How important is a kitchen at the back of a house?

[mumma24]

woukd you consider a kitchen at the front with the lounge at the back over looking the garden?
or do the majority prefer the other way. Looking at a house to buy but thinking of resale going forward in 5 years time

. I imagine OP means that the kitchen window looks into another room and there is no window on that side of the outer room. I would not like it whatever it means. Facing an external wall would also be depressing. Perhaps OP meant external.

I never understood why the front room was traditionally for best in the uk.

Because the kitchen was utilitarian and meant to be hidden away. If it was at the front you would have to bring guests past the mess. Plus servants & reducing fire risk in the days of open stoves.

Sorry…but I don’t get this comment at all? Why would it be easier to watch kids in the garden?? I spend much more time in my living room than in my kitchen (by a HUGE margin!!) Personally I have no preference either way, but watching kids in the garden wouldn’t even factor into it 🤷‍♀️

@janietreemore I’m still confused!

Yes this!!!

@CheddarCheeseAndCrispSandwich but lots do want to watch their dc hence why it’s their preference. I don’t even use my living room every evening.

My kitchen is at the front. I have a cafe net at the window so I can see out, but nobody can see in. I enjoy watching what is going on whilst I am busy in the kitchen. The bathroom is at the front too.
Bedroom and living room at the back overlooking the garden, with a door out from the living room. It is a bungalow with a total of 4 rooms.

We have a kitchen at the front and lounge at the back. I prefer it that way as I spend more time in the lounge!

Only if you spend most of your time in the kitchen I guess! Mine is at the back but often think I’d rather be able to see the garden from the living room so I can sit on the sofa with a book while keeping an eye on the kids playing!

I prefer Kitchen at the front - great for people watching when doing the washing up and then the living room is more private

I would prefer this. My lounge is north east facing and my kitchen/diner southwest. It gets unbearably hot in the summer with the sun blazing in at dinner time when I need to use the kitchen and I inevitably end up living in the dark with the blinds down all afternoon in summer.

But can’t you watch them from your living room, if that’s the room that leads on to the garden? I don’t spend much time in my kitchen.

I’ve got side lounge and kitchen so can access both back and front and see into both gardens lol.

Yeah same, we have our living room at the back with patio doors onto a veranda, it wouldn’t be possible if that was the kitchen.

@ThiagoJones of course you can but some spend more time in their kitchen hence why that suits them.

My first house had a kitchen at the back. I didn't like it, it was a small 2 bed property. If it had been a kitchen/ diner/ family room it would have been different. I now have a small three bedroom property woth small kitchen at the front. I prefer this as it works for me. Having the living room/ diner at the bacl feels more sociable

My daughter’s house has the kitchen at the front and it works well. There is more privacy with the sitting room at the back. Her only niggle is that people tend to dump bags and things in the kitchen when they come in the house, which annoys her.

I live on a long road of Victorian terraces/semis.

A lot/most of the terraces have their kitchens in the front looking overlooking the road and their living rooms at the back overlooking the garden.
Seems very sensible to me!

Kitchen at the back is essential for me, although we do have a living room at the back too. I have a veg plot and a lot of herbs in the garden so I’m always popping in and out when I’m cooking. I also spend a lot of time “pottering” in the kitchen so like to be able to look out and hear the trees rustling in summer 🥰

@MrsMitford3 & they were originally designed like that? Isn’t that really unusual for the Victorians?

First house we had the kitchen was at the front. I really loved that house.
Still it seems more normal that the kitchen is at the back. If I could chose though I'd have it at the front every time.

It's just occured to me that I have never lived in a house where the kitchen was at the back. All of them had kitchens in the front and one even had the utility at the front (on the other side of the house the the kitchen - imagine!!) in fact I even had an apartment where the front door led into the kitchen.

Didn't know it was something so strange people won't buy a house because of it!

My first priority when viewing a house is the aspect of the living areas - south or south west. Never choose a house where the main living room is north facing.

I don’t spend much time in my kitchen so I wouldn’t want my kitchen overlooking the back garden if it’s a small house. I prefer my living area to have the nicer outlook, not onto the street at the front.

kitchen at front makes a lot of sense also considering the food shop.

My kitchen is in the middle and my sitting room leads into the garden. I love being able to look out on my garden. Lots of new houses have kitchens at the front.