reassure me or not, sarah beaney's...........

[SantaFio2]

kitchen dilema.

It is in the basement and there is an uninhabitable room next door. The bank has agreed to lend us a bit more money to get it done. I was going to keep the kitchen and this room seperate. put the dining stuff and a sofabed, computer, and kids stuff ( sort of like a family room)in there. Then upstairs will be like a formal living room/dining room. the area we live in houses like this are usually split into flats or 'some' people use them as houses, or some as bedsits. So it is either family or investment buyers. Alot of people who have them as houses have lodgers, which is something I am looking into.

Obviously if I 'knew' we were staying I would want to knock through, but as i dont know I think it would better to keep seperate as it would attract more people if we put it for sale.

What do you think? keep seperate or knock through? I am just thinking as it is the kitchen may seem a bit small, but i dont know. i am really stuck on this. Plus f it were seperate with a sofabed, guests could use it too as we are installing a shower room in the basement.

just tell me what to do please TIA

I'd probably knock through, especially if you think the kitchen is too small as it is

I'd probably knock through, especially if you think the kitchen is too small as it is

I'd probably knock through too.

i would have a huuuuge kicthen with berakfast type table, but still keep the formal room upstairs. how large would the space be?

and why a shower room in the basement??

Spacious kitchen/diner gives the "wow" factor and looks fab.

I'd say sperate, kids lounge sounds great, guest room etc and if it keeps the sale price up then its got to be good. Also a cheaper option so if you decide to stay you can knock through another time

I 'know it would go against sarah beaneys recomendation but the hosue is stupid, the rooms are all over the place. the only reason for the shower in the basement would be for 'our' guests as they would sleep in the what is now a very dingy room

looks like knock through then..

Knock through and get the size. A future buyer can always put a stud wall in if they want to seperate the space again.

whats the layout of the rest of the house? is there enough bathrooms upstairs?

atm
basement : kitchen, dingy room, cloakroom, hallway
next floor: cloakroom, lounge, dining room, hallway to front
next floor: bathroom (is sort of inbetween floors)
next flor 2 beds
next floor 2 beds

it is a really impractical house when you have a daughter who has mobility problems! Plus i never do the washing up so everypone would see it
but i know it would look lovely knocked through too

How often do you actually have guests? We keep a spare room for guests but in fact it is only used for about two weeks of a year!
What do YOU want? I always think it is a mistake to think only of what a future buyer would like - you have to live there after all. Which would you find better for your family?

I would knock through. If its dingy it's not going to sell itself much as a separate room, but a big open plan kitchen/family room is always appealing and you or the estate agent can always point out Beaney style how easy it would be to separate it again. Can you have the open plan room and a separte shower room too?

yes the shower room will be off a hallway

yes the shower room will be off a hallway

yes the shower room will be off a hallway

sorry that was bloody ds

think it would be handier to have showe room on one of the higher floors if possible. how many kids do u have again?

But if the sshower room is in the basement it still keeps the possibility of using the basement as a separate unit. Also if the kitchen becomes a big diner/family room I bet you'll end up hardly ever using the dining room, and then that could be used as an occasional spare room, so the basement shower room would be convenient for guests.

Knock through and buy a dishwasher!
Big kitchen dining room and room for a sofa and tv would be great and a real selling point in a four bed house, I think. Put in lots of good lighting so it doesn't feel at all dingy or dark.

Knock through and buy a dishwasher!
Big kitchen dining room and room for a sofa and tv would be great and a real selling point in a four bed house, I think. Put in lots of good lighting so it doesn't feel at all dingy or dark.

Definitely knock through.We have large kitchen/diner/family room on ground floor and another living room upstairs.\the upstairs room stays v tidy as we live downstairs.We also have small office area in an alcove and so all homework tv etc is done downstairs only one room to clean most of the time

knock through but make the layout so that you can easily stick up a stud wall if you wanted to make it into two rooms again. Then you have your options open. This is what we have done, we have laid out our kitchen so that there is nothing blocking the space where the wall was to the dining room, then if someone wants to buy it and have a separate kitchen and diner they can.

knock through

Knock through and pop a shower on the top floor, if you ever want to seperate, the top floor is better for alteration anyway (if you stay a flat for the kids when they get teenaged!)