How can I upgrade this kitchen

[Honeycombskl]

We live in an area of Scotland where there is currently a post-covid influx of people from other (generally wealthier areas). This has led to us being pushed out the market despite having a decent deposit and good incomes for the area. We just don't have enough to compete with people offering many 10s of thousands over the asking price.

There is one property on that we could afford and is receiving little interest, due I think to the layout. It has an incredibly small and awkward shaped kitchen. Due to the layout and where the kitchen is there would be no way for us to extend it and we couldn't put a kitchen in another room without sacrificing a bedroom (and we need them all).

I know the photos aren't the best but does anyone have any ideas of how we could utilise this space best for a tiny but practical kitchen? To the left of the cooker there is a small space with shelves in the corner, at the widest part of the kitchen, and a small pantry cupboard in the corner you can see at its smallest part.

Ikea have some great ideas for small kitchens. I'm sure you could keep the same layout but with neatly fitted units ands make better use of the wall.
www.ikea.com/gb/en/rooms/kitchen/small-kitchen-ideas-pubef2269f1

I was going to say the same thing, use the IKEA kitchen planner to see how you could make best use of the space, they have great ideas for small kitchens. Is there a shed where you could keep the washing machine, maybe a chest freezer as well if you need one?

There's a shed but the garden is small so had considered getting rid of it to open out the garden more. If we don't though a freezer in there isn't a bad idea. Currently the fridge/freezer is in that little porch area.

I would consider knocking the wall out to combine the kitchen with living space.
This is one of those cases that an architectural technician would really help you see how you could reconfigure the whole space.

Yes, where's the fridge?
For instance you could have a 2 burner induction hob, neat single sink and drainer, a built in oven with a drawer under it, which would leave room for a good worktop space.

If you are a family you might need to be minimalist on your clutter but it should be possible.
Could you relocate the kitchen/lounge wall by a couple of feet or knock the rooms together?

In terms of knocking the wall down, it's a structural wall with a chimney in it so I'm not sure how easy that would be.

I would say you need to make the most of the height.
If you get an oven and hob fitted get it with cabinet with drawer underneath ie IKEA.

Can you move washing machine either outside or to bathroom?

Add shelves and hooks above cooker area

Use the thin IKEA spice racks on wall either side of window for narrow storage - if you look up online there’s lots of ideas with the spice racks

Yes actually, the washing machine can be moved to the bathroom or the front porch so that's some space gained...

This is the overall layout of the house. We need 3 bedrooms so that's our main thing is to keep them but open to other ideas. The kitchen is on a different level to the living room and also they are separated by a structural wall with a chimney which may make it difficult /expensive if we were to open it out, otherwise I would have considered doing that.

Put a washer/ dryer and a freezer stacked in the cupboard in living room.

I assume the dining room is the third bedroom?

Good idea, thanks!
Yeah, dining room would be the third bedroom.

If you were saying you couldn't extend because of money for 5 years, say, rather than because there's nowhere to extend to I think you could maybe live with this.

For a family where you say you need both upstairs bedrooms and turn one downstairs room in to a bedroom, I think you'd be daft to commit to buying it. Not enough living space left, plus no-one else wants to buy it so you'd obviously have major issues selling it when you wanted to move.

Irritating, but unless you're really desperate to buy now, I'd move on by ...

I agree get rid of the washing machine and put that in the bathroom.

I assume the 3.05m measurement refers to the diagonal wall? Which imo gives you space for 4 60cm units allowing for the diagonal being difficult in terms of depth? ~ 240-260cm usable space?

Is the white door at the end a usable cupboard or is it for boiler/gas meter etc?

My biggest issue would be a lack of work surface but if you keep the sides completely clear and have everything in cupboards/off the side that would be okay.

I would probably do something like: 60cm wide, tall larder unit inclusive of oven & microwave where the cooker currently is, to make good use of the wall space. Then 80cm pan drawers and hob - you can get LOADS in those, and can position the hob away from the oven to give you some worktop space. Spice racks and utensil hook bar things above the hob. Then the rest of the remaining diagonal wall for a small sink unit and cupboard and a bit more surface space. I personally would try to squeeze in a slimline dishwasher as it gives you somewhere to store dirty dishes without the sides cluttering up.

If the white cupboard is useable for storage - that’s your pantry. On the long straight wall - shelves.

Is the dining room the third bedroom? If not make that the lounge and have a kitchen/dining room in the lounge and then make the kitchen a utility room.

I don’t think it’s fair to say there would be no onsale value, as another buyer may only want 2 bedrooms and so you could have the dining room as a lounge and make the lounge into a kitchen diner. Use the current diner as a utility.

For your own purposes, I would move the washing machine. What is in that cupboard at the end? You can make it work, good idea to go to Ikea or b&q and see if they can draw up plans.

Cross posted about the 3rd bedroom. I would cross this one off the list then, it's not really big enough for you to have useable space and I live in a small house!

@Whitney168

I get where you're coming from and you're probably right. We're just getting a bit desperate as I'm due a baby in September and we're currently in a tiny two bed top floor flat (DP already has 2 kids and we're tight for space as it is). He works away so I'll be on my own lugging a pram and things up and down the stairs with a baby and the kids so could really do with a house.
We couldn't extend as the outer wall of the kitchen takes you directly onto the street so there's no where to go.
Guess I had just hoped that if we make it as nice as possible (it needs all redecorated) then when we come to sell someone will want it.

Oh man I completely forgot about a fridge freezer!! Could you squeeze one into the porch 😬

The cupboard at the end just has shelves in it. Not huge though but a wee bit of space.

You can make it work. You need to speak to a kitchen designer, people can work wonders in small spaces. Especially as it all depends on what you actually need. People have become obsessed these days with enormous kitchens but you don’t necessarily need one. No everyone has cake mixers and slow cookers and all sorts of equipment. Some of us just have a hob, oven and kettle!

I think it’s actually ok.

I assume you need three bedrooms for:

Bed 1 : you and dh
Bed 2: x2 step children
Bed 3 : baby

In that case, just keep baby in you room for 2-3 years first as well. Then the dining room/ bed 3 can stay as a playroom/ living room a few years and when you want baby/ toddler to have own room you could use that room downstairs still daytime when he’s awake

Apart from the kitchen it looks like a spacious house. I would try and spread the storage around as far as possible - laundry and cleaning (and maybe dry goods) in the back porch, a dresser or china cupboard just through in the lounge, so the kitchen really is a little cooking hub. It might be worth getting a carpenter to build it all in bespoke. Things like your larder cupboard could be great storage if properly shelved out, you could have high level shelves on the wall backing the lounge.

It's okay sized rooms and there's storage round the house so literally the only problem is working with a tiny kitchen. I'm trying to arrange another viewing (have already viewed it but without DP) so I can try to visualise it more. The wee larder cupboard is shelved, just not massively deep. I think it could be workable but just wouldn't be able to stock-pile any foodstuff!

Porch/downstairs bathroom is a biggish space. Pop a stacked washing machine/dryer there perhaps.

I know you have a chimney in the wall between the kitchen and living room - how much space could you claim into the kitchen?

What about knock into the tiny porch off the kitchen?

Alternatively what about doing something wild? Turning the dining room/bathroom into an open plan kitchen/diner/living space - perhaps claiming some of the hall?

Then turn the current living room into a bedroom with an en-suite?

Is there space to expand where the downstairs bathroom is? Just a tiny bit. See image.

Use the cupboard near the stairs in the open plan space too.