Expanding a Kitchen,
But Losing a Dining Room

Question: I have a questions regarding the impact of a possible re-modeling project on the future sale of our home.

My wife and I feel that our kitchen is currently too small. We would like to expand and it seems like the only area in which we could do so is to knock down the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. This would eliminate the dining room. We are also thinking about erecting a wall between this new area (former dining room) and the living room. There is already a place where the wall "juts out" and it might make a good fit.

We are thinking of adding an island in the kitchen and getting a large kitchen table to expand counter space and the eating area.

The concern that I have is whether or not the lack of a dining room will make a negative impact on the future sale of the home. I have seen an article to the effect that people are trying to make their spaces more "livable" and less geared toward strictly entertainment. The only time the dining room is used is for more formal dinners with friends and family. I think that the people that we normally associate with would not mind the change.

Are prospective home buyers looking for a formal dining room? Would the expanded kitchen (minus the dining room) be an enhancement (or not)?

Please enlighten us on some of the current trends in this area.
-- John, New York

John: While you might not mind losing the formal dining area, a great many home buyers would. Even though the dining room may only be used a few days out of the month or even out of the year, many home purchasers still want it there when needed. For example, what will they do when the boss comes over for dinner? Or when they're having a party of important friends or associates?

Yes, a big kitchen is now in vogue, but that doesn't mean everyone wants to eat in the kitchen all the time. If you remove the dining room, you could actually be making your home harder to sell (because it would attract fewer buyers). You might have to sell for less in order to get out and it could take longer.

Before you take any drastic action, check out your neighbors' homes. Chances are that if your kitchen is small, so too are the kitchens in neighboring houses. See what those around you have done to improve the situation. You might discover a creative solution you hadn't thought of before.

Mr. Irwin has more than 25 years' experience as a Los Angeles-area real-estate broker. He is the author of more than two dozen books about real estate and is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable writers in the real-estate field. Mr. Irwin's most recent book is "Tips & Traps When Buying a Condo, Co-op or Townhouse," (McGraw-Hill, 1999).

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