We’re about to knock our kitchen out and extend into the garage. This means going for a fair few weeks/months without any sort of kitchen.
We have a microwave/combi oven and an electric twin hotplate which I was thinking about putting in our other garage as we really don’t want to cook in the lounge.
I love a BBQ so will be having a fair few of those, but I just wondered if anyone has any tips for surviving?

Takeout on speed dial 😆

We kept one kitchen cupboard and moved it into our (fortunately sizeable) bathroom. We then just used a washing up bowl on top of the unit to wash up and stored the plates etc in the unit.

Wash up in the bath. Microwave meals are the best bet, plus ^^ lots of take aways.

We had a camping stove too. The only real pain in the arse was the washing up in the bath

paper plates, plastic cutlery and a bin!

We kept the kitchen sink in action long after I took the wall down that it was attached to. I also left the old wall in place until we’d done quite a lot of work on the new bit. We did a bit of juggling of appliances between the old kitchen, new kitchen, and new laundry room. Moved the washing machine to the spare bedroom too.

It is tempting to rip everything out and start building works with a blank canvas but that isn’t easy to live with. I don’t think we had a non working sink, cooker, dish washer, washing machine for more than a day.

the 3 crux moves under such circumstances are:

1) Go on holiday
2) Eat out a lot more
3) Visit friends for dinner

😉

We had thought about the plastic plate idea, but I’ll draw the line at plastic cutlery.
We will try and leave the sink for as long as possible.
I’d thought about getting a baby bath that fits over the bath to wash up in, or is that just stupid?
As far as a washing machine goes, has anyone just stuck it in their shed and ran it off the hosepipe?

Where would you run the washing machine waste water to? In reach of a drain?

As far as a washing machine goes, has anyone just stuck it in their shed and ran it off the hosepipe?

Not far off what I did in the last rented house I lived in. Drain was hooked up through a hoover hose. There was only one space in the kitchen so the dishwasher got that.

I ripped out kitchen and bathroom at the same time had a hose pipe camping stove and a microwave for 4 weeks. Good freinds with warm showers for when you cant face hosing yourself off in the garden 🙂

We kept the dishwasher and washing machine plugged in for the whole duration. Was a bit of a PITA for the builders having to work around them but we wouldn’t have managed without. Otherwise the rest of the kitchen was stored in the living room and we managed with a microwave next to the fridge for meals (again, in the living room).

Most houses as opposed to flats , have the sink under the window, so rip out sink and drain, cut pipes and fit washing machine taps, drill two holes through wall and feed through 2 lengths of washing machine hose, now the sink and base unit you have taken out, re site it ouside, and connect hoses to soink taps, waste conected by flexible pipe into drain, yu can now wash the pots outside, and buy a cheap gazebo to kep you dry.

When kitchen is completed just remove sink etc and fit two outside taps for bike/dog.car washing etc/

We plumbed a sink and added a worktop to the garage to make a temp kitchen (open garage door for open air camping experience!), it was winter and fun taking hot food from the garage outside then into the house;) but worth it as kept us separated from the building dust. Worth it if more than a couple of weeks in reality.

We have two kitchens. Sorry couldn’t resist!

However, wasn’t always the case & we used many of the options above.

Ours was out of action for a week last year. Ended up eating out, take away pizzas or using the bathroom sink.

Some really good ideas here thanks.
Plenty to think about.
Tell me it’ll all be worth it in the long run?

It’ll be worth it in the long run

We did 6 weeks without ours. Used the barbecue most nights. Microwave and kettle in conservatory. Outside tap for water and washed the pots in a plastic bowl on the garden wall.

Weeks is one thing, months another. I think our kitchen took 3 weeks and that was quite manageable. A few thoughts

Eat lunch as your main meal
Microwave curries are your friend 🙂
Salads, plus if desired with cold meats
Hearty soups (prepared) with bread
We used our gas BBQ quite a bit

Washing up etc we had it fairly easy as we had a utility room and we put the dishwasher in there

tenfoot – Member

Wash up in the bath. Microwave meals are the best bet, plus ^^ lots of take aways.

We did this

Just had a new kitchen installed along with rewiring the flat, new windows, replastering, redecorating etc. Used the opportunity to try a few restaurants that I would otherwise not have done. Also quite a few takeaways.

We’re doing the same this summer, I am buying my colleague’s parents old caravan for a few hundred quid, it’s old but immaculate and we were going to sell it after but I want to keep it!

We’re extending ours and converting the utility room into a downstairs shower room. Been ripping out and preparing all week. Builders in this coming week. I’ve taken a fortnight’s holiday, hoping too that it will be all worth it. PITA for me will be sitting our two dogs and cat whilst the builders are here.

caravan?