Open plan kitchen-which is better/cheaper

[siblingrevelryagain]

Is it better to knock small kitchen into side return utility to make larger kitchen, or go the other way and knock kitchen into dining room/through lounge and put dividing doors in? Would it feel too 'open plan' to have lounge/dining/kitchen as 'one'?

The first option would involve knocking into outside walls so I'm guessing more expensive. However utility needs plastering and re-flooring either way. The goal is a usable living space which would be the main family area, but money is most definitely an object!

I have no clue about how much it would cost to knock through kitchen into dining room.

It's difficult to say and depends on what you like and what it will cost. Is there any way to get someone to look at it and give you a rough idea of the cost of each option then you compare that with which result in terms of cost and resulting room division you like best? The last thing you want is to simply go for the cheapest option and hate the result!!

I personally don't like open plan as much as I like being able to close off rooms if I want or if I (for example) burn the bacon.

One thing to consider is the noise of all the appliances if you have the fan, dishwasher, washing machine and boiler all going it's a bit much.

I've come from an all open plan home to one that has separate dining, living and kitchen. I quite like this but having small children it's great having visibility of the dining/playroom...I am putting double doors inbetween the kitchen and dining.

The thing is you are taking out the corner of the house (Taking an outside wall out) which will involve, structural engineer, special made beam and the charge £50 an hour to put it in, and drawing up a plan, so could end over 2K plus.. That is why we decided to go the other way, as it would of cost me £4k just to take that outside wall out, we already have 2 living rooms and a dining room, so all we need to do is insert a beam in the middle one of the living/dinning room which OH can do himself with help of friends.... Talk to a builder and see what he says... You will also have to have someone come out from building regulations...

I think it would depend on if you would eventually be selling it on and who your buyers would be.

An executive property for young professional couples might be fine open plan, but as a young family, we would prefer to have at least a separate kitchen/diner from the lounge.

I think a kitchen diner is brilliant with a small family PROVIDED you have the washing machine / dryer elsewhere says the mother of 3 where the washing machine is on constantly. I would therefore have a separate utility every day of the week, but I'd also not want the whole of the rest of the downstairs to be open plan.

I would ideally have doors to separate lounge from the dining room, the knock through between kitchen and dining room so you end up with utility, kitchen diner and then separate lounge?

I would leave the utility and knock into the dining room. If it's a non-supporting wall it shouldn't cost too much.

Thanks for all the replies-I think on reflection I feel more comfortable with internal walks being moved! I imagine that, because of circumstance, I won't be able to sell for a very long time, but at least if I ever did it would give potential buyers an easier option of putting back what was done!