Considering removing a door, would it affect house price?

picklekin

I have an old Victorian 2 up 2 down with an extension on the back that's got a kitchen and a bathroom in it. We have two "back doors" one a double patio door onto the garden and one a more proper back door between the kitchen and the bathroom.

Our kitchen is not very big and we've been playing with the idea of bricking up the single back door and having a slightly larger kitchen (probably just extending the worktop and having a window where the door was). Is this a silly idea that could affect our house price? It would mean walking slightly further from the car to the door, but it seems kinda silly to have two back doors in what's not a very large house!

jackyann

When we did something similar, I was advised that it might affect the house price. I don't think it would make a huge difference, but just maybe would affect a sale.

To continue: we were advised: as it is expensive to knock through, always try to leave an opening intact even if you cover it; it is easier to brick up an opening than to knock through.

We were able to leave the door in place, and build furniture in front of it. Interestingly, we sold the house 3 years ago, to the first couple who saw it. They definitely wanted to re-instate the door, and were pleased we had left the option open.
From the way you describe it, I wonder if you could do something similar? It depends on the measurements whether it would look very odd, or OK.

Yorkie1

Is the 'proper' back door actually in a little lobby between the kitchen and bathroom?

If so, if you removed the back door between the kitchen and bathroom, and extended the kitchen, that may put future buyers off if the bathroom effectively now goes straight off the kitchen.

picklekin

I suppose you could say that Yorkie, there is just a "gap" between the kitchen and bathroom ATM with the boiler cupboard on one side and the door on teh other, so yes, if we removed it the kitchen would flow into the bathroom. It hadn't occurred to me that some people might not like that!

Its also a UPVC door ATM and would definitely look weird if you built in front of it, but thanks for the suggestion.

Jue_xx

We did this in our previous house, we didn't have much worktop space in our kitchen so we bricked up the side door, which we never used, to increase worktop and cupboard space. I don't think any of our viewers noticed there should have been a door there, and the extra kitchen space probably increased saleability. It certainly didn't affect the value of the house.

keystone

If its that much of a concern keep the door and put it back when, at some stage in the far distant future as yet undetermined, when you decide to sell just rehang it. At the present time its what suits you thats important.

Cheers