THE GREAT British Bake Off may be over for another year but local property experts have urged sellers not to neglect the kitchen as the heart of the home.
Jules Hunt, property consultant at FHP Living, is keen to emphasise the importance of the kitchen when selling a property and its role as the most important room in the home.
“The Great British Bake Off has shown that working in the kitchen is an enjoyable task and that its status as ‘the most important room in the home’ is certainly still relevant today. Modern designs reflect this feeling, both in architecture but also in interior design,” said Jules.
“Open plan living has become increasingly popular – using the kitchen not just as a space for cooking but for socialising and entertaining.
“This design is popular with families looking to combine cooking, eating and relaxing in one communal area as well as those looking to hold dinner parties or simply wanting to streamline their home life to keep up with a fast-paced lifestyle.
“Highly specified kitchens, handleless appliances with inbuilt breakfast bars and solid wood or stone worktops are also key in terms of buyers’ priorities when purchasing a home. Homeowners want a kitchen that will really wow guests and create an enjoyable working environment where most of their time will be spent – a space that can be both practical but also visually impressive.
“Very often, the kitchen is a deal maker or breaker for buyers and is a priority on which a compromise cannot be made – we often find that this room has incredible power in making a sale. If the property’s kitchen has the potential to be, or already is, a buyers’ dream cooking space a sale can be agreed a lot faster than if there are changes to be made or if the room is simply not what the client wants.
“When selling a property we would advise not to neglect the kitchen as a crucial factor in a buyers’ decision making process,” added Jules.
