Help! No kitchen window! How to add value

[Sweett00th]

I’ve seen a three bed property come up which has dropped in price. Whilst the kitchen has small skylight there is no window! I’m not much of a DIY expert but is there a way to improve this so more light wuthout spending so much! My one thought is knock down kitchen wall so opens into dining room/living room? I want to keep third bedroom.

Attached floor plan

Does the rear door have a window?

You can take down half that wall to make an island and put your dining table on the other side of it. Paint the upper cabinets opposite white and put some lights above the cabinet that light the ceiling.

It's fairly cheap to knock out half a wall. You will lose those wall cabs but you can always fit them on the other side and take the worktop all the way across. Make the worktop super light and it will brighten both rooms.

I was going to say glass back door.

Back door is glass sliding door. The area of it looks like utility space too, I like the way they are using space and kitchen looks good just I’m so use to window and thinking about future saleability. Love your idea lojoko, would builder do given small job?

Here’s link to the place
www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-85140832.html

From the position of the wall between the kitchen and living room, it looks to be underneath the wall above, so is it likely to be load bearing? That would make it more expensive to alter.

I would probably see about re-doing the roof to the side return extension so that it’s almost entirely glass - that would make a big difference to the light. Or at the very least vaulted with more skylights. I wouldn’t personally look to go open plan with the staircase in the middle of the house like that, especially if you have children.

Swap the kitchen and bathroom and move the wall to make the kitchen bigger and bathroom smaller. It’s a typical floor plan where I live. The bathroom is first on the left In the corridor. Then a door straight ahead to lead into the kitchen, which now has the French doors going out into the garden.

The downstairs bathroom will be a pain. I have lived in houses with this configuration and if you need the loo in the night you have to traverse the entire house and back again.
Not what you asked sorry but it jumped out at me.

Daisy would that cost a fair bit for the rejig. Be interesting to see floor plan to get idea.

I don’t think I’d open the kitchen to the staircase as sounds and smells will travel up.

I don’t think there’s a cheap cheap fix as even the opening will set up back a few thousand. Adding more glazing to the roof of the kitchen won’t be cheap either.

Personally, I’d be saving up to the move the bathroom upstairs and turn the back of the ground floor into a large kitchen.

How much is the house and what type?

www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-84243997.html

Have you viewed this house? It also has a downstairs bathroom but a better layout so there’s more kitchen + direct access to garden. It’d be easier to tart up the decor in this one versus structural changes in the other one.

Thanks JoJo, I did see that other one, it only has a shower room, which would be offputting. I think with all the faff Involved with the green house I might leave it. We have a healthy budget of £430k, just nice not to have bigger mortgage 🙂

You need to have a fire door between the bedrooms and the kitchen.

Personally I’d offer less and move the bathroom so that it sits between the lounge and the kitchen. Get big doors onto the garden. This will make it more sellable

Are you SURE you can live with that bathroom position? I'd hate everyone having to traipse through the kitchen and living room after bath/shower.

I agree with @JoJoSM2 that the second house is better. But if you have a healthier budget I wouldn’t be settling for something so imperfect for your needs. Can you afford the next step up?

Have you looked round it? It might be ok in person.

The one @JoJoSM2 has linked is much better and layout easier. I’m as always aghast at prices in the south, double the price from here in Scotland 👀

Z

That second house is much better!

Yes, only having a shower room isn’t ideal.

Tbh, given you have a good-ish budget, I’d probably wait for sth to come up that isn’t so compromised + on the main road.

I remember your other thread - have you decided on Coulsdon or looking in any other areas too?

I’d be happy with that layout, I’ve lived with a back bathroom before and it’s no problem unless you have visitors. I wouldn’t buy another house where the kitchen was open to the rest of the house.

Totally missing the point of the thread but... the bins out front. Is this where they have to live permanently? Do you have access to the back garden other than through your house?