Dining Rooms

[bluefox]

We have decided that our dining room is really a waste of space (only used once a year on christmas day) but cannot decide whether to make it into a seperate 2nd lounge (useful for when dd has friends round) or to knock through and have one large living area. We intend selling and moving in about 2 yrs time but dont know whether we would be devaluing the house by knocking through and losing a room IYSWIM. Anyone done this and had their house valued before and after? Any advice would be appreciated.

Where do you eat dinner then?
I think you'd be better sale-wise having two reception rooms tbh.

According to many a house programme prospective house buyers like to see separate lounge/ dining room so they can get some peace and quiet from the kids. I think if you were staying then do what suits you (ie knock through if you want) but if thinking of selling then prob best just to make it into a tv room for the kids. The house I grew up in had two reception rooms (with the staircase in the middle so no option to knock through) and quite often I would lie on the sofa in one room, sulking because it was sunday night, listening to grunge whereas my parents would watch high brow programmes such as the south bank show or hale and pace in the other room. Happiness all round!

Anyway I am digressing but there was a piece in the Times Home supplement yesterday that blamed the demise of civil family meals together on "knock throughs" saying there are too many distractions from Tv's, kitchens, play areas, phones etc which lure the children away from the dining table!

We have table and chairs in the kitchen so eat there. Think youve both confirmed what I suspected and best to keeep the rooms seperate. Thanks.