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Property/DIY

Knocking kitchen into dining room? Decrease house value?

18 replies

Winetime1981 · 08/05/2013 20:45

I would love a gorgeous open plan kitchen/diner. But is this silly in that we'll lose a room?

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Roshbegosh · 08/05/2013 20:48

No it will be great and will add value. We all like light and space now, not lots of pokey rooms. Go for it.

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takeaway2 · 08/05/2013 20:52

We intend to do that. Need to cost up flooring, structural beam though. Hmm

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FishfingersAreOK · 08/05/2013 21:21

We have done it. We do have a separate living room though. Love, love, love the open plan space.

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Winetime1981 · 08/05/2013 21:22

Oooh excited now! Going to go for it I think. How much should we budget?

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Winceywoo · 08/05/2013 21:31

We are in in similar dilemma. I would like to merge our kitchen and dining room but DH is hesitant as we will 'lose a room', and may devalue the house.

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Roshbegosh · 08/05/2013 21:32

You need a structural engineer to do a report for the steel, and then there might be extra expense like rewriting, moving light fittings, new ceiling, windows etc. then building regs guy comes to check it. Once we started it grew and grew but its fantastic now. You will need a new kitchen too I assume, it is a big project but it was worth it.

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vez123 · 08/05/2013 22:11

We didn't think of doing it when we renovated the kitchen. Now i regret that we didn't knock them together, wish we had thought it through more!
We might do this though...
I would have a look at similar houses to yours on rightmove and how they have done the layout to get an idea what's feasible and how the end result could look!

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Tizwozliz · 08/05/2013 22:39

We did it. Love it, don't regret it for a second. Existing kitchen was tiny

Some before, during and after photos here

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MaryMotherOfCheeses · 08/05/2013 22:41

Hate separate kitchens. If I were looking to move, I'd prefer to have one which had already been knocked through, would save me the job.

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Camwombat · 08/05/2013 23:05

Do it! Apparently kitchen diners are "in vogue" right now according to our local estate agents. It apparently will add value. Grin

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LondonJax · 09/05/2013 20:20

We're getting ours knocked through in the next month or so (so I may need an intravenous G&T each day then). I was a bit concerned about losing a room, though we have a living room across the hall. So, we're having folding door, three full size glass 15 pane doors hinged so they fold right back against the wall. One of them is going to be a separate door so we can use it as a normal door if we want to shut the room off into two separate rooms if that makes sense. That way we can be open plan most of the time but, as DS grows up (he's six) we can have a place to dump a group of boys to watch ghe footie or play on the computer without having them cluttering up my living room :-)

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LondonJax · 09/05/2013 20:25

And, don't forget, your house will only be what it's worth when you sell it. If that's in ten or twenty years time who knows what will be in fashion. Plus, by then, you'd have probably added something or removed something to keep up to date. If it will work for your family, now, then do it.

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Winetime1981 · 09/05/2013 21:05

Thank you everyone! I think we'll go for it - just need to save the pennies up now!

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ChocolateHelps · 09/05/2013 21:19

We knocked thru tiny tiny kitchen to the rear reception 4 years ago, love it!!! The wall taken down wasn't a supporting wall so didn't need a steel replacement. Think about kitchen placement too, you might get more units and a bigger kitchen by installing the new kitchen on the other side of the new room. Maybe a range in the chimney breast? An island is a fantastic extra storage and having a big slab of worktop is brilliant for buffets and sewing needs!!

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Winetime1981 · 11/05/2013 06:43

Hi chocolate! Thanks for input. I'm planning on an island that can also be used as a dining table when required. Something like this:

hollingsworthcabinetry.com/residential-cabinetry-main/kitchen-islands/kitchen-island-seating-1/

Then we can avoid the need for a proper dining table that's only needed in our house when we have people round. The rest of the time our dining room table is totally defunct which us a shame as it takes up so much room. This way we're getting an island which I think will be utilised. Just need to find the right one in the UK!

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preggersbycheggers · 11/05/2013 06:45

Definitely do it. It is by far the best room for family living.

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ChocolateHelps · 11/05/2013 10:44

Hi winetime, the island seating in that picture is just a breakfast bar and tall chairs or bar stools. Do you really want to have all meals perched on bar stools? It is also possible to have banquet seating coming off an island but that would be a big chunk of solid in the middle of the room.

Kitchens are really a series of boxes with worktop on top. A breakfast bar off an island has an overhang of worktop normally 30cm. To get the ball rolling book an appointment with a big high street kitchen cos and take in your room dims. It's free and can help you think how the room will be used.

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Winetime1981 · 11/05/2013 11:47

Ah yes I see what you mean - on closer inspection the chairs are just higher! I thought it was a special one...

Thanks chocolate I will do. I would really like an island and also fitted sofas at one end of the living space, so that leaves me with a bit of a dilemma re. a dining table...

Anyone with ideas?

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