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Oh my word....found a doer upper, but what to do about THIS kitchen and ancient boiler?

37 replies

marthabear · 12/05/2014 09:07

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-44433392.html

The rest of the house is liveable and can be done up gradually. But the kitchen and the boiler need sorting. Thought about knocking through to half of the garage with french doors to the outside? Would it be a complete nightmare?

OP posts:
Bonsoir · 12/05/2014 09:10

Can you not make a proper L-shaped kitchen/dining room by removing the rest of the partition wall and then completely remodelling the two?

Selks · 12/05/2014 09:11

Difficult to say without seeing a floor plan, but fab house with loads of potential - spacious rooms. Good luck!

Teaandtoast1 · 12/05/2014 10:03

Wow loads of potential there, what a lovely house! The bathrooms quite large, could you relocate the boiler to the bathroom?

starfish4 · 12/05/2014 10:04

I'd pay for an architect or builder to look at the house with you - it will be well worth it so you know what your options are. Those tiles look very similar to the ones we had, we believe they were the original ones from the 1950s!

ManWithNoName · 12/05/2014 10:08

I would say £1500 for new boiler fitted and £15000 for a new kitchen fitted with appliances.

ooerrmissus · 12/05/2014 10:09

Lovely house! I'd look at extending the conservatory over the back of the house and create a big airy kitchen diner in that. Don't half the garage, even though no one ever parks in their garage it's no use if you physically couldn't and would put off buyers when you come to sell on.

sourdrawers · 12/05/2014 10:22

Loads of scope there O.P! Check out 'Interiors' magazine for inspiration. Boiler looks like it belongs in a 50's sci-fi, B movie, but if it's working alright you could move it and build a cupboard around it.

Damnautocorrect · 12/05/2014 10:32

Beautiful house. Very jealous it's lovely.
As PP have said L shape it or put a proper extension (think big lantern roof window) where the conservatory is. I'm wondering if you could leave it as it is and put more of the kitchen in the dining room and glass bricks (for light without a window) to block off a bit of the old kitchen for a utility room?
But it depends on sizes, doors etc.

Damnautocorrect · 12/05/2014 10:34

I had a flat that had no light in the hallway but the top row of bricks from another room were glass bricks. It worked a trick to light it up.

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 12/05/2014 10:35

Id put the kitchen in the dining room and the table in thekitchen bit and thatd be it.

OwlCapone · 12/05/2014 10:38

I'd thought about knocking through to the garage but you'd have to remove the chimney breast in the kitchen which could be a nightmare.

OwlCapone · 12/05/2014 10:39

Depending on your budget, I think a full width, single storey' extension right across the back replacing the existing conservatory.

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 12/05/2014 10:41

Oooo - I love the house! I haven't seen a boiler like that since we sold my grandmother's house after she passed away 23 years ago though! Is there an airing cupboard or somewhere more discrete that could house a smaller modern type boiler? TBH, I could live with that kitchen as it is, it's obviously dated but looks well kept IYSWIM. But I could also see a lovely big kitchen/diner by stretching the kitchen across in to the dining area.

Have you made an offer yet? Or are you just at browsing stage? Grin

drspouse · 12/05/2014 10:55

The floorplan (see bottom of page) doesn't look like it would lend itself to L-shape but either kitchen-diner or those two together with the conservatory open plan with them?

OwlCapone · 12/05/2014 10:56

You could probably shift the boiler into the garage fairly easily.

dottyaboutstripes · 12/05/2014 11:31

My parents have that kind of boiler!
What a lovely house

Gemma77 · 12/05/2014 11:56

Gosh how prices vary depending on location... hate to think what this would cost where I live!

I love the house, has real potention!

wonkylegs · 12/05/2014 13:25

we've just removed a bigger version of a boiler like that. We now have a wall mounted Worcester Bosch (conventional condensing , house too big for a combi) but it was easy enough for them to sort out.
We bought our house last year. I didn't love it as it was but I could see potential after we'd done work to it.
I had real misgivings once we moved in about the kitchen - awkward shape, dark, dingy, no storage.
We are in the process of doing the works to the house now. The kitchen was completed dec/Jan and it has transformed the house. It looks completely different. We thought about knocking about walls but actually by completely rejigging the boiler position (ours was also in the chimney breast - now moved to an outside wall and we now have a larder cupboard in the chimney breast) and the layout and some very clever storage we have a completely different, fantastic light, airy and practical space. I have no misgivings about the house and i'm completely glad we went for it.

Sunnyshores · 12/05/2014 16:11

I've seen loads of houses with garage conversions, full or part, so I dont think that would be a problem on resale - especially as you have lots of off road parking. It is a lovely looking house, good luck.

LaurieFairyCake · 12/05/2014 16:14

Anyone else looking at it and thinking it's fine the way it is? Confused

Nice big kitchen - dining room attached

I'd replace the boiler and lick of paint and it's fab.

LaurieFairyCake · 12/05/2014 16:16

And fuck me it's lovely and cheap and I want to live there

It's bloody loveky

marthabear · 12/05/2014 16:24

Thinking about making an offer. DH is far more keen than me. I'm so scared of it being a money pit and we don't know anyone who knows anything about building. It has been up for sale for a few months and reduced in price once. Apparently the owners know that they won't get above the stamp duty mark, but they have had two offers already. How cheeky can I be with an offer though?

OP posts:
morethanpotatoprints · 12/05/2014 16:31

I'm not sure about anything else but that boiler will cost a fortune and any repairs you'll find plumbers don't have the parts anymore.
A much smaller combi will not only look better but be far less expensive to use.

RaisingSteam · 12/05/2014 17:46

You don't really get the benefit of the garden as it stands.

Move utility and WC/boiler to where the kitchen currently is, keep the existing back door.

Create a single story extension with rooflights and big views to the garden on the footprint of the current conservatory/wc area. Not necessarily any whole wall of glass stuff, but French doors at least. You'll need quite an RSJ to hold the back of the house up but builders do this all the time.

Then lay out a really great kitchen and dining area in the space - maybe kitchen in the old dining room, with an island and good low energy lighting to compensate for daylight loss, and a dining table and bit of a sofa area in the extension.

Bargain IMO, welcome to lovely Leicestershire (if you aren't here already!)

marthabear · 12/05/2014 18:13

Raisingsteam- Good idea. But that sounds like £££. How much do you think? (very roughly obviously).
We're not too far away from this house already. Are you south Leicestershire too?

OP posts: