Remodeling Your Kitchen during a Pandemic

In 2020, the US economy fell by 3.5%, but spending on home repairs and improvements increased by 3%, according to this study from Harvard. More and more, we are hearing about increased material prices and longer wait times on shipped items. So let’s go through some tips for remodeling your kitchen during a pandemic.

 

Plan Ahead

The global supply chain for many renovation and home projects has been disrupted by COVID-19. So if you’re OK to wait, why not start the planning now? You can set a date to start your kitchen project for 4-6 months in the future, and start finding your materials and design elements now. This can alleviate the stress of your kitchen project stalling in the middle because your cabinets aren’t coming for another 12 weeks or your large appliances are no longer in stock at Home Depot.

 

Choose a Partial Remodel

We know that once you get that itch to start redoing your kitchen, you don’t want to want another year before starting to realize your new dream. But if you can, start thinking about the parts of the remodel that can be done now or in the near future.

 

Instead of gutting the kitchen entirely, focus on things you can accomplish or on things that truly need to be fixed first. This creates a less drastic disruption in the function of your kitchen and also helps you still feel like you are working towards something you want.

 

Get As Much Information as Possible Before Placing Any Orders

In order to avoid as many shipping and supply hiccups as possible, talk to your contractor or supplier directly before you place your order. Have them tell you what the stock looks like for the items or materials you want, and the current shipping times. When they tell you the shipping times, plan around the worst-case scenario, so you can be pleasantly surprised if things show up earlier than that.

 

If you are at a supplier or retailer, ask them how much stock they have and when they’ll be receiving more. And be sure you know how much of that material or item you’ll need before you pick something out and order it.

 

Familiarize Yourself with Pandemic Decorating Trends

You aren’t the only one remodeling a kitchen during the pandemic, and that means there are trends emerging that you may want to be aware of or avoid since popular options will be the hardest to get a hold of.

 

Indoor gardening and adding greenery (both real and fake) elements are hugely popular since we’ve spent the last year cooped up at home. Health and wellness are also huge – that means many people are looking for air quality monitoring systems, auto-cleaning technologies, and germ-resistant flooring and materials.

 

Don’t Ignore COVID-19

As much as we are all tired of hearing about how COVID-19 has impacted – and is continuing to impact – our lives, it’s wise to bring up the subject early with any contractors you might be partnering with on your kitchen renovation project.

 

Discuss the precautions that you will be taking, and the expectations any workers will meet in terms of cleanliness, occupancy during renovation, and the like. You should also think about your own household and its occupants – do you have any elderly or immunocompromised people living with you, or even visiting in the near future? If so, it may be best to push back that kitchen project for a time.

 

Be Flexible

Many contractors and suppliers are getting double or triple the work they are used to. And this means restricted phone availability and longer wait times.

 

Be flexible wherever you can. If your timeline can be pushed back to accommodate more pressing projects – on your end or theirs – then consider mentioning that. If there are materials or décor items that you are willing to swap out if something should become unavailable, make sure you have alternatives ready, or at least be able to provide your contractor with a rough idea of the style or feel you’re going for.

 

Relax and remember – we’re all trying our best as we navigate these unprecedented times, and staying flexible makes it less devastating when things aren’t going exactly as planned.

 

Partner with the Kitchen Experts at Anve

Anve Kitchen and Bath is your full-service kitchen remodel solution. From design to finishing, Anve wants to help you bring your post-pandemic kitchen dreams to life. Check out our kitchen process.

 

Have questions? Anve wants to help. Contact us today.