Moving kitchen to a different room? Is this mad?

Philomena78

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I’m looking for some advice about a potential kitchen renovation. Our current kitchen is really on its last legs, and when I bought the house three years ago, I originally planned to knock through the wall to the dining room to create an open‑plan kitchen–diner–living space. However, after moving in, we realised the kitchen is on the wrong side of the house.

Because the house sits on a slope, the kitchen is not level with the garden. To get outside, I have to go down steep stairs, which makes carrying washing, food, or bins quite inconvenient. I’m now considering relocating the kitchen to a different room—one that’s closer to the existing plumbing—and turning the two back rooms into a kitchen that opens directly onto the garden. The back rooms already have a door leading outside.on the plan called dining room and bedroom 3.

If we go ahead with this, the current kitchen and dining room could either become two separate rooms or the existing kitchen could be turned into a single additional room, leaving a larger living space overall.

Could you give me an idea of how much it might cost to relocate the kitchen and install a new one? I’m looking for something basic rather than high‑end. I currently cook with gas, but I’m open to switching to electric if it’s more cost‑effective.

Depending on the cost, I may need to consider whether moving house is the better option.

Any advice is more than welcome!

twopenny

Interesting idea. There seems to be reasonable location for moving plumbing. Can't help with the cost but it won't be cheap.

You've given me an idea to solve my dilemma of a noisy front bedroom id like at the back and preferring kitchen at the front so will follow with interest 🙂

WIAWSNB

Hi Philo.

I think this would come down to how much the other two rooms will need modifying to take the kitchen.

Ie, will these two back rooms need knocking through together? I presume so. What else? Any new openings to the outside, or are the existing windows and doors ok?

So, that's the cost, and will be the limiting factor.

You need a new kitchen, so it hardly matters where it goes! Ok, it would be marginally easier plumbing-wise if it stayed in the same place, but two water pipes and a waste shouldn't be hard to run.

For cooking, yes go electric induction, so no new gas run required, only a new cooker cable from the CU. Better and easier.

And then it'll need cooking extraction, but again straight forward.

Oh, and you'll have to redecorate the old kitchen as a living area.

But, the Biggie - I think - is the structural mods to the other two rooms before you move the kitchen. You'll should get a quote for this, and then add, what?, £5k to the direct-replacement kitchen installation cost to cover the new location - plumbing, electrics, extraction. Possibly more.

I'd start by drawing your new plan for these two rooms, showing 'structural' changes required. Then get a couple of builders out to give ballpark figures for this.

Oh, and SE and Building Control charges...

Philomena78

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81879489#Comment_81879489

Thanks WIAWSNB that does not sound as bad as I was expecting. The two back rooms are separated by a board rather than a hard wall and they have windows and a door to the outside and a small veranda. I could keep the window and door as they are because they are on the side that opens at the garden level. I am also willing to do as much work as possible but I am not a diy genius but if I know what to do I get on with it.

Section62

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6654796/moving-kitchen-to-a-different-room-is-this-mad

Bedroom 3 is an odd shape - as a general rule, odd shaped rooms are often caused by some structural issue (e.g. a wall having to be where it is to support something). So you'd need to involve a structural engineer to advise before you get too far into the project.

The existing kitchen would need more than just redecoration to turn it into something else - plumbing and drainage will likely need to be removed and there will be a fair amount of rewiring needed.

Perhaps more important in terms of economics is that you currently have a 3/4 bed property which would become a 3 bed one (assuming the existing kitchen becomes a bedroom). This could significantly reduce the overall value of the property. To get back the potential 4th bedroom would mean the 'dining area' next to the 'sitting room' being converted - which may be less than ideal as having a bedroom accessed via the sitting room would be a bit clumsy, you'd have less reception room area, and (possibly) without the open connection to the dining area the sitting room might be darker and less inviting.

Designing alterations based only on a floorplan doesn't really work very well. To get a good result means 'seeing' the rooms and overall structure. It might be worth getting a local estate agent round for a property appraisal and discuss your plans with them.

Philomena78

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/81879545#Comment_81879545

Hello Section62

you are making a very good point here because this is not our forever home and eventually once my child finishes school we will need to move to a more affordable area without a mortgage. Bedroom 3 is a weird shape because half of it was added on along with the back room but a stud wall was put in place to separate the space into 2 rooms. I could leave bedroom 3 and perhaps incorporate the veranda/ porch which does not show in the plan but is covered by the same roof and I believe foundation.

Eldi_Dos

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6654796/moving-kitchen-to-a-different-room-is-this-mad

It seems one of the driving forces for thinking of changing the house layout is the inconvenience of going up and down steep steps to get to your bins,I can well understand that especially in the winter months.

Could you consider having a Chute installed just outside your kitchen door, dropping down to a rodent proof container,which would then be used to transpose rubbish to your bins on collection day, according to what recycling routine is in place.

A joiner or handyperson should be able to construct one and cover it with a suitable cladding or woodwork so it blends in with the appearance of the house.

That would save the expense of employing structural engineers and any work that would be required to move kitchen to proposed new location.

twopenny

Ah yes but then there's the clean wet washing.

My friend in Australia had a chute from the main upstairs bedroom to the utility in the underground garage. Washing landed in the washing basket on the washing machine 😄 it was brilliant! I want one.

Would a small utility out there bottom of the steps work? Cheaper, quicker and add to the value.

I'm with you on the steps thing. I only have 2 and a sharp right turn which is murder on the back and tripping hazard.

Philomena78

Thank you both. The reason for moving the kitchen is to have the ability to enjoy the garden in the summer and in privacy. It is not practical for barbecues and entertaining. I do have a utility room downstairs but I find going down the steps carrying food and dishes or clothes or bins not practical. Ideally I could extend the kitchen so that I can have garden living but I can’t afford it. The estate agents discouraged me from renovating the current kitchen or from knocking through to the current dining space/ living space arguing that people would want access to the garden

Spikeygran

As a cheaper less invasive alternative?

How about raised decking outside the existing kitchen and across the dining area window, maybe putting a french window in. You could then have control over how safer steps or a ramp is arranged down to the garden level.. It could look very decorative with hanging pots over ballistrade.

It would be nice to have breakfast outside, on the few really good days we get. Or even put an airer out there which would be easy to grab in quickly.