How to Prepare & Pack Your Kitchen for a Remodel

Every kitchen remodel begins with a packing and purging party as you set up your temporary kitchen space. We always advise our clients to take this opportunity to really evaluate each item in your kitchen and only keep the things you truly love and need! From our own experience, it’s best to go through and declutter your kitchen as early as possible in the remodeling process. Our favorite approach is to pull every single item out of your cabinets and drawers and decide if it’s worth keeping. Yes, it’s time consuming and a bit overwhelming, but oh so worth it.

Now that you have that out of the way, it’s time to prepare and pack for your remodel!

1. Determine where your temporary “kitchen” will be.
Many of our clients stay home while remodeling their kitchen, which means it’s important they have a small area set up to serve as a temporary “kitchen” space. We can absolutely help you find a suitable area in your home for this as each home (and family needs) are different. Laundry rooms with a large utility sink work well, but an extra bathroom with a prep area nearby can work too!

2. Set aside what you’ll need during the remodel.
You’ll want to keep the essentials out! We recommend your coffee maker, a toaster oven, microwave, and one set of utensils, dinnerware, and cup per person in your home. If you know you will be cooking some meals at home during your remodel, plan ahead for those! Any food prep you do before hand will help you save a bit of money on takeout expenses.

Remember to keep things simple as you will be handwashing everything you use. If you don’t want the fuss with washing dishes, consider using recyclable or compostable disposals. It’s also a great time to use up your mismatched party plates, cups, and napkins leftover from past events.

3. Plan how you’ll store your kitchen contents during construction.
We recommend using small and medium-size boxes, packing paper, and bubble wrap to pack up your nonessentials. Packing keeps your items clean, safe, and organized! Remember to label your boxes so you can efficiently set up your kitchen when its all done.

4. Time to purge.
Many of our clients stay home while remodeling their kitchen, which means it’s important they have a small area set up to serve as a temporary “kitchen” space. We can absolutely help you find a suitable area in your home for this as each h

To help you stay more organized, we recommend packing up one category at a time. Remove like minded items from your cupboards and drawers to see what you have. Set aside the items you never use and donate them. There is no need to store them if you never use them! Here are some helpful hints for purging each category:

Dinnerware: Set aside any dinnerware sets you no longer use or love. If you are going to sell them, take photos and post them right away! In the set(s) you plan to keep, check for chips and cracks as you want to dispose of those items. Chips and cracked glazed can expose your food to unwanted bacteria (if not sanitized properly).

Entertaining Pieces & Serveware: These items are often bulky and hard to store. Evaluate how you entertain and edit out excess items that don’t support your hosting style.

Mugs & Promotional Cups: These are surprisingly difficult to get rid of because they usually hold sentimental value. Take all these items out of the cupboards so you can see them all at once. Select the items that mean the most to you to keep. If you collect a series of mugs, you might want to consider storing your collection in a different area of your home or plan a display area in your kitchen remodel! 😉

Storage Containers: I am always amazed at how quickly our Tupperware drawer gets out of hand! When purging, I always start by identifying which containers do not have matching lids and then toss/donate any container or lids without a mate.

Small Appliances: Do all your appliances and gadgets work for you and your lifestyle? Try to not think about whether the item might be useful in the future, think more about whether it’s useful to you now. That way you know you like the idea, not just the idea of using it. Donate whichever appliances don’t make the cut.

Extras: Pare down the excess items you’ve been storing and toss items that have seen better days (think warped spatulas, peelings nonstick pans, etc.).

5. Be thoughtful about what you keep.
If you’re struggling with deciding what to part with, think about your current lifestyle and what you can anticipate in the near future. When you remodel is complete and it’s time to move into your new kitchen, you’ll be so happy you took the time to purge unnecessary items beforehand. It’s less to pack, less to store, and less to unpack.