Knowing is half the battle. By preparing for the dust, foot traffic, and absentee kitchen sink, you’ll find yourself ahead of the game.

• Get clean, sturdy boxes well ahead of time to ensure that you have the packing supplies you need.
   

• A week before renovation begins, start packing up the contents of your cabinets, beginning with the least-used items. By the day before tear out begins, you should be down to basics that will be kept in the most accessible boxes. Unpack in reverse order for a streamlined process.
   

• Plan a temporary kitchen by moving a refrigerator to a convenient space close to a water source. Add a makeshift table with a microwave above and a trash can below.
   

• Invest in plenty of disposable plates and cups—washing dishes in the bathroom sink gets tired after a day or so.
    

• Stockpile food. Meals cooked in advance and frozen can be easily reheated for a family dinner that’s a little more normal than the state of your home. Or grab microwaveable meals and stable shelf entrees like soup for easy meals. 
   

• Decide how to protect what you can’t remove; floors should be covered, dust curtains hung and a pathway defined for workmen to enter and exit the workspace.
   

• Don’t be afraid to ask your designer or contractor for a timeline. Knowing what will be happening everyday will give you peace of mind.
   

• Interested in sending your cabinets somewhere other than the junk heap? If you don’t have the finances for laundry or garage cabinets, consider installing your old cabinetry there. You can also investigate donating them to non-profit companies for use in rehab projects.