What is a kitchen?

Zelie

Odd title I know.

I'm currently saving to increase my deposit and don't intend to buy for a while yet but I've noticed quite a few repos coming on the market in my desired area lately. Most have the basics but one has just been put up for sale with absolutely nothing in it.

I don't mind having a house that needs doing up but doing a place up the way I want it would take time and money. I'd move into any place I buy fairly rapidly as I don't mind 'camping out' so long as I had some basics. This would give me time to get a feel for how the place works and see what would fit where. But how would this work if I buy a house with nothing in it? No kitchen or bathroom.

I know it's tricky to get a mortgage without these as the house would be considered 'not habitable'. If there was no bathroom then obviously I'd install some cheap stuff pdq and do it up properly later. I'd do similar for a kitchen but I wouldn't want to go spending lots of money on stuff if I'm going to rip it out six months later for something decent (and it might take me that long to decide what I wanted in there!).

So how is a 'kitchen' defined by mortgage companies? Are there specific elements they want to see before they agree it's a kitchen? My intent was to get a power point installed then stick a table, a microwave and some plastic storage boxes in on day one and then do it up properly over time. Would that be enough? Or does it vary by lender?

PasturesNew

If it has no sink, it's deemed unmortgageable. That's all they want - a sink.

You can get freestanding units and free standing cooking things (toaster, microwave, little hob).

I'd just get a £60 stand alone unit from B&Q and plonk a kettle, microwave/combi oven, toaster and a 2-ring hob on top. Bob's your uncle. You see less in a some studio flats for rent.

Zelie

Danke.

I'd install the cheapest of suites in the bathroom. Would the sink there not count? I suppose I could get a second, cheap sink for the kitchen but I'd prefer to avoid any unnecessary expenditure on stuff I'd be getting rid of in a few months.

I'd quite like to have free-standing furniture in my kitchen rather than fitted units. But I'd need to measure up and think about things like what flooring I wanted and where to buy from etc. Plus there's the consideration of how much it will all cost. And before I can do any of that I need to get a mate to help me rewire the entire hypothetical house.

PasturesNew

No, the bathroom sink won't count as a kitchen.

googler

Zelie wrote: »

Danke.

I'd install the cheapest of suites in the bathroom. Would the sink there not count?

Strictly speaking, isn't that in the bathroom a 'washbasin' rather than a 'sink'?

There may be something in building regulations that requires a kitchen to be separated from a bathroom by at least one other room or hallway; probably for hygiene reasons. You don't want to be washing vegetables or drawing drinking water in a room shared with a WC - at least I wouldn't.

Also, in most houses, the mains water supply comes in at the kitchen, and the cold water supply from the kitchen tap is fresh water from the rising mains, and best for food prep. Typically, the water supply to the WC and basin in the bathroom comes from a header tank in an attic space or similar, and has been lying in the tank for a while, making it less suitable for drinking and cooking.

lynzpower

Yes and the bathroom wont count as a kitchen as it has no power sockets

Zelie, have a look on ebay, Ive seen whole kitchens- units applicane the lot for around70 quid. You dont have to fit the units as you said leave them freestanding

You can also get freestanding sinks from garden centres with a drainer, the sort you can find on campsites.

Zelie

Excellent points googler. I hadn't thought about the legal part.

That's good news lynzpower. Ebay never occurred to me. I certainly don't mind spending up to a couple of hundred quid on a temporary kitchen so that might be a good route to take.

Pitchshifter

How much are the repos selling for?

Zelie

They're not. That's why they're repos.

lincroft1710

Zelie - look or ask on Freecycle for old sinks, cookers etc, which are being GIVEN AWAY.