Serving hatch

[Namechangedfeb22]

Would you buy a newly renovated home if they had kept the original 1980s serving hatch amongst a modern handless kitchen?

Being unreasonable - no I wouldn’t buy jt
not being unreasonable - yes I would buy it

I see that, but why would that relatively minor piece of work put you off entirely from buying the house? You could factor the cost into your offer, after all.

I think it would depend on the position. If it's in the middle of a block of units for instance, then it might be a total eyesore when blocked up. It also sort of gives the impression that corners have been cut and the reno wasn't done properly. I do have an almost irrational dislike of serving batches, though.

Surely most people would just put a cupboard in front of it if it were an eyesore? Or turn it into a cupboard by putting doors on the front?

We’ve just renovated a house and not only did we keep the original hatch, we actually made it bigger and more of a feature! I adore it. It means we can keep the dining room as an actual separate second living space, a proper family room, rather than it becoming a part of the kitchen (I’m not a fan of open plan living in houses that weren’t designed for it) so it actually adds huge value to the house by giving us two reception rooms rather than just one, with a big kitchen diner. I can keep an eye on our toddler while they’re playing and I’m cooking, we can have friends chatting and eating in comfort while I’m still part of the conversation even though I’m in the kitchen, and it makes the otherwise small kitchen feel big and warm and spacious, without needing to actually go open plan. Don’t be a snob about a serving hatch - they’re brilliant if done properly and the rooms are otherwise a high standard. Plus it’s the easiest and cheapest thing in the world to fill in if you don’t like it or change your mind later.

But maybe I’m an outlier - I don’t like open plan living and I HATE en suite bathrooms!

I think it just goes to show it’s personal choice but if you’re leaving it make sure it looks like an intentional feature rather than just left over from previous kitchen. The worst one I ever saw when house hunting was a crappy builders refurb and they’d left the hatch in but but fitted the new kitchen so it was now above the gas hob 🙄

I loved ours when I was a kid. I would hang through chatting to my mum as she served up.

Yeah I would as I they can be quite fun. But I understand can look incongruous. But you can change things in a house so it wouldn't put me off.

If you're a buyer and the house is otherwise spot on atcthe right price, go for it
If youreva seller get some quotes to get the job done and see if it seems to he putting buyers off. Its not a major job to fill in in but a buyer will not see it that way and ask for money off.
Which are u OP

I've always rather wanted a serving hatch, so it would make me MORE likely to buy it!

My parents used to have one, it was useful at the time but they aren't fashionable at all now.

They ended up taking down the wall where the serving hatch was, and making the separate kitchen and dining room one big kitchen diner.

Much better.

My parents had theirs glazed in the end. I was gutted. I said how disappointed I was that I wouldn't be able to do puppet shows for them anymore. They pointed out that I was 47 and hadn't lived there for years. How unreasonable.

Surely if you dont like it you can get it bricked up for not a lot of money.
Hardly a deal breaker on a house.

We had one growing up. Mum saw it when viewing the house (around 2000) and thought "hideous, we'll fill that in straight away". It's the only time my mother has ever admitted being wrong - she loves it and would never be without it. She mentions it absolutely every single time she has guests.

Pic or it didn’t happen 😂😂😂😂

It wouldn't be a deal breaker if I liked the house itself. But it wouldn't get used. We had one in our last house (1980s build) Ignored it for 12 years.. I absolutely hated having a separate dining room so our new house has a big enough kitchen to eat in.

Had one growing up. Only really used when large meals such as Christmas. Would not put me off.

Cat loved it and would sit there almost all day if not moved.

If you’re willing to pass on a property because of a serving hatch when, let’s say, it’s perfect location, superb schools, great property in every way otherwise and suits you and family in every other way….

then it really isn’t the property for you!

I love them!

It wouldn't put me off - if you don't like it, it can be sorted out.

I used to have one in a previous house. In our carefree drunken dinner party days we would all inevitably end up climbing through it at some point in the evening for fun!

Not enough info for voting!
Is the house otherwise perfect And in the right area?
Is there anything else comparable on the market? (Do you have choices?)
Does it suit the layout?

Whats a handless kitchen?

We had a serving hatch between the kitchen and dining room in our house, I replaced the wooden doors with frosted glass ones - I bloody loved it!

Exactly this. I’ve just blocked the door between the kitchen and dining room. It is immediately warmer and tidier. I’m tempted to have a serving hatch 😂

We've got one. It's occasionally very handy if I've got to have the kitchen door shut (usually to keep our food-obsessed dog out of the way if we have friends here) and it lets light through from the kitchen into what might otherwise be quite a dark room. It's a bit tatty and the shelf bit is overcrowded with ornaments and photos at the moment, so it's very un-Mumsnetty, but I like it and it didn't occur to us to fill it in when we looked at the house.

Wouldn't bother me. I have one but it's blocked by the fridge freezer as the kitchen is a bit small by modern standards. I quite like them.

You sound like a first time buyer OP?

I remember when I was a FTB being put off by minor things like this. Now that I'm a homeowner and faced with the reality of having to have work done (all homes need maintenance, even new builds) this would not phase me.

A kitchen hatch is a quick fix with some battens and plasterboard. Google filling in a kitchen hatch on YouTube and you will find examples.

I think they're quite a nice little feature so it wouldn't matter to me, but I'd never let something so small put me off a house that otherwise ticked the boxes. You'll never buy a house that's perfectly to your personal taste.

Agree they're likely to come back into fashion soon - aside from energy prices, these things are always cyclical.