Kitchen Remodeling is a huge endeavor and you may be looking for ways you can help, especially ways in which you can save money. One of the easiest things you can do as the homeowner is demolish your old kitchen yourself.
Our DIY kitchen demolition took seven days and I want to share with you how easy it was and how you can do it too!
By the end of this “pictorial demonstration”, you should have an idea of what steps you can take to DIY your kitchen demolition, and get you pondering, “why didn’t I think of that? “
First, I have defined some initial steps you will want to take before physically getting started. Key decisions need to be made before you lose your kitchen!
Then, step by step, I’ve covered the timeline. I’ve included key points I learned at each step as well as what tools were used to do it.
Lastly, I concluded with thoughts on final preparations before the professionals arrive.
Lots of information here, first save this post to Pinterest so you can come back to it when you have more time!
Initial Steps
Evaluate your Kitchen
Every project needs a good plan and it starts weeks or months ahead of construction.
Start by sitting down in your kitchen and assessing each component. Answer these questions:
- Which items can you save and reuse into your new design?
- Which items are beyond repair and deserve a good dumpster dive?
- Are there items that you are not in love with and should be donated?
Next, physically write down each item and where they are going to go. If keeping them, where are you going to store them during the renovation process? Our kitchen received small upgrades for about six years prior to jumping into a large kitchen remodel, so we ended up saving our fridge, oven, microwave, dishwasher and faucet.
Quick tip: Remove the saved items yourself prior to your demolition crew getting there so that the items are not accidentally taken to the dumpster. (That initial day will go so quick and your helpers will be making assumptions on how to help.)
Assessing your People and Tool Needs. Who can you Bribe to Help?
Another great list to make in the initial planning stages is a step by step walk through of your demolition. What needs to happen first? Who do you need or how many people do you need to make that happen? What tools will you need to complete the step? Your notebook can be edited later, but having a rough draft down will get you thinking about ALL that this project encompasses. Last minute trips to the store will cost you time and money!
Demolition Timeline
Here is the breakdown of our home’s 7 days of demolition, starting with the initial preparations. (It’s broken down into 6 pages to help you with page speed.)
Initial Preparations
Click here or on the image to read: 10 Ways to Prepare Before your Kitchen Demo.
Flooring
Click here or on the image to read: Day 1: Flooring.
Cabinets and Counter tops
Click here or on the image to read: Day 2: Cabinets and Counter top.
Backsplash and Drywall
Click here or on the image to read: Day 3: Backsplash and Drywall.
Partition Wall
Click here or on the image to read: Day 4-6: Removal of Partition Wall.
Final Preparations
Click here or on the image to read: Day 7: Final Preparations for Contractors.
Conclusion
That concludes my kitchen demolition homeowners’ guide. I hope it has opened yourself up to the idea of demolishing your kitchen yourself.
Only YOU know if you can handle a DIY project, so use caution and common sense. If you don’t feel comfortable, you can always pay someone else to do it.
Happy Demolishing!
Helping you plan for tomorrow,
~H.
If you are demolishing your kitchen, you may be interested in learning more about the kitchen remodeling process. Clicking here or on the image below to learn more.
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