5 Things You Need To Know About Kitchens

Kitchens have been thought of as the most sociable room in the house. Now they are considered altogether the most valuable.

Yuqing Pan of Realtor.com combed through sales data and found five key insights about the most-mentioned room in listing descriptions. Kitchens are largest in the Mid-Atlantic region, and the nation is split between open kitchens and separate formal dining rooms.

Custom cabinets, center islands, and big pantries add value to a home, and chef’s kitchens, with features like walk-in fridges, blast chillers, and wood-fired pizza ovens, are becoming more popular.

The No. 1 principle: Think big, and bigger. That means an oversized fridge (it’s even better to have a separate fridge and freezer); dual commercial-quality ovens to separate the main dish and the sides, a six-burner stovetop (or two!) so your pans don’t crowd each other, and a butler’s pantry that serves as a catering station.

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