For the last couple of decades, open floor plans with combined kitchens and family rooms were a staple in new homes. But that trend is changing, and real estate agents need to be aware of the latest trend in new home design which is closed kitchens. Now selling older homes that don’t have open floor plans is going to get a lot easier as people realize the benefits of having a closed kitchen. If you have listings for homes that don’t have a combined kitchen and family room some of the benefits of a closed kitchen that you can highlight to prospective buyers include:

No Visible Mess

One of the biggest reasons why people are returning to a closed kitchen is that there is no visible mess. Home cooks over the last ten years or so have realized that they don’t actually want their guests to see piles of dirty pots and pans and they don’t want to feel pressure to keep the kitchen spotless as they are trying to cook. Some homemakers also don’t want to see the inevitable chaos in the family room all the time either. Piles of books and papers, bookbags and other clutter can easily fill up the family room when everyone is hanging out there. Kitchens are returning to being a place to craft food and not put on a cooking show.

More Entertaining

As people begin to embrace the idea of their home as a sanctuary from the outside world again people want to do more entertaining and less visible cooking. Fancy place settings, good dishes, and meals centered on the conversation in a dining room rather than snacks eaten around the kitchen island are becoming the focus of entertaining.

Read More: Outdated Home Design Trends That Buyers Don’t Want 

Less Pressure

Some people are finding that an open kitchen and family room area makes them feel pressured while they are cooking. In order to not give away family recipes, they’d like some privacy while cooking. And other people would like to be able to leave the kitchen mess and sit down with their families to eat rather than feeling like the mess of cooking needs to be cleaned up before they can enjoy the meal that they just cooked.

Closed kitchens offer home cooks the chance to cook without feeling like they have to perform at the same time. And the mess can be quietly hidden away to be cleaned up after the meal is over. So when you’re selling older homes or new homes that don’t have an open kitchen stress the benefits that come with a closed kitchen in order to show buyers that a closed kitchen really can work better than an open kitchen.

Read more about living in Edmonton, AB, or Looking To Buy or Sell Edmonton Real Estate.