As the start date of your home remodeling project approaches, use the happy anticipation of the beautiful transformation by taking the time to declutter and pack. Even with heavy duty plastic barriers to close off the construction zones, dust will still be afloat and drift throughout the house, especially if you are running your AC. You will be thankful that you cleared surfaces and put your things that are on display in closed boxes even if a room is not a part of the activity. That way when the home remodeling project is done, you can wipe surfaces and put clean items back. Even though you will probably be adding more storage, still take the time to ascertain what want to keep as you pack things up. Donating what you no longer need or have not used will make for easier sight lines in cabinets, shelves, drawers and the like. If you are living in the home during the remodel, some rooms will become multipurpose while others are unavailable so clearing out the space will help free the room up for other temporary uses.
Houzz did a survey asking those who had recently done a remodel to find out what people reported as being less stressful for homeowners going thru a remodel, living elsewhere, or staying at home. Surprisingly, those who stayed at home were less stressed. An in-between might be renting or borrowing a camper parked on your driveway so you have easy access to your things, can be a part of the process. (if an HOA approves).
Gather lots of different size boxes, markers, masking tape and clear bins. Pack what you use often in clear type bins, so should you need something during the remodel, it will be easier to find. Utilize smaller boxes for fragile items, or from a specific area, e.g. NW bedroom nightstands and dresser display. Before you tape up a box and label it, take a photo of its contents to remember what was in there.
Losing the use of a kitchen can be made easier with planning ahead. There are lots of “freezer dump meals” for an Instant Pot or a crock pot. Gather recipes and spend a weekend on that task making a grocery list, assembling the freezer bags, labeling them, so you can have “home cooked” meals which are often healthier than going out continually. Plan a temporary spot for your kitchen refrigerator and where you can prep a meal. Have a set of unbreakable dishes per person and wash them in their own tub, rinse in the bathroom or laundry sink, and have a helper to dry and put them away if you want to avoid using paper plates (think camping style).
Let’s say you are going to fully remodel your kitchen and add a walk-in pantry. You can prepare by staging two areas: one for all things cooking and food prep, and the other for all the serving and eating. For the both categories make 5 areas, frequent use, occasional use keep in kitchen, and occasional use store in pantry, give away, and discard. It can go faster if the primary cook can just pull things out and put them in each respective area, while someone else does the packing.
If you are remodeling a kitchen or bathroom, make sure you have space in your garage for cabinets, bathtub, appliances that may be delivered before it is time to install. You may need to declutter the outside to for lumber supplies, or window as well.
Happy Home Remodeling!
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