Again, I'm seeking free opinions from you young'ens

[Spiky Bugger]

Eventually, we will sell this house and move back to SoCal and impose on our daughter to care for her elderly parents.

We are doing a couple of updates to this house. The master bath, which we know will cause some increase in value...probably because the last "remodel" took some weird shortcuts...is on that list. And so is adding a walk-in pantry in the very small kitchen. (Adding the pantry eliminates a state-of-the-art 1983 media center, in the adjoining room, that is beyond bizarre and actually decreases value because it has to be explained.)

But I'm trying to calculate actual competitive value of the pantry. I will be competing with newer homes...ones with those gawdawful "open concept" floor plans. (We have been married 40+ years precisely because we didn't have to spend all our time in the same room.). (Or the same house, or town, or state!) And those newer homes have "pot shelves," meaning pottery, not cannibis. They must be fun to dust. (They also have "almost walls" between the master bedroom and master bath...yuck!)

So, here's the question...kinda...if you were shopping for a new home and one was maybe ten or fifteen years newer and had wide open spaces and the other had specific rooms, with walls that go all the way to the ceiling but also had a walk-in pantry in the kitchen, which would you find more attractive? (Do not be gentle or extra-kind...I know that my taste and I are damned old!)

Thank you...

 

[southernlady]

SB, I think it's a crap shoot!

Dh and I prefer defined rooms...when we move in here, the ONLY doors that were still hanging were the bathroom doors and ONE bedroom door. The other two bedroom doors, the sun room door etc had all been removed and put downstairs. So far I repurposed one door to hang as the sun room door (it has a window in it), And scrapped/repainted two bedroom doors to give more privacy. I know what happened, the lady who lived here was a window and it was just her so she didn't need all the doors. I'm just glad they were left downstairs so I could get them back up in use.

And I had a pantry...still do BUT my laundry room was in the basement. I took out some pantry shelves so I could relocate the laundry room to the main floor and made the pantry a laundry/pantry area. IF I won the megamillions, I know what else I would do but the bones of this house work. But we wanted an OLD house with character.

My youngest daughter prefers the open concept and has done her dead level best to make that happen in the house she inherited that was built in the 60's. My stepmom prefers the open concept (she's 73/4 ish)because she entertains a LOT!

I think the pantry needs to be a good size one if possible. My best one was 8 ft deep and about 3 ft wide...with long shelves lining one wall. Another option is to make it more of a butler's pantry type. (My stepmom has that with an extra dishwasher).

Thing is, regardless of how you do it, you won't satisfy everyone. Find out what people want in your area...

 

[brooklyngirl]

Oh god, I LOATHE closed off rooms! Since I was a kid I hated that about my parents' house as opposed to houses of other family members. I always hated feeling like we were all in separate spaces whenever it was a holiday or there was a party, no one could ever be all together. I know not everyone feels this way, but it's wayyyyyy more common for people to want open floor plans now. Hubby and I made up he HGTV drinking game a while back and you have to drink whenever they say "reclaimed wood", "subway tiles", "granite countertops", "hardwood floors" or "open floor plan"

 

[revisionDS]

Personally I like open concept, that is the type of home I have, living room, dining room and kitchen are all open. obviously bathroom and bedrooms are not. A suggestion is to go to some open houses get some ideas, open concept is what people want now. Get a good realtor they can also point you in the right direction as they sell the homes an know what people are looking for, good luck!

 

[DianaCox]

I'd ask what people who are moving to YOUR neighborhood are looking for - and your realtor should know the answer to that. There may be some who are snowbirds from the midwest who still like more separated spaces. The living spaces in your home are not that closed off anyway - I think it would be seen as sort of in-between.

 

[hilary1617]

I'm posting a response just so I can be considered a young'un!

Personally, I like midcentury modern homes. There's no accounting for taste. That said, your home isn't going to appeal to the open-floor-plan market with or without a pantry (unless the alternative is knocking down a wall and making a big open great room. I'd recommend green lighting the project if it appeals to that defined-room-type buyer who will love the privacy and specialization of rooms your house currently provides. For what it's worth, I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't appreciate hidden storage.

