Kitchen appliances are an unavoidable part of remodeling. This month, we’re talking about what to order first—cabinets or appliances—and if you’re keeping your old appliances, what to do with them during your remodel.
Real estate is booming and home remodeling is at an all-time high. Before you remodel your kitchen, though, one of the first things you really need to consider is kitchen appliances. If you’ve had your stove, refrigerator, and dishwasher for 10 or more years, they may be at the end of their time. But, if you just replaced all of your appliances in the past 2-3 years and now quarantine has got you eyeing the cabinets for a make-over, you may need to get creative in getting them out of the kitchen for your new home project.
Replacing your Appliances
Your kitchen appliances should be replaced every few years in order to get the most out of your money—appliances are an investment, after all. The average lifespan of dishwashers are 9 years, refrigerators could last you 13-15 years, and stoves last around 15 years (though electric stoves come in a little lower with an average lifespan of 13 years). This means that once every 15 years, you’ll be shelling out a few thousand dollars for some new appliances.
If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, you should consider the cabinets first before buying appliances. Your vision for a new kitchen is usually centered on the cabinets, the counters, and the tile. The color scheme and style of your kitchen is important, and it’ll be easier to find functional appliances that will seamlessly blend into the finished product rather than the other way around. Another reason you should focus on cabinets before buying appliances is if your cabinets will be a different size from your current ones. You’ll need to wait until the new cabinets are installed to get more accurate measurements for your new appliances.
Be careful when choosing new appliances for your kitchen. Newer kitchen appliances, while more high-tech, also happen to have rounded shapes whereas in previous years, appliances were more straight-forward and clean-cut. You may need a smaller size than what your old fridge or dishwasher measures as. Consult with an expert before purchasing a new appliance and measure your old refrigerators, dishwashers, and stoves twice before you buy new ones—the last thing any homeowner wants is for a new appliance to not fit correctly and have to shell out another couple hundred bucks.
Another factor you should be mindful of when ordering new appliances is the situation around you that may affect accessibility. There’s a current nationwide shortage of appliances, specifically refrigerators and freezers. The refrigerator shortage is largely due to a shortage in parts and components from overseas manufacturing rather than a rise in demand for refrigerators. This shortage doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon—some manufacturers have wait-lists dating to the spring of 2021. Be mindful of your home project and make sure that if you’re in need of a new fridge or freezer, you’re ordering one sooner rather than later.
Storing your Appliances During a Remodel
If you’re keeping your old appliances, there are a few things you need to do before you let your remodel crew get to work in your kitchen. First, you’ll want to properly disconnect all kitchen appliances before moving them. If your stove is gas instead of electric, you should have a professional come in and disconnect it from the main gas line. The same goes for your dishwasher—a professional should come in and disconnect it from the waterline and drain it before you attempt to move it. Your refrigerator should be temporarily cleared of any unnecessary items, although it’s impossible to completely empty it.
Secondly, you should move them as far away from the work zone as possible. Replacing cabinets does come with some slight demolition, and you don’t want your appliances near the crew while they’re working or else you could end up with some scratches or damages to your kitchen appliances. Also, simply moving your appliances to the other side of the room doesn’t give your crew much space to work, so finding a storage room for the duration of your remodel is the best option for both you and your crew.
A lot of people can go without access to their stove, microwave, or dishwasher for the duration of the remodel, but a fridge is necessary in order to keep yourself fed. Establish a safe, functional place somewhere else in the house that you can store your fridge for the duration of your home project.
Overall, the best advice we can give is to double-check all your decisions and consult your design expert and remodel crew before making any final decisions. If you’re replacing your appliances, measure them twice. If you’re keeping them, keep them as far away from the project as possible. We want you to have the kitchen of your visions, and that includes getting the right kitchen appliances that look spiffy and spotless.