What price a big family kitchen?

[kif]

We've a chance to put in a new kitchen before we move in (i.e. no washing up in the bathroom sink for me...).

The big dilemma is whether to move the kitchen or not.

Current kitchen in 11' square at the front of the house, with the dining table in the sitting room. It's essential for me to be able to eat in the kitchen, which would mean it's quite a small kitchen once we'd left an empty wall for the table.

The other option is to move the kitchen to the back room (18'X15') overlooking the garden. The room would be stretched to busting with a kitchen, dining area and space for the kids to play/store their toys. We could have the front room as a grown up room (where the TV would be).

Moving it would be a fair bit more work, to change around plumbing/heating/electrics etc. A little bit unsure whether the front room is a bit too small to feel like a proper sitting room.

Please help with advice and anecdote - 'cos we've hit a brick wall trying to plan a kitchen without having decided where it'll be... and decision deadline is a-coming.

For me - moving to the back and having a big kitchen would be the answer. Kitchen with table in it for everyone to sit down at dinner time is essential.

It doesn't have to break the bank. I think you should be able to do this - new kitchen, appliances, move plumbing and electrics....for about £15k.

We have moved a kitchen and here (Scotland) you need a building warrant ie a bit like planning permission but less so. Took us a couple of months between applying for it with plans drawn by architect and the building warrant coming through. Worth checking if that's needed where you are.

Other than that - i'd go for the move to make sure of enough room for table - and it's lovely having kitchen and garden connected.

Does it have to be a free wall for the table or could you go for a breakfast bar arrangement which takes up less space? We have just done that and can get 4 people round it. It is at right angles to the wall and so comes into the kitchen like an island.

We're in Scotland and we were told we don't need a building warrant to move the kitchen. We just need the electrics signing off. Mind you, we're not putting in gas or new drainage. Just taking out a partition wall and installing units and a bit of plumbing.

I wouldn't move it if it works OK as it is. Ours is upstairs with no hot water and literally falling apart so we're taking the opportunity to move it.

We're doing the work ourselves. Costing around £4000 in total.

Mmmm. We were really enthusiastic about the kitchen at the back. What kind of deflated me was the thought of all of those kitchen bits and bobs (and mess and smells) completely taking over the bigger and brighter room. It'd rather squeeze out the kids room to play too (3 dc aged 5, 2 and 1).

I'm not totally convinced by built in tables.... I like everyone crowded around chattering and relaxed, and when a table is built in you always feel a bit 'perched' imo.

I think we're OK on building regs and our lease, so long as we don;t move the walls, and get our CORGI certificates.

We have a dining room as well. Could you keep the table in the sitting room as well as having eating space in the kitchen for casual use - which is how we use ours? Or have I got the number of rooms wrong?

Actually it depends how you live. We realised recently that we really do congregate in the kitchen. Plus I really enjoy cooking, but hate being away from DS - on a different floor is just ridiculous. Having said that, a toddler under your feet in the kitchen is not great either. I'm hoping when I'm in the same room he'll go and play instead of annoying me - wishful thinking?

It's a very small house!

Two rooms downstairs (front and back) plus a few nooks for WC and understairs cupboard (which we might try to jimmy a laundry room into, but that's a whole other dilemma...).

I tend towards the small kitchen with a table in it then. Especially if you suspect it will feel small as a sitting room.

Then you can live in the bright back room without being surrounded by kitchen stuff and constantly thinking oh I'd better just do that bit of washing up or whatever.

There was a thread on here recently where people reckoned they could never live with a 'small' kitchen... where OP defined 'small' as 10'X9' - which makes me think we're a bit batty or a bit hardy.... cos I've never had a kitchen bigger than 10'X9' (and plenty smaller, most memorably the kitchen that had a sink, a kettle, one patch of work-top, a microwave and 2 cupboards. And that was it!).

i would wait until you move in and live in the space. you need to get a feel for the house flows, light, etc etc, which you cant do until you have lived in a place for a while.

I live in a 3 storey town house with the living room on the first floor and we have a large kitchen/diner which we virtually live in, especially in the summer - its about 15ft x 16ft. We have space for a kitchen, dining room table, easy chair and some of DD's toys (the rest are in her room) - the doors open out onto the garden At the front we have converted our integral garage as a music studio for DH - its probably about the same size and would make a perfectly good living room.

I love it and so would defintely go for what you suggest, our kitchen is the heart of our home and everyone comments on it when they come round. Because our living room is onthe first floor, we really needed the cosy space downstairs.

I will try to find some pictures.

I have put some pictures on my profile - it was a bit chaotic because it was DD's birthday but you will get the idea. We also changed the table for something longer and thinner that still extends.

We did it last year and it cost about £7000 but we could have done it cheaper with different units, different cooker, etc.

HTH

anothernamechange, do you also have a living room on another floor?

WE have been quoted £10k to do ours, this is 3m by 5m wall cupboards on the 3m wall and an island and granite work surface, includes fitting.

Oooh -thanks for those, twofalls - and you look really pretty in your wedding photo too!

I hope they help. Have also realised that the main part of our kitchen is probably 15 by 13 as it is L-Shaped so you would have a lot more space.

And thanks - it is there to remind me what I used to look like before sleepless nights took away my youth

I'd have the kitchen at the back so that you can watch the kids in the garden when you're busy in the kitchen. It sounds big enough to be a lovely family room, and I think 11' square will make a fair sized sitting room, not too small at all.