Were I buying in your area, my top requirements would be a shady terrace with pool; and excellent A/C.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Oh god, I LOATHE closed off rooms! Since I was a kid I hated that about my parents' house as opposed to houses of other family members. I always hated feeling like we were all in separate spaces whenever it was a holiday or there was a party, no one could ever be all together. I know not everyone feels this way, but it's wayyyyyy more common for people to want open floor plans now. Hubby and I made up he HGTV drinking game a while back and you have to drink whenever they say "reclaimed wood", "subway tiles", "granite countertops", "hardwood floors" or "open floor plan"

Lol at the game! Open floor plan is not an option. But I'm wondering about investing on upgrades.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I'm posting a response just so I can be considered a young'un!

Personally, I like midcentury modern homes. There's no accounting for taste. That said, your home isn't going to appeal to the open-floor-plan market with or without a pantry (unless the alternative is knocking down a wall and making a big open great room. I'd recommend green lighting the project if it appeals to that defined-room-type buyer who will love the privacy and specialization of rooms your house currently provides. For what it's worth, I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't appreciate hidden storage.

Were I buying in your area, my top requirements would be a shady terrace with pool; and excellent A/C.

I'm hoping. Thanks.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

When the work is done and photos are taken, I may just find a way to post them.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Oh god, I LOATHE closed off rooms! Since I was a kid I hated that about my parents' house as opposed to houses of other family members. I always hated feeling like we were all in separate spaces whenever it was a holiday or there was a party, no one could ever be all together. I know not everyone feels this way, but it's wayyyyyy more common for people to want open floor plans now. Hubby and I made up he HGTV drinking game a while back and you have to drink whenever they say "reclaimed wood", "subway tiles", "granite countertops", "hardwood floors" or "open floor plan"

BTW...the living room/dining room area while not HUGE (we are, after all, two people with only one kid), is about 32' by +/- 12' (the wall jogs a bit), and there is no door to close that off from the family room (which is open to the tiny kitchen.)

I think of the living/dining rooms as an area where adults can visit while kids in the next room watch a movie and the adults can hear when the giggles get too quiet or turn into battle noises.

 

[newanatomy]

I am just responding so that I can be considered a youngin'

http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2013/08/09/open-concept-floor-plans-trend/

54.56% of those who responded to this poll said they want an open floor plan.

Me, I like both.

 

[duh_Mom]

"they" say that kitchen and bathroom remodels are the best for increasing resale value - whoever THEY are - seriously, like the others have suggested a good agent should be able to help you out there. I prefer a open plan too, except in the bedroom/ bathroom - i want a door to shut for the bathroom. Saw one of those shows the other day where the bathroom was just about at the foot of the bed.
It really is hard to answer your question without knowing everything else that would go into consideration of purchasing the house.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

"they" say that kitchen and bathroom remodels are the best for increasing resale value - whoever THEY are - seriously, like the others have suggested a good agent should be able to help you out there. I prefer a open plan too, except in the bedroom/ bathroom - i want a door to shut for the bathroom. Saw one of those shows the other day where the bathroom was just about at the foot of the bed.
It really is hard to answer your question without knowing everything else that would go into consideration of purchasing the house.

I'm getting my answer! More people seem to like open plans...which I would not consider...lol. But I'm not the buyer.

Our list of GoTo restaurants keeps getting shorter because everything is a big noisy barn! We like to hear each other. And don't enjoy the "ambiance" in those dining barns.

But there must be some segment of the population that really loves pantries and walls that go all the way to tbe ceiling! I just have to find them.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

I am just responding so that I can be considered a youngin'

http://blog.hgtv.com/design/2013/08/09/open-concept-floor-plans-trend/

54.56% of those who responded to this poll said they want an open floor plan.

Me, I like both.

If you are not a young'en, you fake it really well!!

 

[Barb1]

While I do like open concept I also could not live without some type of a pantry. At the least a seperate cabinet in the kitchen to store food that is not the regular lower and upper kitchen cabinets. My husband built me one something like this.