Moving a kitchen - high level estimate?

DIY_beginner

Hi all, just wondering if this idea to improve this potential house is do-able?

The kitchen is rather small so the key goal is to make it bigger. I don’t want to extend the house out unnecessarily so I’m thinking physically moving the kitchen to the lounge (green lines show potential kitchen countertops).

Looking to knock down the walls marked with red zig-zags to make the rooms bigger. Blue lines are new walls to put up to create the utility room off the kitchen.

Questions:

1) Do-able? 

2) Will anyone have any idea of costs? (Not asking for a quote - just want to know the magnitude of numbers)
3) any other bright ideas you may have?

In south east UK. Thanks in advance!

mi-key

First question is why are you doing it. Is it just for you because you prefer a bigger kitchen, or are you hoping it will add value to the house? 

DIY_beginner

Prefer a bigger kitchen. 

This is going to be our forever family home so not “too” worried about investment returns at this point. 

DIY_beginner

Also the kitchen is a bit strange like a “zig zag” shape, and not the most user friendly. 

Gavin83

I’ve got a related question that will probably help the OP as well. Do you need building control involved for moving a kitchen, assuming you aren’t knocking down walls or the like?

mi-key

DIY_beginner said:

Also the kitchen is a bit strange like a “zig zag” shape, and not the most user friendly. 

Looks like a sensible layout. Only thing I would be wary of is knocking through the garage as that will make a very big front room. My living room is pretty big, and I find its too big really as its not cosy, and has too much space to really make use of

DIY_beginner

Gavin83 said:

I’ve got a related question that will probably help the OP as well. Do you need building control involved for moving a kitchen, assuming you aren’t knocking down walls or the like?

Quite possibly needing building control since we are knocking down that wall in between kitchen and lounge. We will probably enlist an architect and structural engineer to do this work anyway but just want to check if there’re anything glaring that may throw a spanner in the works. 

mi-key said:

DIY_beginner said:

Also the kitchen is a bit strange like a “zig zag” shape, and not the most user friendly. 

Looks like a sensible layout. Only thing I would be wary of is knocking through the garage as that will make a very big front room. My living room is pretty big, and I find its too big really as its not cosy, and has too much space to really make use of

Great point, thank you. Looking at the measurements it does seem like a ridiculously big room! Thanks

housebuyer143

Is it semi or detached? If it's a semi and that's the joining wall think about where the drainage will be and you can't vent the extractor. 

DIY_beginner

housebuyer143 said:

Is it semi or detached? If it's a semi and that's the joining wall think about where the drainage will be and you can't vent the extractor. 

For extractor I was thinking one of those which doesn’t physically move the air outside (we have one in our house now). But yeah maybe we should rethink since bigger space means more space for the cooking smells to get everywhere. 

Drainage I was hoping given the toilet on that side I can join up to that…? Silly?

maybe it is better to have the kitchen on the left hand side?

FreeBear

DIY_beginner said:

housebuyer143 said:

Is it semi or detached? If it's a semi and that's the joining wall think about where the drainage will be and you can't vent the extractor. 

For extractor I was thinking one of those which doesn’t physically move the air outside (we have one in our house now). But yeah maybe we should rethink since bigger space means more space for the cooking smells to get everywhere.

If you were just refurbishing the kitchen and it doesn't currently have an extractor venting outside, then there is no requirement to put one in that does. However, knocking down walls may well trigger Building Control involvement - If you move the kitchen to a different location, they may well insist on extraction to the outside. Even if they don't, venting the extractor through an external wall is always a good idea. With a little forethought and planning, it need not be difficult or expensive.

I put some rectangular ducting in the ceiling of my kitchen running parallel with the joists for a flat roof. A very discrete vent in the fascia board that one would barely notice. Total cost was around £20.

housebuyer143

DIY_beginner said:

housebuyer143 said:

Is it semi or detached? If it's a semi and that's the joining wall think about where the drainage will be and you can't vent the extractor. 

For extractor I was thinking one of those which doesn’t physically move the air outside (we have one in our house now). But yeah maybe we should rethink since bigger space means more space for the cooking smells to get everywhere. 

Drainage I was hoping given the toilet on that side I can join up to that…? Silly?

maybe it is better to have the kitchen on the left hand side?

Or move it to the other end were the doors are and have the living room closer to the hall. Just a thought. I would always vent it outside if possible, so much better for you than recirculation.