper towels and kitchen spray on hand to keep the area clean!

Other Ways to Prepare

This is not the time to focus on making the tastiest meals your family has ever had. Keep things simple and as stress-free as possible using temporary cooking solutions.

• It helps to make a list of easy meals that you can cook with the appliances you have on hand. 
• Buy things presliced and prechopped whenever possible.
• If you have a freezer, consider buying a lot of frozen meals. They’re easy and quick!
• Plan to eat out. Give yourself a line item in your remodeling budget for ordering takeout, and enjoy a break from cooking in your temporary kitchen from time to time.

Consider Safety

The most important thing is, of course, the safety of you and your family. Maintain safety by making sure that food is stored appropriately and that extension cords are not stretched across walking areas. Always monitor the use of appliances to ensure they don’t overheat. Put a bottle of hand sanitizer on your folding table to keep everyone’s hands clean without a sink nearby. And keep a fire extinguisher or fire blanket within reach, just in case.

How Long Will I Be Without My Kitchen?

It’s hard to be without your kitchen, and it’s even harder when you don’t know how long the temporary situation will last. Before your remodel gets started, talk to your contractor about how long to expect to be managing kitchen renovations. Every kitchen and every project is different, so it’s hard to predict how long the process will last. For McLennan Contracting, we generally predict that the actual construction time (the time you won’t be able to use your kitchen) will take between 6 and 10+ weeks. Again, this depends a lot on what your remodel entails and your individual space.

It’ll Be Worth It!

We know the construction process can be stressful, and we do everything we can to mitigate that stress. From excellent communication to having a great plan in place before we start, you can be sure that the team at McLennan Contracting will be helping however we can to make your experience great.

As you live with your temporary kitchen, keep your eye on the prize: your dream kitchen, constructed just for you and your family. It will be worth the hassle in the end! With some preparation, flexibility, and a good sense of humor, you may even find that your time spent cooking on a hot plate turns into great memories for your family down the line.

Ready to get started? If you want to remodel your kitchen, contact us to discuss your plans and ideas. We’d love to help you design and build the kitchen you’ve always wished for.