Redesigning kitchen/diner, where do I start? Please help!

[Jank8]

Hi, we're looking at following the herd and knocking the wall down between kitchen and dining room and making an open plan kitchen diner. Also nuilding in a ery small utility along with a new kitchen. We have got no idea where to start! We don't think it's a supporting wall. Do we need an architect? Can a builder advise? We also may move the kitchen from one wall to another (plumbing/gas would need moving) Again is this something a builder can advise or do I go to each indidual trade or the kitchen designers? So overwhelmed with everything so would love some advice please! X

A good builder will advise if the wall is load bearing, and can organise all the trades. Finding a good builder is the trick.

I would design the layout of the kitchen yourself, our architect was useless at that (and so was the kitchen designer). If you draw an outline to scale, put in the things that have to be in particular places, sink under the window probably and on a wall adjacent to the drains if possible, similarly with washing machine and dishwasher and get the dimensions of the appliances and cupboards that you like and fit them in. Make sure if they put in doors they leave a depth of a cupboard on at least one side, so you can get full runs. Also make sure you have plenty of sockets, you always need more than you think.

Even if you do go to a kitchen designer if you know what you think will or won't work it will save a lot of hassle and you won't be bamboozled.