How long will you be without a kitchen during an extension?

Plan for 8 to 20 weeks without a functional kitchen on a full kitchen extension, and real builds regularly hit the upper end. Industry guides describing "a few weeks of inconvenience" tend to be optimistic.

What do you need for a temporary kitchen?

The essentials are a portable induction hob, an air fryer, a fridge, a microwave and a kettle and toaster, plus a washing-up station in another room such as a utility, garage or bathroom. You can set the whole thing up in a couple of hours.

Can you cook with just an air fryer during a renovation?

An air fryer handles most of what a conventional oven does (roast chicken, chips, vegetables, fish) while using far less energy. Paired with a single induction hob ring it covers the bulk of everyday cooking through the build.

When should you strip out the old kitchen?

As late as possible. If the extension is built as a separate structure first, you can often keep the old kitchen running through groundwork, structure and some first-fix work, and only lose it when the builder knocks through to connect the spaces.

Where do you wash up when your kitchen is out of action?

Most people set up a temporary wash-up station at a sink in another room, such as a utility, downstairs toilet, garage or bathroom. A second drying rack and a stock of disposable supplies for the worst weeks help keep it manageable.

Back to Kitchen Extension

Phase 2 · Pre-Construction · Task 08 of 13

Setting Up a Temporary Kitchen During Your Extension

Your kitchen will be out of action for months. Here's how to set up a temporary cooking and washing station for £100 – £300, plus the food and laundry strategies that actually work.

9 min readUpdated 2026Free with email

Timeline infographic showing the kitchen gap period between old kitchen strip-out and new kitchen installation, with icons for temporary cooking equipment at each stage

Prerequisites

Complete this first

Skip Hire and Site Setup

Your old kitchen gets ripped out months before the new one is ready. Not weeks. Months.

On one build, the old kitchen came out in August. The new kitchen fitter didn't arrive until December. That's 18 weeks of cooking on a folding table in the spare room with an induction hob and an air fryer. And that timeline is entirely normal for a full kitchen extension.

8-20 weeks

is the typical stretch without a functional kitchen during a kitchen extension. Expect to hit the upper end of that range rather than the lower.

The industry guides will tell you it's "a few weeks of inconvenience." It isn't. Plan for the worst case, and anything shorter feels like a bonus.

Timing the strip-out

Talk to your builder about exactly when the old kitchen space needs to be vacated. You have more control over this than you think.

If your extension is being built as a separate structure before the opening-up happens (which is the most common approach for rear extensions), you can keep your existing kitchen running through the groundwork, structure, and even some of the first-fix stages. The old kitchen only needs to go when the builder is ready to knock through the existing wall and connect the spaces.

Tip

Ask your builder whether they can put up a temporary stud wall to partition the construction zone from the rest of the house. This can buy you extra weeks of overlap between losing the old kitchen and getting the new one. Some builders do this routinely. Others won't unless you ask.

Strip the old kitchen as late as possible. Every extra week with a functioning kitchen is a week you don't spend washing up in the bathroom.

What you actually need

Forget the idea of a full temporary kitchen. You need five things, and you can set them up in a couple of hours.

A portable induction hob. Single zone is fine. The IKEA TILLREDA is the most commonly recommended option, and for good reason: it's cheap, it works, and you can stash it in a cupboard when it's not in use. Budget models start from £30 – £60.

An air fryer. This is the single appliance that will make the biggest difference to your sanity. Air fryers run at 50-70% less energy than a conventional oven and can handle roast chicken, chips, vegetables, fish fingers, and anything else you'd normally put in the oven. Budget models from £30 – £100.

A mini fridge. If your main fridge-freezer is in the old kitchen and can be moved elsewhere (garage, utility room), you might not need one. If it can't, pick up a table-top model for £35 – £80. A mains or gas-powered camping fridge is a good alternative if you already own one for holidays: it runs off a standard socket indoors, holds a surprising amount, and goes back in the loft when the new kitchen lands rather than becoming clutter you bought just for the build.

A microwave. You probably already own one. If not, basic models start around £30. This is your reheating workhorse for batch-cooked meals.

A kettle and toaster. Tea is non-negotiable during a building project. For you and the builders.

The total equipment outlay if you're buying everything new is £100 – £300. If you already own a microwave and can relocate your existing fridge, it's closer to £75 – £100.

Infographic dashboard showing five essential temporary kitchen appliances, portable induction hob, air fryer, mini fridge, microwave, and kettle and toaster, with approximate costs for each and a total equipment budget. — The five essential temporary kitchen items and what they cost

What this guide covers

01Where to set it up
02The washing machine problem
03When your drains run through the build zone
04Food strategy
05The emotional side
06The kitchen pod alternative
07Before your builder strips the old kitchen

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