Would this put you off?

[Meshy23]

Hi

We have a 2 bed Victorian terrace in London and are looking to redo the kitchen to increase functionality and space as it is small, dated/ugly and awkwardly spaced. We can’t afford a whole extension though, so will include magic corners, more units and freshen the look into a shaker style with integrated units, Belfast sink, updated tiles and floors.

We will look to sell this house in 2 years or so as our family grows so don’t want to put off buyers with our refurb. At the moment there is no space for a dishwasher and a fridge/freezer(!). When we moved here, there was no dishwasher or freezer - just a tiny fridge. We will install a dishwasher and in the meantime we have just put a big fridge freezer in the corner of the kitchen - right in front of the narrow doorway between the dining room and kitchen. So when walking into the front door of the house, you can see up the hallway into the dining room and see the fridge right there in front of the v. Narrow doorway to the kitchen.

Photos attached. Would seeing the fridge in the doorway put you off buying the house in future (assuming the kitchen itself is up to date and assuming the two beds/size of the house is right for you etc)? Should we swap the fridge and the radiator so that the doorway isn’t blocked (even though this will reduce walking space to garden door which is near radiator).

Or should we open up doorway and change fridge to under counter fridge/freezer and install longer worktops that reach up to where current doorway is. So the fridge through the doorway isn’t the first thing you see when you walk through the dining room.
This will also mean the dining room should get more light and we get over a metre of additional worktop space. But is it worth the expense/hassle involved with the work required to open up the wall?

Thanks

Yes. Take radiator out and stick fridge where bin is now.
Good luck

If you're moving in 2 years, I would probably leave the kitchen as is. It's a classic shaker style that suits period properties. I can't see the point of spending £££ on redoing it unless you can do a proper, desirable extension that buyers will pay a lot extra for.

You might just like to get matching appliances as those look messy.

I agree with pp, I don't think it is necessary to change it if you are planning on selling in a couple of years, it looks fine. If you do go ahead though, I think the fridge location would probably put me off. In my mind a fridge and freezer are essential, but a dishwasher is not, and if it seems there is no space for a fridge freezer I would doubt that the kitchen would really work well. Therefore I'd think about needing to do work... Hence no point in doing the work unless you can solve that problem.
If it was me, and I was definitely going to do the work, I think I'd miss the dishwasher, and have under counter fridge and separate under counter freezer.

I would move the fridge to the opposite corner. Leave the radiator on the same wall but just have a vertical column Victorian style radiator instead.

The fridge blocks the light a bit too much I think x

It would really put me off to be honest

Hard to say where to put the fridge from photos, a plan would help.
At the moment the fridge is a big eyesore and shouts ‘this kitchen is too small’.
Is there a window opposite? If so it would be in front of it, unless you go for the under counter option.

Any chance the fridge and the radiator could swap places? worth asking a plumber.

The black appliances make it look twice as small

Swap for a white fridge freezer

There looks to still be plenty of space to get through the doorway even with the fridge/freezer where it is so I don't really see it as a problem unless you are obese or a wheelchair user. As it's a freestanding appliance then any potential would have the option of removing it anyway so I can't see that it will put many people off.

I do agree with others though that if you are planning to move in 2 years anyway then I wouldn't waste money replacing the kitchen.

Both times we've had small kitchens there hasn't been a radiator. At most a plinth heater. So get rid of the radiator and put the fridge freezer there in the corner.

You could take the radiator out and put in a kickspace heater in to give you more room.

Having said that, we're just putting ours on the market and the EA said not to bother upgrading the kitchen. People are very individual with kitchens, and it's more off putting to have a new one you don't like than face putting one in apparently.

It does make the kitchen look small but I don’t see the point in doing much if you are moving in 2 years, are you sure you will be moving so quickly,? will you definitely be able to afford a bigger/better house by then? Reason I’m asking is it can be very easy to say you are moving up the property ladder but sometimes circumstances/ property market decide otherwise, if it turns out you might stay longer you might regret only doing a half measure refurb, if it is definite you will be moving just spruce up what you have.

Hi all

Thanks so much for all the replies! Such great advice.

We want to change the worktop anyway (as it’s rotting around the sink) and there is randomly a 69cm gap around the 60cm hob. But we wondered whether to do a full refurb rather than just deal with those points.

@betty We are intending to try for dc2 soon and hope to move to a bigger property in around two years before dc1 goes to school. But you make a great point given the London market - we might not be able to afford anything at that point!

I didn’t notice that the dark appliances themselves make the room smaller- so thanks for that tip.

I’m glad that most people have said we don’t need to do a lot of work given our intention to eventually move - I was hoping for that response! I think we will update worktop, sink, somehow close the gap around the hob (perhaps with panels) and move the fridge. We can think about switching the appliances too (although I have always preferred black appliances)!

I thought opening up the doorway may be a bit too much work and cost, especially given we have a newborn.

Do you need the radiator? We've had a couple of small U shaped kitchens without radiators and never noticed them being cold. I think moving the fridge to the bin corner is a good idea, and either shrink the radiator, move it (most expensive option) or reduce it to something very narrow.

I maybe wouldn't run new worktop all the way to the door or you risk reintroducing the hemmed in feeling. Maybe add 60cm of worktop at that end and use most of it for an integrated bin cupboard. Alternatively fit pullout bins under the sink.

I think a freestanding FF is more appealing to buyers than under counter ones.

Ooh and on the radiator front, rather than adding a radiator to our utility, we just installed a plug socket in the right spot, so we could plug in an oil filled electric radiator if needed. We haven't used it yet so I'm quite pleased we didn't bother to install a proper radiator.

I love your kitchen units but I agree that integrated appliances would be much nicer. The fridge being where it is would not be a deal breaker but my dad is a heating engineer so moving the radiator would be an easy job for us.

I think a freestanding FF is more appealing to buyers than under counter ones.

Oddly I think the opposite and I'm quite disapointed the house we are buying doesn't have space for under counter fridge and freezer.

I would also change the floor to something lighter. Its too dark.

If moving the fridge/freezer blocks the door to the outside I think it may have to stay where it is. Put the stuff on the top of it in decorative baskets they hide a multitude of sins

We had an under counter fridge/freezer in a previous property (bigger kitchen than we have now) and I really liked it. But if the OP did that there would be no lower cupboards as it would be fridge/freezer/dishwasher/oven/washing machine

Someone I know with a similar layout knocked a hole in the wall through from the kitchen (front of house) to the lounge at the back and it actually looked good, and really did improve the amount of light to the lounge at the back. I'm talking big though, not just a serving-hatch type hole!