Set aside the things you will need even after the pack up.

Some silverware at least.

You want to pack things carefully enogh they will not get broken during routine handling of the boxes, but is you are doing the work you can handle them carefully and save on padding material.

Buying some clean packing paper and boxes around 'book' size is worth the cost.

Larger boxes will quickly become heavy and lead to rougher handling, even if you try to be gentle.
A few larger boxes for things like pans that are not easily damaged is OK.

When we renovated in our last house, I set up a temporary kitchen upstairs with a MW, toaster oven, mini fridge (that we already owned), plates, silverware, etc.

I moved everything out but I didn't wrap things in bubble wrap for safety. I stored everything up on shelving in our 2nd floor linen closet and master bedroom closet. Just carried it up, load by load and when the renovation was done carried it all back down. Finding a nice quiet, safe, dust free spot saved me from having to do all that bubble wrapping (not to mention the exorbitant expense of bubble wrap) and also from having to wash everything when it came back downstairs.

I avoided putting much in the basement - we had learned our lesson on that in some prior work we had down. A fine coat of dust got on everything from plaster dust sifting its way down through the floor boards.

For the renovation we are about to embark on. I am also planning on using our dining room as our kitchen. I will be bringing in the panini press, MW, toaster oven - the fridge (which we won't be using in the new plan so we will dispose of it afterward). We got a quote from our plumber to set up our Washer and Dryer as well as the sink for the duration of the renovation (which could be about 2-4 months depending on how things go). $1200. I know, a lot of money, but I am thinking of how much laundry I do and what a hassle it will be to have to go to the laundry mat multiple times per week, plus it would be nice to have the sink as well.

Good luck.

We packed our stuff when we moved from our first house and labeled boxes A,B,C & D. The As got unpacked first and then the Bs. We did not get past that because our kitchen was small. When we packed up this kitchen to reno/extend, I did sort of the same thing. Some things I had out that we knew we'd use every day when we did not have a "kitchen" to use. And then packed some things we may need in a back up position. We used mostly rubbermaids for their size and because they would not break open if heavy.
This made unpacking into the new kitchen easier. We knew which stuff needed prime time spaces and which would be put in less prime locations.

I have a 10x10 kitchen and it took me longer, and more boxes, than I'd first imagined. I'm on my own, so more work for me, but no disagreements with anyone else.

I've been in this house 13 years and discovered things that haven't come out of their deep recesses in all that time. Mental note: perhaps I no longer need these things. Some stuff got tossed, other things went out to the garage to await a destination not in my house. Other things (in boxes) went to another portion of the garage. Will keep, but don't need on a daily basis. Stuff like food and frequently used plates, utensils are in the house in open boxes which I peer into hoping to find sandwich bags or a granola bar (breakfast during reno).

In my bathroom I have a makeshift kitchen, with one of each (plate, glass, coffee mug, spatula, etc.) for eating my mostly microwaved meals.

At first it was an ordeal for me. Now I realize that some folks have much worse living conditions. I at least have a bed and heat, a working fridge and wifi. It's inconvenient, but it shall pass.

The dust and filth are relentless. I wipe off the tv and endure the rest. It finds its way into other parts of the house. I keep picking staples up off the plywood counters. It seems ridiculous to have most of my new lighting in to brightly illuminate a wreck of a kitchen.

My cats are thoroughly enjoying themselves. No doors on the cabs? No problem!

First thing I did was go to Costco and buy paper plates, cups, bowls and plastic utensils. Did not want to wash dishes in powder room. We are redoing kitchen and adjacent laundry room, so when cleaning out all the cupboards was able to get rid of LOTS of stuff...I'm sure you will too. Threw everything I knew we wouldn't use in boxes loosely (did not bother to wrap dishes or glasses individually)and put them in the family room which we use more as an office. Things are accessible if we need them. Moved the fridge into the DR and the DR table is set up with toaster oven, micro. Plastic screening contractor put up in all entrances to kitchen is working well, dust is minimal so far. I don't cook much, so takeout and frozen entrees for dinner not getting to me yet. Going to laundromat not fun, but it's just me and DH so it's doable for the 4-6 weeks it's going to take. Haven't really had to do it yet but thing I'm dreading the most is scraping car windows at 6:30 am...haven't had to do that in 27 years but I stalled project deciding on counter so it's my own fault! Good luck, just keep thinking it will all be over before you know it!

If you are doing the entire first floor, I would STRONGLY suggest renting a temporary storage pod. It will be at ground level, so much easier to move your first floor furniture and belongings into rather than trying to move everything upstairs. The only things that would make it upstairs would be the items I'd need for a temporary kitchen. And you NEED a temp kitchen setup. The reno will take far longer than you think, or they estimate. That you can 100% count on! You need to have a PLAN for dealing with that so it will be less stressful.

My 2 cents.

This one is a good one to let go. Whatever your DH wants, just go with that.

Why? There is no financial cost at risk, and the only downside is a bit of extra work.

