Is there another obvious place where people would eat meals? A bar with bar stools, for instance?

We got a lot of comments when we sold our condo that people were glad to see an actual dining room ... I think a lot of people used the combo LR/DR set up as a huge great room and just used trays or something to eat in front of the TV.

It might be just me, but I prefer seeing at least one area dedicated to eating family meals, sitting down, at a table. If there's not some other room in your place set up for that, I'd leave it as is.

But on the flip side -- it depends on what kind of buyer you want. Small families, couples, single people? Singles might not need/want a separate DR.

Everybody needs somewhere to eat. Not everyone needs an alternate place to read and store books.

A dining room would have more mass appeal.

having a dining table in the dining room will let people see how big the room is, and whether their own table will fit.

If someone wants a library, or a home office, or some other sort of room, they can figure out that books would fit in the DR.

Don't change it-

The PO turned the dining room into the media room, the living room into the dining room, and used the family room as the living area. The house was listed when they decided to divorce, and according to their selling agent and the woman next door, people could not wrap their minds around this change. The house sat for the three month contract until they emptied the house of their possessions. They relisted and we bought it that week.

I will say the changes wouldn't have bothered us if we had viewed during the first listing (I spent a LOT of time undoing their "improvements"), but it obviously bothered people enough that no one made an offer the first time it was listed. Sometimes people expect to see what they expect to see.

patty_cakes,

I concur with the rest. I want a specifically designated place to eat. I don't want to balance a plate on my lap or use a TV tray every night. Also, I want to be able to entertain which requires a place for food. A library or home office is a luxury room. A place to eat is considered a necessity by what I believe is the majority of people. So, if this is the condos primary eating area...leave it as with your table & chairs.

Tricia

I would also say that the benefit gained is not worth the work involved.

People who want to use the dining room for something else wil have the imagination to do so, without you demonstrating it for them.

And if there are two places to eat (the kitchen/eating area, and the dining room), that won't phase people.

But making the DR look like a library--getting bookcases, moving books, changing light fixture--is just not worth it, bcs the payoff is going to be very small.