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Setting Up a Temporary Kitchen During A Remodel

  • Alex
  • Mar 24
  • 8 min read


Hi, I’m Alex, owner of Ambar Builders. I want to talk about something you might not notice right away when you look at photos of our kitchen remodels, but it’s one of the things I care about helping families with most during a project.


Kitchen renovation in San Marcos California featuring new cabinets, blue tile backsplash, and stove area highlighted for temporary kitchen setup planning

If you look closely, you’ll sometimes see a microwave on a folding table. A coffee maker set up somewhere unexpected. Maybe a mini fridge tucked into a corner.

That’s not an accident.That’s a temporary kitchen.

And as a dad, I can tell you this matters more than people realize.


Why I Think About This Early

My wife, Arasely, and I have two daughters. Our house is busy. Mornings are rushed. Evenings are full. Meals still need to happen, homework still needs a table, and coffee still needs to exist or no one is happy.

So when a family calls us about a kitchen remodel, I don’t just think about cabinets and tile. I think about what daily life is going to look like while the work is happening.

I never want a family to feel blindsided halfway through a remodel, suddenly realizing they have nowhere to make breakfast or heat food. That’s avoidable stress, and it’s not fair to spring it on people.

That’s why we talk about temporary kitchens early.


Why You Need a Temporary Kitchen During A Remodel?

A temporary kitchen is a short-term setup that lets you keep life running while your main kitchen is under construction. It’s not fancy, and it’s not meant to be permanent. It’s just practical.

During a kitchen remodel, there will be times when:

  • The sink is disconnected

  • Appliances are moved or unavailable

  • Counters are gone

  • Cooking normally just isn’t possible

A temporary kitchen bridges that gap so your household can still function.


What We Recommend for Families

You don’t need to recreate your entire kitchen. You just need to be intentional.


Pick the Right Location

We usually help families identify a spot that:

  • Has access to outlets

  • Is away from the main construction zone

  • Can handle a little mess

Laundry rooms, garages, dining rooms, guest rooms, or even a hallway can work depending on the home.


Focus on the Essentials

In most temporary kitchens, we recommend:

  • Microwave or toaster oven

  • Coffee maker (this is always non-negotiable)

  • Electric kettle

  • Mini fridge or secondary fridge

  • Folding table or rolling cart

If you can make coffee and heat food, you’re in good shape.


Plan for Simple Meals

This is not the time for elaborate cooking, and that’s okay.

We encourage families to plan for:

  • Easy breakfasts

  • Slow cooker meals

  • Sheet pan dinners prepped elsewhere

  • Takeout nights without guilt

A remodel is temporary. Your sanity is more important.


Make Cleanup Easy

Water access may be limited during parts of the project. Disposable plates, compostable cutlery, and minimal cleanup are smart choices, not shortcuts.


Why You Might See One in Our Project Photos

Sometimes, if you look closely at our kitchen remodel photos, you’ll catch a glimpse of a temporary kitchen in the background. We don’t always hide them, because they’re part of the real story.

They show:

  • Homes that are actively lived in

  • Families moving through a remodel without everything grinding to a halt

  • Planning that goes beyond just the finished result

To me, that matters just as much as how the kitchen looks at the end.


Remodeling Without the Chaos

A kitchen remodel is a big project, but it doesn’t have to completely disrupt your life. With the right preparation and a clear plan, families can stay fed, caffeinated, and mostly sane while the work gets done.

That’s always the goal.

We believe good remodeling isn’t just about beautiful results. It’s about respecting the people who live in the home while we’re building it.

And yes, sometimes that means a coffee maker on a folding table for a little while.

— Alex

SEO + WIX BLOG FIELDS (UNCHANGED, STILL CORRECT)

You can use exactly these:

Focus Keyword:temporary kitchen during remodel

URL Slug:temporary-kitchen-during-remodel

Meta Title:Temporary Kitchen During a Remodel: Tips from a San Diego Builder

Meta Description:Planning a kitchen remodel? Learn how to set up a temporary kitchen so daily life keeps running. Tips from a San Diego remodeling contractor who’s lived it.

