Getting Organized During a Renovation

We’ve been in our 1970s home since the summer of 2010. It was in dire need of a kitchen renovation and we purchased it with the intention of doing the renos within the year. But the idea of all that upheaval in the most actively used room caused me to put it off. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t do well living in chaos.

But this past summer, our beloved dog Bo had to be put down, and frankly, I was an emotional wreck. I knew I needed a challenging project to distract me so I could get through the day without sobbing. So we decided to begin the project we’ve put off for 3 years – the kitchen reno. (It actually grew to include the entire main floor). It may not have been the best reason to undertake a reno, but it made sense for me, and it did help me through the first few months after Bo’s passing.

Renos are as exciting as they are stressful, and staying organized before, during and after the reno was the best thing I did to keep the stress level down. If you’re planning a reno, here are my top tips to help you get through it as easily as possible.

Before:

• Pick the date you want the construction to begin. Keep in mind that good tradespeople are booked far in advance and some materials, like kitchen cabinets, need to be ordered 6-8 weeks ahead of time.
• Get referrals, check credentials, meet the people you will be hiring and make sure you feel comfortable communicating with them. Hiring the right contractor for us was the single most important thing we did. He always stayed in communication with us, remained calm when things went wrong, and was honest and trustworthy.
• Start a file to keep all relevant paperwork organized – quotes, invoices, receipts, contact information, etc. I used an accordion file and labelled each slot with categories like: cabinets, appliances, fireplace, and flooring. I also created a file in my email program and put all emails related to the reno there, for easy reference. Use a filing system that will work for you, but keep it simple because you’ll be busy.
• Give yourself plenty of time to pack up the items in the areas to be renovated – especially kitchens. If you pack everything up well, the unpacking is much faster and things won’t get damaged. We used liquor boxes with the dividers inside for things like mugs and glasses. We removed the dividers for dishes and other flat items. These boxes are strong, a nice size so they’re not too heavy to lift when full, and best of all, they’re free from the liquor store. Label each and every box clearly, in case you need to find something before you unpack – especially if the reno takes longer than you anticipated. Stack the boxes so the ones you’ll unpack first are at the front. Also, it’s helpful to put boxes with similar contents together (i.e. dishware in one area, decorative items in another). While you are packing, take advantage of the perfect opportunity to get rid of things that you don’t use or are worn out or damaged.

During:

Set up a temporary area to replace the room that is getting renovated. For us, it was the entire main floor, so we set up the basement with the same areas we use on the main floor. Thankfully, we already had a bathroom and family room downstairs, so we just had to set up a kitchen. We used a folding table, a small fridge, and our microwave on a stand. We purchased paper plates, glasses and cutlery and napkins, because washing dishes was very difficult. Thankfully, our reno took place in the late summer and fall, so we were able to eat most meals on the deck. The barbeque also came in handy. If you can put off your kitchen reno until the nicer weather, I would recommend it.

After:

If you’ve followed my packing suggestions, this will be the easiest part of the whole reno. Once everything is cleaned (our ‘shop vac’ came in handy here), just unpack and put everything away. If you are not sure how to store items in a functional way, you may want to consider consulting a professional organizer – so that your kitchen not only looks great but also works effectively for your and your family.

Although there were some things that didn’t go according to plan, everything worked out in the end and all we can say now, as we enjoy our newly renovated home is, “why didn’t we do this sooner?”

Feel free to share your experiences – good or bad – with renovating your home. I love reading your comments.