You may need to pick your battles at some time over something else that comes up during the remodel. Something that does have a downside if it goes wrong, or can't be changed later without spending lots of money. Or something you really want that your DH doesn't care one hoot about. So you may be happy that you have saved your position of strength for something that may matter a lot more to you when all is said and done.

I had the wall between the kitchen and dining room taken down during the remodel, so I had to pack up both rooms. My SIL was able to get me 2 sizes of boxes, smaller for china, glasses and small heavy items and larger for lighter and larger items. I didn't pack as well as I would for moving, but came pretty close. The boxes were all labeled with their contents and stored in the guest bedroom. My kitchen is small, yet I was still amazed how much stuff I had in the cabinets. Having been through other major work done on the house, I also packed up all pictures and tchotchkes from the living and family rooms and stored them in the guest room. Dust travels far.

The temp kitchen was setup in the far corner of the family room which was only steps away from a large closet and the powder room. It was only me and BF here, so I bought some heavy plastic plates and glasses which I ended up usually washing in the powder room sink. I kept the bare minimum of pots, pans and utensils, just enough to make simple meals.

I forgot to say that by doing it this way she only had to hire the Pod for a short time.

not trying to hijack, but given that I have little kids and do laundry daily, in my situation would you pay the $1200 to have the plumber set up washer/dryer and kitchen sink in our temporary area? Our laundry is part of the kitchen, thus it has to be moved out and access to the basement will be limited during the renovation since the interior basement door is in the kitchen. I was thinking of having the laundry set up in the dining room.

Our job will entail gutting walls/ceilings/floors. putting in radiant floor heating - new windows and new door location. ceramic tile (likely) floors, and the rest, plumbing, electrical, cabinetry installation, etc.. relocating some piping for heating system. I figure if everthing went like clock work it would take 6 weeks, but it could be much longer than that.

I would DIY rig the washer to empty into the butler pantry's sink for the meantime at WAY under $1200! That's highway robbery! It would be easy to do. You just need a 110 outlet to plug it in. Just set it in the DR close to the BP and maybe put an extra bit of drain hose on it.Then manually fill it from a hose that you screw into the BP faucet. People do this all the time with portable washers. The only thing that would be difficult would be a 220 plug for the dryer. The dryer could empty out a window panel made of plywood with a hole cut in it similar to how a window AC exhausts. With warm weather coming, I might just install a clothesline outside and live with hanging out the wash until the project was done. I don't know your HVAC setup, but if this is one of those old houses with floor furnaces, a drying line across one of those can work really well for those items that you just need dry right away. It's what we did as kids. I never had a clothes drier until I bought my first house. Everything was line dried.

LWO... We are taking the Butler's pantry sink out at the same time as the rest of it in order to get the flooring situation squared away. I had talked to contractor about keeping the butler's pantry set up for as long as possible but it will cost us more in the end to have to demo that after. The big butler's pantry sink is what i was talking about setting up in the dining room (in some sort of make shift cabinet since the one it is in was built in place).

I thought the $1200 number seemed high - my brother has a plumber who charges him next to nothing ... might get him on the phone and see what he'd charge me. Would ideally like washer AND dryer if i am going to the trouble of this as with kid's activities, my work, taking care of the dogs/kids, I will lose so much productivity if I can't keep on top of the laundry.

Here's how we did it. First set up your temporary kitchen, with as much non-breakable stuff as possible (pyrex, etc.), somewhere that you can use throughout your reno so you don't have to move it again. Microwave, toaster, perhaps a single burner. A few mixing bowls, microwave-safe bowls and plates, silverware, the mugs and glasses you least mind breaking. We were able to move our fridge into our temporary kitchen, which was a huge help.

Then take all your precious breakables (good china, etc.), pack them carefully, and put them somewhere where you won't have to move them again until you're done and ready for them.

Intermediate stuff can go into the temporary kitchen, prioritized for usefulness, until it's full, and then into storage anywhere you won't have to move it.

We used our powder room as a temporary kitchen (closed for bathroom use of course). Toilet cleaned and closed. Plastic basins sitting on tank and seat, wire bathroom cart on floor before toilet-- all for letting dishes drip dry. We also used a lot of disposables, of course, but this way we could use the powder room to wash the bowls in which the stuff was microwaved, etc.

Good luck!

For $1200 I bet you could have all your clothes picked up and delivered by a laundry service...

amy, if you are offering, you are hired! when do you want to start?

Your dilemma is different than most who do a "simple" kitchen renovation. You are doing a whole floor, and that changes things massively. It will be just like moving to a new house, only worse. Worse because you will still live in part of the old while the moving is occurring.

A temporary kitchen is a lifesaver during this time. It sounds as though this should be on your second floor so it won't have to shift and move as the various phases play out. At minimum, you want a dorm sized fridge (look on craigslist) a MW, a toaster oven, crockpot, and potentially an induction burner. I'd personally want my rice maker and electric kettle as well. Be sure to be careful about using more than one of these small appliances at once on the same circuit or you'll be traipsing downstairs into the dirt zone to find the breaker and reset it.