Blog Category:Kitchen Remodeling or Remodeling Tips

Why this version works even better

  • Feels personal without oversharing

  • Positions Alex as thoughtful, prepared, and family-aware

  • Builds trust without selling

  • Still hits SEO cleanly and naturally

  • Fits beautifully with your project photos and brand tone

If you want next, I can:

  • Add a short FAQ section at the bottom for extra SEO

  • Write a pull quote you can reuse on service pages

  • Help you decide which kitchen project to link to from this post

This is the kind of content that makes people say, “These are our people.”



If you look closely at some of our kitchen remodel photos, you might spot something interesting in the background. A microwave on a folding table. A coffee maker perched somewhere unexpected. A mini fridge tucked into a corner that definitely was not designed for appliances.

That’s not a mistake.That’s a temporary kitchen, and it’s one of the most important parts of a successful kitchen remodel.

We don’t always call attention to it, but we probably should.

What Is a Temporary Kitchen?

A temporary kitchen is exactly what it sounds like. It’s a short-term setup that allows you to keep daily life moving while your main kitchen is under construction.

Think:

  • Coffee in the morning without crying

  • Breakfast for kids that doesn’t involve takeout

  • A place to plug in a microwave so you’re not living entirely on protein bars

During a kitchen remodel, there will be periods when:

  • The sink is unavailable

  • Appliances are disconnected

  • Counters are gone

  • Cooking “normally” just isn’t possible

A temporary kitchen bridges that gap.

Why We Care About This (A Lot)

We work with a lot of busy households. Families with kids. People working from home. Homes where life doesn’t pause just because cabinets are being installed.

And honestly, we’re a busy family ourselves. We know that:

  • School still happens

  • Work still happens

  • Feeding people still matters

A remodel should improve your life, not completely derail it.

That’s why we plan for temporary kitchens early and help homeowners think through what they’ll actually need day to day.

What Makes a Good Temporary Kitchen?

You don’t need to recreate a full kitchen. You just need to be strategic.

Here’s what we recommend focusing on.

1. Location Matters

Choose a spot that:

  • Has access to outlets

  • Is away from the main construction zone

  • Can be easily cleaned

Common spots include:

  • Laundry rooms

  • Garages

  • Dining rooms

  • Guest rooms

  • Even a hallway or mudroom if space allows

2. Keep the Essentials Only

This is not the time for clutter.

Most temporary kitchens include:

  • Microwave or toaster oven

  • Coffee maker (non-negotiable)

  • Electric kettle

  • Mini fridge or secondary fridge

  • A folding table or utility cart

If you can make coffee and heat food, you’re already winning.

3. Plan Simple Meals

This is not the season for elaborate cooking.

Think:

  • Sheet pan meals (prepped elsewhere)

  • Slow cooker meals

  • Takeout nights without guilt

  • Pre-made or semi-prepared foods

Temporary kitchens are about survival, not perfection.

4. Embrace Disposable and Minimal Cleanup

During a remodel, water access may be limited.

Paper plates, compostable cutlery, and easy cleanup are not lazy. They’re smart.

Why You Might See One in Our Photos

Sometimes, if you look closely at our project images, you’ll catch a glimpse of a temporary kitchen setup in the background. We don’t always hide them, because they’re part of the real story.

Those photos show:

  • Homes that are actively lived in

  • Remodels happening alongside real life

  • Thoughtful planning beyond just finishes and fixtures

We think that matters.

Remodeling Doesn’t Have to Mean Chaos

A kitchen remodel is a big project. But it doesn’t have to mean weeks of total disruption.

With a little planning and the right setup, you can:

  • Keep routines intact

  • Reduce stress

  • Make the process far more manageable

We believe good remodeling is about more than beautiful end results. It’s about how you get there.

And yes, sometimes that includes a coffee maker on a folding table. ☕

Why this post works (quietly, behind the scenes)

  • Fantastic SEO for “kitchen remodel tips,” “temporary kitchen,” and “living through a remodel”

  • Builds trust without bragging



This is a fantastic Wix question, and you’re thinking about it the right way.

