Printable checklist
Kitchen Remodel Preparation Checklist
First: how does the kitchen actually work today?
One honest week of observation
- Where do groceries land when they come in the door?
- Where does prep really happen, and is it where you wish it happened?
- How many people cook at once, and where do they collide?
- What has no home right now? (The appliance graveyard counts.)
- Where does everyone gather, regardless of where you want them to?
- What do you never use that's taking prime space?
Decisions in dependency order
1. Layout
- Keep the footprint or change it? (Moving the sink or range means plumbing, electrical, and usually permits.)
- Walls: opening one? Confirm early whether it's load-bearing, it changes budget and schedule.
- Work zones: prep, cook, clean, land, store, walk the imaginary triangle.
- Island dreams: check clearances honestly. An island that pinches walkways is a daily tax.
2. Appliances (before cabinets - sizes drive the boxes)
- Range or cooktop + wall oven? Gas, electric, or induction?
- Refrigerator: standard or counter-depth, and measure the path it takes into the house.
- Ventilation: real, ducted ventilation is worth planning early.
- Dishwasher, microwave placement, and the small stuff that needs outlets and homes.
3. Cabinetry
- Tier: stock, semi-custom, or custom, in older homes with unsquare walls, this is a practical decision, not just budget.
- Drawers vs. doors for base cabinets (drawers usually win for access).
- The tall-cabinet question: pantry towers vs. wall cabinets.
- Interior fittings you'll actually use, pullouts, dividers, trash/recycling.
- Hardware: pick it now; it affects drilling and arrives late if ordered late.
4. Surfaces & lighting
- Counters: durability vs. maintenance honestly weighed (there is no maintenance-free everything).
- Backsplash: decide full-height vs. standard before electrical rough-in.
- Flooring: what goes under it matters in old houses, ask about leveling.
- Lighting in layers: task (under-cabinet), ambient (overhead), and the fixture you actually love.
- Outlets: more than code minimum where you actually prep and charge.
The temporary kitchen plan
Where life happens during construction
- Pick the temporary kitchen spot: fridge, microwave, coffee, kettle, one power strip that can take it.
- Stage a two-box kitchen kit: plates, mugs, utensils, cutting board, dish soap, paper towels.
- Plan realistic meals: slow cooker, grill season, and a short list of takeout you won't resent.
- Dishwashing: nearest working sink, bathroom or utility, with a drying rack.
- Freeze ahead if you cook; clear the freezer if you don't.
- Agree on the dust boundary and keep the doors closed.
Ready to talk through your kitchen?
Bring your observation notes, or just your frustrations. A real person will walk the space with you and give you a straight read on layout, scope, and sequence.
Tell us what you’re considering. A real person will review your request, and we will not sell or distribute your project information.