Tarek El Moussa reveals the one thing not to forget when renovating a kitchen

A new kitchen involves making about a billion decisions - and when updating a space with view to sell, there are many other considerations to factor in. On a recent episode of Flipping 101 on HGTV, host Tarek El Moussa highlighted one feature a couple of novice flippers had totally overlooked.

The married couple named Jun and Jessica had forgotten to include a dishwasher in their kitchen renovation. According to the real estate investor, you can't sell a house without one - but is this really the case?

The kitchen renovating mistake to avoid, according to Tarek El Moussa

Jun and Jessica were flipping a home they'd bought in Carson, California, to sell on. When it came to the kitchen, they knocked down a wall à la Jo Gaines, used the best white paint with warm wooden accents to bring a homey touch.

The addition of lots of modern kitchen ideas made it an inviting space you'd want to hang out in. There was a peninsula with plenty of nice wicker seating, a large farmhouse sink and textural pendant lights. 

But, there is (gasp!) no dishwasher. While Jessica tells Tarek she didn't think there was enough space for a dishwasher, the HGTV host thinks she and Jun should have made it work.

'You can’t sell a house without a dishwasher,' he says, putting it bluntly. While the majority of homes in the US do have a dishwasher, many families don't actually use them that often. 

According to a 2017 study by the US Energy Information Administration, around 68 per cent of households have one. However, little more than half actually use it at least once a week.

As Brian Davis from Spark Rental points out, they’re more common in urban places - such as the city of Carson - and some suburban areas. They are however less common out in the countryside.

You can spend hours choosing the perfect hardware, paint colors and materials, but if a kitchen isn't functional, it could be a sticking point for potential buyers. For a lot of us, a dishwasher is a bonus. 

It certainly makes life easier when hosting, particularly for the holidays with thanksgiving around the corner. But depending on where you are, a dishwasher certainly isn't an absolute must-have.