I posted a few weeks back, with pictures of the kitchen in a home we are considering buying. I was looking for feedback on the layout. The general consensus was the island cooktop was unsafe. I agree. Here is the thread if anyone is interested.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0311454030815.html

We are still considering the home as nothing better has come up. We are going to hopefully get an estimate done sometime this week, so I'm looking for some more ideas on what changes are really feasible. This old listing on hotpads, has the best pictures

http://hotpads.com/real-estate/2427-NE-79th-Street-Kansas-City-MO-64118--4sqs12cm2kpvs#lat=39.2158&lon=-94.5728&zoom=20&previewId=4sqs12cm2kpvs&previewType=listing&detailsOpen=true&dupeGrouping=building&listingTypes=sale,newHome,auction&pricingFrequency=once&loan=30,0.04,0&resultsPerQuad=24

We want the kitchen to be safe and functional, but aren't prepared a this point to redo the whole thing. Our current thought was to remove the wall oven and microwave, and convert the island cooktop to counterspace. We would replace the cabinet above the microwave with a shorter one, reinstall the microwave below it and install a range. Well, then I measured the wall oven and it's only 27". I don't think I'd want a range smaller than 30", which is what I have in my current home. I also realized that just sliding a range in that space, even if it was 30", might also be unsafe, since it's leaving another side of the range exposed (and by an entryway no less), just like it was in the island. So, looking at that wall oven area, what cabinetry could be reconfigured easily, to make that space functional? Is there room in that space for counter on both sides of a range, without making the cabinets/counter area too small to be useful? The options might be obvious, but I'm really unfamiliar with cabinetry and what can be moved/reconfigured. I want to like the outcome and also don't want future buyers to think we've ruined the space. At first I was worried about venting the range (cooktop is downdrafted), but our buyers agent said most new homes in our area aren't even vented, so most other homes we consider won't be either.

Thoughts?