Remodeling any room of your home can be stressful, but when it’s your kitchen getting a makeover, the inconveniences is more than perhaps any other room in your house. With a kitchen out of commission, you’ll have to make do when it comes to preparing and eat food. What’s more, you’ll have to make more decisions about your kitchen – from cabinets to paint and fixtures to appliances. Before you swear off renovations for good, find out ways to survive a kitchen renovation so it’s less likely to disrupt your life –or make you tear your hair out.

Plan Before Demolishing

One of the best ways to limit the inconvenience that a kitchen renovation can cause is to make sure you’ve planned everything sufficiently before you ever begin ripping out cabinets or taking out appliances. The more you’ve had planned before you begin demo, the less time you have to spend stopping work to decide on various finishes, floors and cabinetry. Do your shopping long before you start making changes to your kitchen. As an added bonus, you should have a firm idea of your budget needs if you’ve already gone shopping, priced finishes and know what you want.

During the prep period, your contractor should also check into the requirements for various permits that you’ll need as part of the process. If you’re making changes to your plumbing or electrical, it may need to be inspected and approved before you move forward, which can stop works for weeks at a time. Knowing about and having the necessary permits on hand can help reduce work stoppages and stress.

Camp Kitchens

With your kitchen out of commission, you’ll need a temporary solution for all of the functions that normally take place in your kitchen. From cooking to washing up, a camp-style kitchen might be your best bet, especially if you can’t just pick up and leave your home during the renovation. Setting up a camp stove and wash basin in a dining area can help reduce the inconvenience of not having your kitchen available. Simple meals can be made in the microwave or slow-cooker while you can wash up in a basin on the bathroom sink. No, it’s not ideal, but having an alternate area for the kitchen can reduce the inconvenience to your family.

Tell Others

One of the best ways to survive a kitchen renovation is simply to tell others that you’re in the middle of remodeling. Your friends and family will likely be eager to help by bringing by easy meals or even volunteering to help you do some of the work. What’s more, letting others know that you’re living in a construction zone can cut down on the stress of things like family dinners, baking items for work and school or planning around holidays. If your loved ones know that you’re in the middle of this process, they’ll expect less, which can seriously lower a high stress level.

Be Flexible

Even the most perfectly-planned kitchen renovation will have hiccups along the way. Incorrect orders, work stoppages, mistakes and downright slow progress can all drag out the process. Therefore, your role as homeowner is to add a hefty dose of flexibility to the process. Uptight schedules and arguments with your contractor will only make the process more stressful. By adopting a flexible attitude, you can take the issues as they come, remembering that each one gets you closer to your dream kitchen.

By acknowledging that a kitchen renovation is anxiety-producing by nature, you know what to expect from the process. You can make things easier on yourself through sufficient prep work and a positive attitude.