Kitchen (very small!) for resale - is dishwasher needed?

[Oakbutterfly]

Hello,

I've just moved into a house but split up with my partner so won't be staying here for long. Maybe just over a year. It needs a new kitchen - and the current one is very small - the fridge freezer is currently under counter, the fuse box and electricity meter occupies one of the cupboards, and there isn't a dishwasher. I am planning a redesign, and struggling to fit everything in, especially if we try to fit in a full size fridge freezer. How critical is a dishwasher for resale? It would probably mean not having any drawers...

The property is a fairly small 2 bed house in a row of three (all occupied by single people or couples atm).

I am currently using fridge freezer in the shed.

What about a dishwasher drawer?

I have two - one above the other but you can have them as singles and put a storage drawer underneath.

I love them. I find standard dishwashers too big for our family of 3. So day to day use one, but if we have guests I can use the other - which is also great as I can load one and get it started from dinner and put all the desert things/glasses in the other layer.

One would be perfect for a small house though and you can get loads in it.

Picture

from that floor plan, I think you have space. F = tall fridge-freezer. DU = draw unit. H = hob (get induction because you can then use the top as worksurface when you aren't cooking). CU = cupboard unit with some kind of corner shelf over it as well. then the sink, DW = dishwasher and WM = washing machine. you'll still have 20cm spare for the electrical boxes if needed.

if you need to compromise, you could put the freezer in the shed but keep the fridge in the kitchen because that is what you need most often when cooking.

I don’t think either the fridge or freezer should be in the shed long term.

You could use a fridge with just a tiny freezer bit at the top though - don’t have to have a big freezer.

We live in a family home and only use our dishwasher Christmas Day. We're having a new kitchen installed next month and we're not replacing the dishwasher as cupboard space is more important to us.

a couple of space saving things to consider:
-a combi microwave or airfryer instead of an oven
-a 2 burner induction hob instead of a traditional 4er
-a drawer or slimline dishwasher

How about not having a dishwasher but putting the pipework in for one so that it would be very simple for a new owner to install one.

I wouldn’t be put off if you didn’t have a dishwasher but would want space for one.

I couldn’t even give away my dishwasher to my buyer.

If I was doing a kitchen again I would put a cupboard over the sink that has an open rack on the bottom so you can put washed crockery straight in, in Italy all the kitchen have this.

I would want a dishwasher

We only had a fridge with ice box freezer for 7 years and it was fine actually having a small extra freezer in cellar. The only think I kept for instant access in ice box for peas and ice cream. Everything else you generally have to heat in oven or defrost so a few min detour isn’t an issue

We use dishwasher every day with 3 of us, still filled most days with 2 of us before Ds

At least a slim line one

In a previous house we bought there was a small dishwasher but we removed it and replaced it with a cupboard as that was much more useful to us. In a small home where there may only be a single person or a couple living I don't think it's essential. Longs as one can be plumbed in if the next owner wants one.
You need a fridge in a kitchen but a separate freezer could be in an insulated out building, I think.

The problem for you on this thread @Oakbutterfly is that about half the respondents are saying a dishwasher would be essential to them in a kitchen whereas others are saying it wouldn't be.

Nevertheless, seeing as you are planning to sell in a year or so, I would be aiming not to make a decision that would put off half my potential buyers.