Moving kitchen sink

LaNuevaAndaluza

Hi there,

I've recently bought a ground floor flat that has a galley kitchen, but the layout doesn't suit my and my family's needs, so I'm considering changing it to an L-shaped layout. This will involve moving the sink from one side (against an external wall on the left side) to another wall (also external, perpendicular to its current location, beneath a window - the short side of the 'L'). 

It is about 1 metre distance so I'm hoping I won't have to do anything majorly drastic, but everything I've seen includes jargon that I'm very unfamiliar with.

Would it be possible to change the location without having to rip up flooring or pipes in the walls? I've seen online something that resembles an extension pipe, for anyone who knows, would that be a safe/cost effective solution since the distance isn't that far?

On a separate question, the flat is a former 1950s council flat and doesn't seem to have any extractor fans or pipework for it, nor does it have a radiator or a door. I don't mind not having a door, but I will be ordering a new kitchen from Ikea and I'm guessing I'll need to add some sort of ventilation unless I can get by with just a window(?) I do worry this will make the rest of the flat cold as I cook a lot. In terms of heating, what other simple DIY solutions can I use to heat the kitchen if I need to? I'm between underfloor heating and plinths, but is there anything else I haven't considered?

TIA!

Mr.Generous

Get a free kitchen plan from any kitchen supplier - they will know what can be done. Last time I looked Ikea kitchens DID NOT include a pipe / wiring void behind the cabinets, every other kitchen does. It would be much easier if it did have the void, Running the pipes - both inlet and waste - would not be a problem. Hiding them in most kitchens same. Ikea open back units wont look so good. Venting is always better. A vented out fan wont make the house cold, apart from getting rid of smells you're getting rid of steam. All sorts of venting options over the top of wall cabinets or behind them are possible. Fitting a kitchen is however a big job when it entails plumbing and electrics. Well worth it though.

FreeBear

Plinth heaters are good in small kitchens - Not very cheap compared to a radiator from somewhere like Screwfix. Two things you need to bear in mind - You need a fused switch above the worktop so that the fan has power. A hydonic (wet) heater needs central heating pipes close by. A hydronic heater is much preferable in my opinion over an all electric heater (which would be expensive to run).

As for relocating the sink - As long as the pipework for the taps & drain are not too far away, plumbing should be relatively straight forward. Most base units have a ~70mm service void behind them specifically for stuff like pipework.