Kitchen layout tips please

[Onlyboys]

Sorry if this has been done before . . . Could you please pass on your words of wisdom regarding the layout of your kitchen if you have refurbished yours, or just things you wish you didn't have in your kitchen. We are about to plan a new kitchen ready for the sale of the house, so it won't be our dream kitchen, just something appropriate for the house. (former owners had strange taste).
E.g a friend put her dishwasher too close to the kitchen door and no-one can get in or out if it is being un/loaded, hence much huffing and door swinging. What is best for corner cupboards, shelves and long arms or carousels or pull out baskets?

Islands are great, as are pull out larders. We have a pull out bin, which has food recycling, recycling and general waste sections in it.

Deep drawers are lovely, and it means you don't have to reach into the back of cupboards to get stuff.

Magic corners for corner cupboards are great (the ones which pull out around 90 degrees. Circular carousels waste a lot of space.

Think about:

Maximising worktops - long uninterrupted lines if possible.
Light - windows/ ceiling lights / under cupboard lights
eye level ovens are good
the 'working triangle' between cooker/fridge and sink
make sure you have a min of 1 1/2 bowl sink
If for sale think about fitting in a table and chairs / breakfast area if space
Also think about appliances - built in or not?

WE have all drawers in ours (live in a rental house in Germany but they don't come with kitchens so you need to have your own.... weird!) love my drawers as can see everything easily.

What would I have done differently - had a bigger fridge and a tall broom type cupboard. There is no space anywhere for a bin - but mine is built in so ok - and nowhere to keep ironing board/mop/hoover etc. (no understairs cupboard either)

Also - you can't really beat ikea kitchens for value you can download their planner from the website and have a play/design/cost up on there for ideas.

Good luck and what fun!!

Built in bin with recycling section
Put bin near sink
Have dishwasher near sink
quiet dishwasher
quiet extraction hob
simple corner cupboard with 1 shelf (i have had all and this works best)

However none of this will matter when you come to sell the house . People will not notice (they won't see what you have done, jus the layout). I would rather buy a house with an old kitchen with money off the sale than take on a kitchen that is ok but not my taste (I couldn't justify ripping it out then)
I'd leave it as it is and I'd take the money you are going to spend on the kitchen off the sale price and tell people they have the opportunity to make their dream kitchen and you have priced accordingly for it.

I agree with Inti

my sister bought a house - the kitchen was almost new - she ripped the whole lot out and started again - don't waste your time or money

Thanks everyone, good tip about volume of appliances, and about whether to actually bother updating it or not. We have gone back and forth many times on this. We have done every other room in the house, when we bought it we said it would be the first room we would do as it is so hideous. I think I would be too embarrassed to put it on the market as it is.

Make sure that the worktops are a good height. I find that many many kitchens have worktops and sinks that are far too low, so you hurt your back bending over.

Ikeafans.com great for looking at how people have customised ikea stuff. I have one corner carousel and one corner unit with two half width shelves at right angles at 1/3 and 2/3 the height of the cupboard which are really easy to access. Got the idea from ikeafans.

If your doing your kitchen to help sell the house just make sure it looks good.
i wouldn't add any gadgets what so ever as the will add alot of expense yet you wont get it back. as a decent magic corner is £300 ish - that's 2 x units and you wont get the joy of using it and the estate agent wont even look in your cupboard.
we had our house valued after renovation including 2 x 300 pullout larders, 1 x magic corner, pullout bin etc costing around £1000, would never add that to the house price, lucky were not selling.....
it would be worth doing it if you get a quicker sale and the price you want.
900 x 900 corner unit for easy excess no wire work needed.
if you have the budget for integrated d/washer I would do it as will look smoother for the buyer.