Do you have an eat in kitchen?

amother

Salmon

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 8:01 am

We are in an apartment now, and are starting to look at houses. We have a nice eat in kitchen now, which most people in our area don't have. But it's become almost a must for me- it's where we eat breakfast, lunch, and weekday dinners. It's also where the kids do homework and just a casual place to sit during the week. I love that our nice dining table is just for shabbos and YT.

But a lot of the houses we've been looking at (starter houses, we are on a budget) do not have an eat in kitchen, and I'm wondering what people that have or don't have one think about it. If you don't have one, and have school age or older kids, how do you manage without one? Is it fine, or is it something you really miss?

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated

cozyblanket

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 8:06 am

I don't have one and my kids are many ages kah. Our dining room is right next to the kitchen and I don't find it to be a big deal to carry things a few extra feet. What I do wish is that I could have a set Shabbos table on Thursday night, but we need the table for Friday breakfast! I don't think that's reason enough to turn down buying a house that works for you every other way. On Erev Pesach, I serve meals on a folding table in a different room on the first floor so as not to disturb the Set dining room table.

Anytime you move from one residence to another, some of your routines will have to change based on the layout of the new home.

Chayalle

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 8:15 am

OP, I moved last year (from a starter home that actually had a nice size eat-in kitchen to a larger home).

I recommend you make a list for yourself of what's important to you - what's non-negotiable, and what you can do without but would be nice.

I remember at one time, I looked at a certain home. It was in gorgeous, mint-condition - but it did not have an eat-in kitchen, and it did not have a private master bathroom (it had one on the mainfloor, with two doors - to the master bedroom and to the hallway). These were non-negotiables for me, and despite a pushy agent, I did not take that house. (I had both of these in my starter home, and would rather stay put!).

My house now has a large eat-in kitchen, and a master bath. Plus some other nice things we liked. It does not have a finished basement (the other house did!) but that was something I could do without - it was not on my must-have list.

A home purchase is usually long term (I was in mine for close to 20 years!) so don't make a decision you won't be happy with.

I do not want my family eating their daily meals in the dining room. I like to set up early for Shabbos on other times, and I need the kitchen to be my family hub.

And I wanted a separate bathroom for me and DH, not one I would show lunch guests to.

amother

Salmon

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 8:40 am

Interesting perspectives.

We definitely do have a list, I'm finding it hard to prioritize which are must haves and which are wants.

I do know people live without it, I'm sure not sure it's right for us. DH and I tend to be a little overprotective of nice furniture, so I like for the kids to have a place to color and eat that won't have me swooping over them every time they spill. I want them to be able to be kids, but still have the nice formal dining room.

I know I can keep the table covered so it would be protected, I'm just not sure if I would regret it in a few years, or if I would say it was no big deal.

amother

Scarlet

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 8:44 am

amother wrote:

In a house without a kitchen table - the dinning room table needs to be able to accommodate daily use.

What are your options if you don't buy the house without the kitchen table?

amother

Salmon

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 8:56 am

amother wrote:

In a house without a kitchen table - the dinning room table needs to be able to accommodate daily use.

What are your options if you don't buy the house without the kitchen table?

What do you mean by options? If there's no kitchen table, we'd have to eat weekly meals at our dining room table. Not ideal, but we could obviously manage. I'm just not sure if it's a non-negotiable for me.

amother

Salmon

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 9:09 am

cozyblanket wrote:

I think she meant do you have other houses to look at if you don't buy this one?

Oh I see. It's mainly a budget issue. Houses with the eat in option are more than I really feel comfortable spending, unless it comes with other compromises. So there are houses (though not many) but we are going to have to compromise somewhere, and I'm just not sure which points we should be flexible on.

DVOM

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 9:12 am

So interesting to read this post. For me, an eat-in kitchen was the number one top priority when we were looking for a house. Our kitchen is the hub of our house, and where we tend to hang out the most. There are a lot of other things we compromised on: the kids' bedrooms are on a different floor than ours, we don't have a master bathroom, our house is really old and needs a lot of fixing up, but we got a big, sunny kitchen with plenty of space for a table that fits us all comfortably.

amother

Scarlet

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 9:13 am

amother wrote:

If having a formal dinning room that is only used for meals is very important to you - then that is your answer.

(also - just wondering about your thinking - are you worried about resale value - or being able to make payments. What comprises would make you spend more for a house?)

Fabulous

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 9:22 am

so we made an island because we couldn't fit a dinette set and while it's nice. It's not great for little kids. It's also my counter, so it's in the way of everything. I really think it's important. On the other hand, so is budget. And people make do with a lot to afford a house. If you can live like that for a few years and then upgrade to a bigger house, it would be worth it.

amother

Bronze

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 9:22 am

We had one in apt and also very important when we were looking for house. But be reasonable. Think about it. If there are no houses in your budget with them a house is still better than no house. Even if it will bother you. We weren’t on a budget.. and weren’t in a rush to buy. Looked at many homes-took many years before we bought.. good luck! Hope you find the perfect house for you!

tweek

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 9:24 am

Just a thought.....

Many non eat in kitchens can accommodate an extended countertop which can be used with a couple of stools. This still means that you have to do some meals when everyone is around at the dining room table, however it can be helpful for quick breakfasts or lunches. It also allows kids to sit and hang around while you are cooking.
Changing a countertop is cheaper than buying a larger house. I have given this idea to a few people and they have found it to be a good compromise.

amother

Scarlet

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 9:25 am

amother wrote:

Why is a house better than no house if you can otherwise rent? (you looked for years...)

amother

Salmon

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 9:49 am

amother wrote:

Not really concerned with resale value, per say. I mean of course that's important, but I do want to make sure it's something we could be comfortable in for the 5-10 years we live there before we're able to upgrade, either by renovating or by moving into a bigger house.

We are looking in our general area, which comprises of a few neighborhoods, and we're open to most of them. I want to keep the monthly payment to around $2,500 (including taxes) so I'm really trying to stick to a price point that will match this.

Some of the things we want (in no particular order, and I know we wont' get all of these but we're aiming to get as many as possible)

-at least 2 full bathrooms (would love a half bath on main floor)
-living room/dining room that are connected so we can extend our table and host simchas, seudahs, birthday parties, etc
-some sort of playroom/den- whether on the main floor or basement
-decent size yard for the kids to be able to burn energy
-eat in kitchen (obviously- it's the title of this thread lol)
-space for my extra freezer (don't really care where, but it has to go somewhere)

I guess now that I'm thinking about it, the eat in kitchen is very important to me. Talking it out (or typing it out I guess) has helped me see that it's not something I really want to compromise on. It's become a part of our lifestyle I really enjoy, and I'd rather hold out for it.

For the poster who asked about renting a different apartment, I suppose we could. But we've outgrown our 2 bedroom apartment, and the prices for 3 bedrooms are so high that for a bit more per month, we could be paying a mortgage. A house is the next step for us, both practically and financially.

Thanks all for your input, it's really helping me to hear different perspectives.

amother

Salmon

Fri, Mar 22 2019, 9:50 am

tweek wrote:

The particular house I'm looking at might be able to do this. I have a close relative who's a contractor, maybe I'll ask him his opinion on whether this would fit.