I have a neighbor who is similar to this guy, but my neighbor is about 75 years old. Creepy, nonetheless. When we first moved in as we got to know our neighbors, we invited some to our wedding. This neighbor, I will call him Joe, was telling guests at my wedding that he is disappointed that I purchased blinds and how my husband and I like to kiss and hug a lot. Tell me that wouldn't creep you out. My blinds on his side of the house are never opened, and he even comments on it. Whenever we go out in the yard, we feel like we are being watched. You might think, ok, this is just some old lonely guy, but it's far more than that. I had contractors at my house replacing the roof and doing exterior work. I came home one day and they told me that "Joe" went on for about 15 minutes telling them everything he knows about my personal life from where we work, what time we get home, what we do for a living, that we bought the house when we weren't married, etc. I was so upset, but as always, my husband thinks it's more important to keep the peace with the neighbors. I am a private person, and I do not like people sharing personal details with strangers without my consent. He would also brag to us repeatedly that he has a key to our house because the prior owner would have him watch their dog sometimes. Of course, we ignore his comments because the day we closed on the house we changed the locks. One day I'm at home sick and I'm sitting in my t.v. room in my pajamas. He didn't know I was home. I hear this commotion at my back door, and my dogs are barking like crazy. I look, and the door knob is being jiggled. I look through the blinds (they were closed at the time), and he was actually trying his old key in our lock!!!! I was so freaked out, I called my husband at work and told him enough is enough. I don't think the guy was trying to be malicious, but I do think that he's controlling and his curiosity got the best of him. But who knows. From that point, my husband asked him if he ever needs anything (his excuse for being at the back door was to drop off a neighborhood flyer - which he did, but that was his excuse for being there), in the future to drop it off in our front mailbox. Again in the wintertime he would come to our back door, so I told him we don't want people back there because if he fell on the ice we don't want to be liable. The guy is very persistant, and I can't stand it. The next thing going up is an electric gate in our driveway. He will no longer have access. Another time we had people over for a cookout in our backyard. He sat in his breakfast nook directly across from us and watched us the entire time. It made all my guests uncomfortable. We started planting trees along the perimeter of the property. Finally, as I started working from home, he noticed that I wasn't leaving for work every morning. So I'm heading for the garage one afternoon and he says, "hey, I notice that you don't leave in the mornings anymore. Are you still working?" My response was, "Yeah, but you don't need to worry about it. It doesn't concern you." He looked shocked, but has backed off somewhat. My life is not an open book, and I don't appreciate people prying into my personal business. It really annoys me. Most recently, he has been making comments because we have some old paneling that we've been replacing in our basement, and the old stuff is sitting out by the garbage in our back yard up against the garage. My husband hasn't broken it down yet because it still has nails in it. Something we just haven't gotten to yet. So now that he's making comments, I'm not in any rush to get it out of there. It's my property, and I don't see how what is on my own property should concern him. Our home was a major eye sore when we purchased it, and it's like night and day now. So a piece of paneling in my backyard is not his business, and it is going to stay there for another couple of weeks before I decide to do anything with it. Just because I can!

Thanks everyone! Now now y'all, before we make fun of the fridge being so far, we should keep in mind that rooms look bigger in photos by real estate agents. It's not really that far off compared to those in larger kitchens! On the other hand, why the heck isn't it in the kitchen!!? The lower cabs on the sink wall are one unit--that little bump out on the end is part of the original 50s shallow U. My current kitchen was the same except the refrigerator had been pushed out of the U (and the kitchen was reversed and it didn't have the bumped out breakfast nook). A quickie sketch I uploaded for THAT remodel, and this one was probably very similar before IT happened: This layout was so delightfully functional I pretty much kept it. But the new kitchen, while having room for a table (that became a low baking counter in my current kitchen) is missing a big chunk of wall! I like my walls, and at least this has SOME walls. My main problem with doing a full blown remodel is that I am not mentally prepared to live through another kitchen remodel. (If things stay on schedule, I'll finish my current one tomorrow!) I could probably do it before moving since we haven't even started to get our current place ready to sell but I think I'd want to live with it a bit first. When you're looking into the kitchen with the oven on the left (I think it's a 27", but possibly a 24"), behind you is the entry hall, which is not large at all. Then there's the other option: turning the kitchen into something else altogether and making a kitchen in a new addition in the back (we were sort of thinking of adding on a bit back there anyway). But that seems sort of extreme. But it's possible, and one reason I wouldn't want to do a real remodel first. I sound spoiled. :) That odd fat peninsula bar thing behind the stove is a generously sized liquor cabinet but there is a walk in liquor cabinet behind the picture over the table. It might be a pantry. I'm not sure. I don't think the fridge location will be that bad--it just looks ridiculous. Thanks for all the input, everyone. I will definitely be seeking a bunch of specific advice on this mess soon, with measurements! And tomorrow I will have a nice marble remnant :/

linste, there's another thread going right now about Perfection as a goal. On it there is some commentary about the paucity of small kitchen projects on the GW Kitchens Forum. Yours is a perfect example of what we need to be thinking about and I congratulate you for digging about for ideas here. Thanks for explaining the tight budget and retaining existing appliances. (I also began a project with the assumption that our existing white appliances would stay. Since then have updated range to a GE Profile two-oven, but that cost me the pan drawer. You haven't the luxury I would suspect.) But...a very modest pot rack or a wall-hung pots and pans pegboard? line of hooks? might fit to left of main door into your room to right of range. My daughter in Alaska who has a tiny house just put up a hanging pot rack and it won her some very helpful space elsewhere. Hey, even Julia Child put pots on her wall! __ Darn! Had hoped that the bathroom door could move down the wall. A pocket door is not a terrifically expensive thing to do but magically making more wall space is pretty tough at any price. You can't make the bath open into a different room, can you? ___ We need to point out to other readers that the appliances in the plan drawing are fantasy appliances. Look at the photos to see the real ones. No French door refrig! No 36 inch range! ___ Your kitchen is an example of one that will never reach "perfection" and the "high end" unless you get an infusion of cash and resolve. "Good enough" and a great paint job will have to suffice. Google "Uncle Thorvald's Happy Kitchen" for some reassurance that you're nevertheless on the right track. You might also want to dig out some GW discussions on European kitchens in general and on apartment kitchens. Look at The Kitchn and Apartment Therapy to see some real world modest spaces. A microwave hood will save you counterspace but it brings us back to the necessity of having "plunk space" for the hot stuff being removed from it. Back to square one I guess. Your original title for this thread still applies. Have fun stormin' the castle!

Having a plug and outlet for the pump and alarm is common. Are you people commenting based on what you professionally know, personally have, or inferring there should not be plugs because it just doesn't look right to you? The existing cords can be made more secure. This is a fairly typical install from what I have seen and can find online. https://kanonelectric.com/our-services/septic-electrical-systems/ Here is a fancier more secure version, but still some exposed electrical cord. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0OkN3B4n_o More exposed electrical cord https://www.howtolookatahouse.com/Blog/Entries/2018/6/does-a-septic-pump-or-sump-pump-require-a-gfci-receptacle.html I might ziptie the cords to the post so they are a bit more secure, and I might buildup something around the post such as the fake boulder or stack some landscaping bricks/pavers around the entire post and wires so it is harder for a dog or animal to get to. Joanna, take a look at your neighbors' set ups to get an idea of what is typical for your area. As you said, it passed the code inspection and the electrical is right there in plain sight for the inspector to see.