The kitchen is one of the most frequently used rooms in the house, with people wandering in and out in search of food and drink, while others even use it to sit down at the table and do their administrative work, such as paying bills.
Despite its popularity and importance within the home – everyone needs a kitchen to store and cook food after all – they’re often one of the smallest rooms physically. This leaves homeowners with a series of decisions to make, ranging from knocking down walls or extending the building itself, to buying storage solutions like chest freezers or even moving to a home with a larger kitchen.
The first of those options is an obvious one, although it isn’t always possible. Sometimes you have what are known as “load bearing” walls, which are structurally integral to the property, so removing them could result in the structure losing its strength and maybe even collapsing.
An alternative to this, depending on the location of the property and the kitchen specifically, is to apply for planning permission to extend the property, so you can build a larger kitchen. This is an expensive solution and can involve months of going back and forth with lawyers, surveyors, architects and the local council, to get permission to go ahead with the building work. It will have long term benefits for the property however, which will, without doubt, help you to raise the value and provide extra space. Just make sure it’s worth the investment and time.
Finding storage solutions is a much more cost-effective solution to your kitchen issue. As mentioned, chest freezers are an option because they’re much deeper than your traditional standalone freezer, so you can get more in them; while shelving can also be beneficial, as it frees up cupboard space and allows you to hang pots and pans from them or to stack them, rather than storing them in your cupboards.
Moving house isn’t really an option until you have exhausted all others. A growing family will obviously need more space and the more children you have, the less space you have as time goes on.