Assessing Kitchen Options During New Home Search

If you’re searching for a new home, condo or any other real estate listing, one of the most important factors in your search will be the kitchen. Vital for everything from major practical needs to playing a big role in home value, the kitchen is one of the foundational areas in any residential property.

At Eagle Mountain Living, we’ll help you assess the kitchen as a part of the overall experience when you’re looking at homes for sale in Eagle Mountain. Here are some basics on choosing the right kitchen – why it’s important, the types available, and some broad themes to consider.

Benefits of the Right Kitchen

There are several distinct benefits of choosing a great kitchen:

• Home value: Kitchens and bathrooms are known as the two room types that most drastically impact home value.
• Other financial savings: Purchasing a home with a convenient, easy-to-use kitchen makes it more likely that you’ll eat more meals at home, which can save you thousands of dollars a year.
• Health and nutrition: In addition, home-cooked meals tend to be healthier and provide better nutrition than those eaten out.

Types of Kitchens Available

In today’s modern age of real estate, there are a wide variety of kitchen types available, including many customizable options. Here are some of the most popular style templates you might consider depending on your needs:

• Gallery kitchens: These are linear-oriented kitchen designs that place various major items – cabinets, workspaces and appliances – in parallel lines. There’s a space left in between for people to walk through, and possible a freestanding side. Gallery kitchens are best for single-cook meal preparation in most cases.
• L-shape: Countertops that intersect each other at 90-degree angles to form an L, great for high efficiency and storage.
• U-shape: Utilizing three walls, possibly with an island in the center but also available without one. The u-shape kitchen design is optimal for multiple cooks present.
• One-wall: Also called a Pullman kitchen, this is a smaller option that’s great for apartments, condos or other limited spaces.
• Peninsula: A combination of an l-shape with an attached island, forming a u-shape but only using two walls instead of three.

“Work Triangle” Vs. “Work Zones”

For decades in the past, many buyers and real estate agents would talk about the “work triangle” when assessing kitchen spaces. The idea here is that the fridge, sink and stove each represent their own vital area of the kitchen, and each should be spaced a few feet apart with no major obstacles between them for optimal kitchen usage.

Today, however, modern buyers are sometimes shifting to the “work zone” theme instead. Many kitchens have more than just those three appliances, or buyers have needs that require a bit more complexity. Food storage is also a bit easier and more centralized than it used to be, so separating things into zones as you see fit is generally the way to go.

For more on assessing kitchen options when looking at homes for sale, or to learn about any of our Eagle Mountain real estate listing, speak to our staff today.