I'd also go ahead and pack everything up and put it in a POD as was suggested. It will minimize your stress level if you aren't under the gun timewise. The more time you can take to do this, the better organized the result will be, and the easier it will be to unpack later.

Rather than rigging a single burner, use an electric skillet. Most anything you can cook on a stove top, you can cook in an electric skillet.

Our local laundrymat has drop off laundry service by the pound.

You drop off, they weigh your baskets, and you pick up the next day, just like your grandmother folded it.

I recommended this to one of my friends who was working full time and caring for an aging parent, and needed some help. She said it was a godsend.

So maybe check at laundrymats and drycleaners in your area and see what is available. Or hire a local high school or college student to take your laundry and do it at the laundrymat 3 times a week.

Keep the alcohol close at all times. And a pair of glasses. Hide extra alcohol nearby.

Life is too short to argue about how to pack up a kitchen.

LOL bmore... too funny!

I like where this is going... save the money I was going to give the plumber and take a vacation from laundry for a couple of months -- this never occured to me. I love GW!

Piled it all up in a clean unused room and covered it with a sheet. Little stuff in boxes. It was easy to bring back in as needed/wanted.

You had me at "everything has to come off the floor at some point". No short term solutions, move it once and be done, and I cannot say this firmly enough. We did a whole house update/remodel and addition, and that POD was absolutely a life saver, and we should have had it in place sooner than we did. We also had work being done on the garage and in the basement, so those areas were not so great for storage. Trust me, when the demo/building gets going hot and heavy, the very last thing you guys want to do is find somewhere else to put those boxes. We had to do this with some boxes that we stored downstairs and it was, to put it bluntly, stupid. We should have had that POD in place the week before demo began. Live and learn--and then share here! The POD will be worth every penny you spend on it. (unless you have a large, unused room somewhere else that's not being worked on at all--then use that) Put things that you think you MIGHT need towards the front of the POD so you can get to them if you end up needing them.

We started out with basic plates/glasses/silverware in the temporary kitchen and quickly packed those away and bought disposables from a warehouse club. You can even get disposable paper bowls that can go in the microwave. Washing dishes in a basin in the bathtub just wasn't working for me--it was the only water source on the main floor available at the time, and it was also our only bathroom. I had made and frozen a lot of meals in advance and we thawed and ate those, interspersing pizza and other brought-in foods as needed. I am a cook from scratch person and my kids were simply amazed at the amount of pre-cooked food out there that they never even heard of! :-) I had a single induction burner and a rice cooker that also came in very handy in the temporary kitchen, located in one corner of the living room.

For boxes, find a supply company like U-Line or Associated Bag--you can buy boxes in bulk for less than you'd pay at the UPS store or somewhere like that. We used paper, but you can buy bubble wrap in bulk there if that's what you want. If it's local, they'll usually let you come and pick it up, saving you even more. Label clearly--you will thank yourself when the time comes to unpack!

It's too early in the game to be fighting with DH about anything remodel related. Save it for the big stuff that will undoubtedly come later. Or better yet, discuss now how you will deal with those things, because when the tension is high you don't need to be fighting about details.

Best wishes for a fabulous remodel!
Cj

I went through our dishes. We had had the same set since our wedding and most were chipped. I kept 4 of each plates, bowls, saucers, forks, knives, spoons. I threw out anything with a chip or a crack. Anything over the 4 went to a local charity that sells stuff to fund a local museum. The 4 went to charity after the reno. I really evaluated things I used vs. things I didn't. Anything I hadn't used in 1 year I donated as well. I packed everything up in boxes except the four and then some basic prep items. One or two mixing bowls, a cookie sheet, a cutting board, a good sharp knife or two, travel coffee cups, box grater. We went WAY low tech for the duration of the renovation. Kept out the crock pot. Had access to the stove for all but about 3 nights. Washed dishes in the tub for a bit and then rigged a temp sink on some sawhorses for the remainder. We could connect and disconnect it at a moment's notice.

You're gonna have to LET GO of stuff. Both actual stuff and the concept of things working out perfectly and of you having each thing you think you NEED every time you turn around.

For myself, it gave me a greater appreciation of just how spoiled we all really are to be able to be TKO. I say that with a grin. I'm not being high and mighty. It really DID make me stop and think about my life and how fortunate I was to be able to be so thrilled to have water running right in my kitchen after a couple of months without. We, as the TKO are VERY fortunate and I am very thankful.

We looked at it like camping. Things took a little longer. We had some definite cooking adventures. We joked about being "Chopped Champions" because we became very skilled at taking the pantry items available to us and making a very good meal with them. We took it as a challenge, had fun with it.

Relax and enjoy your remodel. As others have said, save the arguments for the times when there's really something to argue about.

Good luck and post pics when you're done. :)

Ne