FINALLY got the house I wanted under contract - Yay!

Now the scope of work. There is always that balance of how much to improve the house, compared to how much will it improve the rent amount and the quality of the residents.

You know how (at least around here) the older houses had the water heater in the corner of the kitchen?

Well, this one has been boxed off, so it's behind a wall (not visible from the kitchen), but the corner of the kitchen is "missing" - and it's not all that big to begin with.

There is a utility room addition right behind the kitchen - and the one wet wall in the house. Makes sense to me to relocate the water heater & gain that cabinet/counter space in the kitchen. All the old galvanized pipe needs to be replaced anyway, so it shouldn't.t be that much more.

Here's the thing: If I open up the wall to regain that kitchen space, what will I put in that 2' x 2' space?

Misc. Thoughts/Obsevations:

The rest of the kitchen is in descent condition & functional. Not ideal, but OK.

I could never match the existing cabinets, the counter would need to be replaced.

Maybe put a stack of open shelves there, from cabinet height up?

Maybe a contrasting cabinet?

Maybe......??

Ideally, eventually, I would prefer to redo the whole kitchen - to raise the over all quality of the house and the occupants it will attract.

So, bite the bullet ($$)and do it now while it's vacant, or at the first turnover, after collecting some rent but extending the vacancy?

Or.... what would you do? I would love to hear your thoughts.

BTW: My target occupant will be well-qualified, like someone who wants to buy a house (and cares about their credit rating). But they will live below their means a couple/few more years to save up. So they will settle for a rental, but not a "trashy" one. Not like any of mine would be trashy, but you know what I mean? I'll want it to be basically homeowner quality.

It's a 2/1 very near to an Air Force base. So maybe military who are only in the area a few years.

Thanks, Y'all! : )

DJ,

I have had many water heaters taken out of the kitchen and put into a hall closet. I have a house where the water heater is in the hall closet and the W/D connections ended up in the kitchen,...which made that small kitchen even smaller.

In other similar houses that were not mine, I have seen water heaters installed up in the attic!!

When I remove water heaters from a kitchen to make needed space, I have several options:

1) Put the water outside in a metal enclosure- very cost effective.

2) Replace the tank water heater with an on-demand tankless water heater. Depending on the size of the house 5 to 10 GPM.

This can be done if your handy for under $1,000.

Pantry / appliance garage is a possibility - but how to blend in?

Could build out of plywood and paint a coordinating color to the existing cabinets (not sure what that would be). It would have to have a wood floor, also - since there is no countertop there. Might look odd. The door(s) would be totally different, too.

Maybe I can squeeze out $ for a total kitchen re-do.

A good number of my tenant have had their own baker’s racks already. Might be too small for a baker’s rack though, idk. Coffee bar is nice too.

Really, I think I’d leave the space, let the tenant find a purpose. If you have to have something there when showing the place, let your stager put a tall vase with a dried arrangement or something.

Really sturdy shelves, like an bookcase, an open front pantry.

DJ,

I vote for dishwasher with a butcherblock top so it become a feature and does not have to make the old, or open shelves are all the trend. Prospects LOVE storage

My strangest was a toilet beside the granny sink. No curtains or divider. Just a toilet. The seller grew up in the house with 9 people said her Dad would put a washtub in the center of the kitchen for bath night. All 9.