Kitchen Renovation Survival Kit

You’ve done a great deal of work already – researching kitchen contractors in the Brantford/Hamilton area, selecting products from the myriad of choices. In addition, your cupboards are on their way, the colour of the counter has been selected, and the appliances have been ordered. Feeling pretty good? Think you’re done? Think again.

Kitchens Inc will do everything it can to make your kitchen renovation experience a positive one, however, kitchen renovations are complicated. There is lots of potential for delays and difficulties. Have you considered how are you going to live in a house without a stove or a sink or dishwasher, or the multitude of food stuffs, or cooking and eating utensils found in a kitchen?

We can help, and here’s how we can work together to see this thing through. Planning, knowing what to expect, and who will be responsible for what are among the most important considerations to avoid the pitfalls and major frustrations that this endeavour can cause. Typically a lead time of 6 to 8 weeks is recommended from the date of order, but to be clear, Kitchens Inc should have given you a tentative start date. This start date needs to be confirmed to ensure everything and everyone is ready to perform their duties when called upon. We recommend that you not begin emptying cupboards too early since the renovation time will seem plenty long enough once it gets started.

Home Owner Preparation

Here is a list of things you will be responsible for to prepare for the first day of reconstruction:

• Set-up a temporary kitchen somewhere away from the usual kitchen that includes wash area; a storage area for food, cooking and eating articles; fridge; microwave and perhaps access to an outdoor barbecue. Prepare meals in advance of renovation.
• Provide a key that will be kept on your property in one of our lock boxes. This lock box is necessary to facilitate entry to your home by sub-contractors who will only enter between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Children need to be advised that contractors may or may not be working throughout the course of the day. Pets need to be secured behind closed doors to prevent inadvertent release.
• Make sure that the construction and delivery people have access to the most direct entry to the construction area of the home. This means parked vehicles need to be cleared; snow may need to be shovelled; furniture and appliances must be removed from work areas and from access to the work areas unless you have hired us to provide those services.
• Furnishings and possessions within the home need to be put away and/or covered with washable or disposable sheets to protect them from dust and other construction materials. Close doors to adjacent rooms. Expect that some dust will permeate the house.
• Expect that contractors will need to use the washroom.
• Floor coverings and stairs not easily washed need to be covered with drop cloths to prevent soiling and other damage. Our contractors will perform very messy operations out of doors when possible but this means lots of trips in and out so removing shoes is not practical and a safety risk.
• Empty the cupboards prior to construction day and move appliances to their new temporary homes.

Common Issues Arising During Home Renovations

• You are not alone in your frustrations and anxiety over the activities in your house and how you have to cope with it. We understand and appreciate the difficulties; when your kitchen is upset it seems like the whole house is upset. Persevere. It will all be worth it in the end. Kitchens Inc will help you through it just the way we’ve helped numerous others.
• We pride ourselves in looking after all aspects of construction and renovation but we are not appliance movers or assemblers. This type of work requires special equipment and knowledge of the makes and models of the appliances. Unless you have asked us to provide for these services they are your responsibility. Existing appliances need to be moved out of harm’s way and protected during construction or in the case of new appliances, your appliance dealer can set-up installation and setting in place.
• Sometimes you want to re-use articles from the old kitchen. Perhaps a light or a plumbing fixture. That’s fine but it wouldn’t be fair if Kitchens Inc had to replace an old article with a new one if it became damaged. Do yourself a favour and remove or move the article yourself if you want to guarantee its safety. Sometimes things break or get scratched by accident.
• As the project unfolds; sometimes there are tasks outside of the current scope of work of the project you think could be done while we’re at it. Not a problem, we use change order forms to facilitate just this event. We will evaluate the extra need. Cost it and schedule it in. Typically the payment for the change will be made at the next payment date. Realize though that a change to the scope of work also changes how long a project will take to complete.

Working together, we can make your dream renovation go as smoothly as possible.  For Kitchen or Bathroom renovations in the Brantford region, contact Kitchens Inc today!