Dishwasher necessary?

imokyrok · 03-08-2018 12:47pm #1

I'm planning a small kitchen in a property to rent out. How essential is it to have a dishwasher installed? It's going to be tight to fit a washer/dryer and dishwasher.

GingerLily · 03-08-2018 12:51pm

Have you check out those slim fit dishwashers? They're ideal for smaller properties!

03-08-2018 12:52pm

Who is your target market?

The Student · 03-08-2018 12:55pm

imokyrok wrote: »

I'm planning a small kitchen in a property to rent out. How essential is it to have a dishwasher installed? It's going to be tight to fit a washer/dryer and dishwasher.

The more items you provide the more you have to fix/replace. In the current rental market you will have no problem renting without a dishwasher.

Remember being a landlord is a business!

seamus · 03-08-2018 1:00pm

One bed apartment or studio and you'll get away without a dishwasher. Just remember to put in plenty of rack space for letting stuff dry or tenants will come up with their own solutions that may cause damp and/or rot.

Two-bed or bigger, not a hope.

Idbatterim · 03-08-2018 1:02pm

you can get slim / small dishwashers. If its a studio or one bed, you can probably get away without it...

how.gareth · 03-08-2018 1:04pm

I’m 42 and have never owned a dishwasher in me life. They are far from necessary. If it’s tight for space I reckon most people would prefer the extra kitchen press for storage

imokyrok · 03-08-2018 1:06pm

Eventually it will be a self contained 3 bed. I could possibly plumb in a washer dryer in the large upstairs airing cupboard but would have to come up with a way to contain inevitable leaks. I wonder how that's done in apartments to prevent water staining ceilings below.

beauf · 03-08-2018 1:13pm

I wouldn't bother in a small place.

Doop · 03-08-2018 1:16pm

imokyrok wrote: »

Eventually it will be a self contained 3 bed. I could possibly plumb in a washer dryer in the large upstairs airing cupboard but would have to come up with a way to contain inevitable leaks. I wonder how that's done in apartments to prevent water staining ceilings below.

Its called tanking and is entirely possible via specialist liquid applied products.

imokyrok · 03-08-2018 1:18pm

Doop wrote: »

Its called tanking and is entirely possible via specialist liquid applied products.

Is it relatively inexpensive? I was also imagining installing it over a container drained to the waste water.

imokyrok · 03-08-2018 1:33pm

Might be worth going into a bit of detail. This is a project with short, medium and long terms goals. I'm a widow with offspring between 20 and 26. Daughter moved out but sons unlikely to go for a few years yet. I want them to be more independent and I want my own space. The house isn't huge but because of a granny flat built before we bought it it is laid out in such a way I could divide it so that there is one 3 bedroomed home and one 1 bedroomed home each with their own kitchens and living rooms.

So short term plan is turn an existing downstairs bedroom into kitchen. Rent out a currently unused single room. Maybe get hundred a week for it and say another hundred for electricity. Leave the two sons and the new tenant to sort themselves just like any other rental situation.

Medium term - as sons move take on more single tenants. (Scare stories have put me off renting to a family).

Long term - comfortable 3 bed home available for one of my offspring to rent from me when they have a family.

So my first step is a basic but solid Ikea kitchen.

Thoughts?

Minderbinder · 03-08-2018 1:49pm

I think that kind of project might take value off of the property. Maybe that’s not a concern for you as you won’t be selling.

€100 a week I take it you’re not in a city? Had you considered airbnb for the extra income? It’s also a fun little business.

JupiterKid · 03-08-2018 1:54pm

I live in a 2 bed apt and don't have a dishwasher and really don't need one. Only takes 10 mins to wash the dishes and saucepans and put them on the drying rack. I let a 1 bed out and it doesn't have a dishwasher and the tenants have never requested one.

That said, dishwashers are very handy. Grew up in a house with one and rented places with one. Slimline ones are ideal for apartment kitchens. If you're not opting for one, at least get a chrome metal drying rack from Ikea or Woodies. Plastic ones collect dirt and dont stack as effeciently.

Doop · 03-08-2018 2:03pm

imokyrok wrote: »

Is it relatively inexpensive? I was also imagining installing it over a container drained to the waste water.

Yeah it wouldn't be big job for a contractor, little more work to it if you want to install a flush floor mounted drain (ie plumber involved) but still not a big job and you'd be getting a plumber in anyway for the washing machine pipework.
Contractor would probably need to over board the floor and maybe sides of cupboard up to height of 300mm or so. Would probably want to build up a lip at the door also to prevent water spilling out onto landing.

Water proofing product is then painted on eg. MAPEI - mapegum WPS

All in all fairly straight forward.

imokyrok · 03-08-2018 2:42pm

Minderbinder wrote: »

I think that kind of project might take value off of the property. Maybe that’s not a concern for you as you won’t be selling.

€100 a week I take it you’re not in a city? Had you considered airbnb for the extra income? It’s also a fun little business.