Short answer (decision first)

👉 Yes, make this a BLOG POST.Not a static page.

Then I’ll give you everything you need to fill out Wix Blog SEO fields without guessing.

Why this should be a BLOG post (not a page)

Here’s the strategic reasoning:

✅ Blog post = correct choice because:

  • It’s educational + evergreen

  • It answers a how / what / tips query

  • It supports your kitchen remodel services without competing with them

  • Google expects this content to live in a blog, not a service page

This post’s job is:

Build trust, answer questions, and internally link to kitchen remodel pages.

Your service pages sell.Your project pages show proof.Your blog posts warm people up and catch long-tail search traffic.

This one is textbook blog content.

SEO SETUP FOR WIX BLOG (COPY / PASTE FRIENDLY)

Below are the exact fields Wix asks for and what to put in each.

Focus Keyword (Primary)

temporary kitchen during remodel

This is the main phrase people actually search.

Secondary Keywords (you don’t paste these, just weave them in)

  • temporary kitchen setup

  • living through a kitchen remodel

  • kitchen remodel tips

  • how to set up a temporary kitchen

  • kitchen renovation planning

Blog Post Title (H1)

The Temporary Kitchen You Didn’t Notice (But Definitely Needed)

This is human, clickable, and still SEO-friendly once paired with the meta title.

Meta Title (SEO Title)

Temporary Kitchen During a Remodel: Tips from a San Diego Builder

Why this works:

  • Includes the focus keyword

  • Signals authority (“builder”)

  • Geographic relevance without being spammy

  • Under 60 characters

Meta Description

Planning a kitchen remodel? Learn how to set up a temporary kitchen so daily life keeps running. Tips from a San Diego remodeling contractor who’s lived it.

Why this works:

  • Includes keyword naturally

  • Speaks to pain point

  • Invites clicks

  • Under 160 characters

URL Slug (Blog)

temporary-kitchen-during-remodel

Clean. Evergreen. No fluff.

Blog Category (if you use them)

If you have categories, I’d suggest one of these:

  • Remodeling Tips

  • Kitchen Remodeling

  • Living Through a Remodel

(You don’t need many categories. One is fine.)

Internal Links You SHOULD add (important)

Inside the blog post, link naturally to:

  • Your Kitchen Remodeling service page

  • 1–2 Kitchen Project pages

Example sentence you can drop in:

“If you’re planning a kitchen remodel, we’ve shared examples of recent kitchen renovations here.”

This helps SEO and conversions.

Image Alt Text (if you add photos)

If you show any images of temporary kitchens or projects:

Example alt text:

  • “temporary kitchen setup during kitchen remodel”

  • “living through a kitchen renovation with a temporary kitchen”

Simple. Literal. No poetry.

Wix Blog Settings (don’t skip these)

In the blog post settings:

  • ✅ Enable Indexing

  • ✅ Allow search engines to show this post

  • ❌ Do NOT mark as “Noindex”

  • ❌ Do NOT set canonical to another page

Let this post stand on its own.

Should this content also live elsewhere?

Yes, but not duplicated.

What you can do later:

  • Pull a short excerpt into a Kitchen Remodeling FAQ

  • Link to it from service pages (“Read our guide on temporary kitchens”)

What you should NOT do:

  • Copy/paste it into a static page verbatim (duplicate content)

Final recommendation (clear + confident)

✔ Blog post✔ Focus keyword: temporary kitchen during remodel✔ SEO fields filled as above✔ Internal links to kitchen pages✔ Publish and forget about it while it quietly works for you

This is exactly the kind of content that:

  • Ranks slowly and steadily

  • Builds trust before the first call

  • Makes people feel like you “get” real life

If you want next, I can:

  • Rewrite the post slightly to be even more SEO-structured

  • Add a FAQ schema section at the bottom

  • Or give you a matching Instagram caption that points people to it

But you’re 100% on the right track here.

 
 
 

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