I'm in Rush. I have considered Air BNB but a lot of the reason I'm doing this is to stop having others to sort out.

As regards the value of the property the only thing that would have to be done to return it to how it is now is remove the kitchen cabinets. Even the plumbing is minimal since my utility room backs onto the position for a new sink unit.

imokyrok · 03-08-2018 2:44pm

imokyrok wrote: »

I'm in Rush. I have considered Air BNB but a lot of the reason I'm doing this is to stop having others to sort out.

As regards the value of the property the only thing that would have to be done to return it to how it is now is remove the kitchen cabinets. Even the plumbing is minimal since my utility room backs onto the position for a new sink unit.

Also as regards air BNB I'm not really well located. Couple of km from shops or public transport.

Mrs OBumble · 03-08-2018 2:57pm

JupiterKid wrote: »

I live in a 2 bed apt and don't have a dishwasher and really don't need one. Only takes 10 mins to wash the dishes and saucepans and put them on the drying rack.

#meToo.

I haven't lived with one since 1994.

Dishwashers are for lazy feckers who don't want to clean up after themselves.

Don't get one and you get a better class of tenant.

seamus · 03-08-2018 3:07pm

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Dishwashers are for lazy feckers who don't want to clean up after themselves.

Yeah, and cookers are for people who are too lazy to light a fire.

And washing machines are for people too lazy to break out a bucket and a bar of soap.

Don't get one and you get a better class of tenant.

Or you get people who leaves piles of dirty dishes and cutlery sitting around to attract flies, cockroaches and rodents because they can't be bothered washing up more than once a week.

Bojill · 03-08-2018 3:12pm

It all depends on the amount of people living in the space.
No dishwasher is fine for 1 or 2, but try it with a family.
Washing/drying after every meal, no thanks.
Dishwasher cleans better and is more efficient than washing by hand, and you can put the dishes etc in the washer instead of leaving them piled in the sink.

Minderbinder · 03-08-2018 3:33pm

How are you going to divide up the electricity bills and heating bills etc if you don’t mind me asking OP?

Also do you currently have a dishwasher in your kitchen?

Personally I think there’s no need for them at all. Anyone know what they add to an electricity bill if used daily?

jester77 · 03-08-2018 3:36pm

Can't believe in 2018 that there is even discussion about not having one in an apartment. :eek: Dishwashers are more economical, and waste less water than washing by hand and cost less to run than what you waste in water.

Absolute must have unless there is not kitchen being provided at all.

seamus · 03-08-2018 3:47pm

Minderbinder wrote: »

Personally I think there’s no need for them at all. Anyone know what they add to an electricity bill if used daily?

Fairly easy to calculate:
https://www.did.ie/bosch-serie-2-60cm-freestanding-standard-dishwasher-silver-sms25ai00g-sms25ai00g-prd

0.9kWh.

If you're putting it on daily, you'd only need the 30minute quick wash, so that's 0.45kWh per day. If we take the current average of 17.5 cent per unit, then it'll cost you 7.9 cents per day to run it.

That's €2.40 per month.

Using a dishwasher is actually cheaper than using hot water from immersion or a combi boiler because less water is used overall.

McCrack · 03-08-2018 3:51pm

Some folk around here have far too much time on their hands

Dial Hard · 03-08-2018 4:58pm

Minderbinder wrote:

Personally I think thereâ€™s no need for them at all. Anyone know what they add to an electricity bill if used daily?

Who in God's name runs their dishwasher daily? I grew up in a family of 7 and the dishwasher still didn't go on every day.

Samuel T. Cogley · 03-08-2018 5:00pm

Dial Hard wrote: »

Who in God's name runs their dishwasher daily? I grew up in a family of 7 and the dishwasher still didn't go on every day.

Did you eat off the floor or just resue the plates and delf? :pac:

Gumbo · 03-08-2018 5:03pm

I find them irreplaceable tbh.

OP, think about next year or the year after. When your swapping tenants etc
There’s loads of item that can be threw on the dishwasher and cleaned as part of the clean up between tenancy.

If you have the space I’d fit one

Dial Hard · 03-08-2018 5:07pm

Samuel T. Cogley wrote:

Did you eat off the floor or just resue the plates and delf?

We had a lot of delph. Also, cooking utensils and good kitchen knives were verboten from going in the dishwasher.

pxdf9i5cmoavkz · 03-08-2018 5:08pm

A dishwasher is not a need but it must always be the first "want" you buy.

Graces7 · 03-08-2018 5:47pm

There have been dishwashers in a few rentals. Only use I ever had for them was storing crockery..

Mrs OBumble · 03-08-2018 5:55pm

jester77 wrote: »

Can't believe in 2018 that there is even discussion about not having one in an apartment. :eek: Dishwashers are more economical, and waste less water than washing by hand and cost less to run than what you waste in water.

Except that you still end up hand washing all the stuff thats not diswasher safe or that you want to use immediately and not wait for the next cycle. Very little savings IMHO.

Dishwasher necessary?

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