Knocking down kitchen wall and extending into disabled shower room .

babyblade41

After receiving an astronomical quote for extending our kitchen and squaring it up by going outwards.

I have spent yesterday looking at alternatives

Without getting full on quotes and wasting peoples time I'd thought I'd ask here , firstly to see if my idea is not plain daft

So, the cost to square up existing kitchen outwards and incorporating existing downstairs loo and porch as part of the new kitchen , moving existing loo to existing disabled shower room and leaving us with no porch was 40k ..that doesn't include new kitchen or any finishing ,decorating, flooring etc

This feels too much even in SE Oxfordshire . If this was our forever home then I'd possibly think about it but for a max of 5 years the cost doesn't seem a viable option ...so

My thoughts yesterday was just to extend into the downstairs disabled shower room and small utility . The wall dividing this from existing kitchen may or may not be a supporting wall . It has a door way in but as this was an extension to the original house done in 1970 it is difficult to tell.

An RSJ has been put in about a meter away from this wall but for now I'd say it is a load bearing wall

On this wall there is a rad and light switch .. bear with me and hope this isn't a TLDR post

My plan is to remove this possible load bearing wall opening up the kitchen into this space. ,it would give me another 4ft in length

I would still have a downstairs loo well away from the kitchen and a porch and with a new modern kitchen instead of this god awful thing that is there at the min

Id rather not open up into the dining room as I like rooms separate and extending the kitchen will be big enough to put a sizeable table in anyway .

So there you have it... I hope Doozergirl comes along and says my plan is not bonkers !! Other advice is really welcome too

Just one thing extra.. what can I expect to pay with a SE to calculate the RSJ and cost of taking the wall down as a rough guide .

Thank you if you got this far :j

ka7e

I'm currently waiting for a structural engineer visit to see if we need an RSJ for a 3m wall coming down between kitchen and dining room. My builder has quoted £1330 to take down the wall, supply and fit RSJ and make good to floor and box in upstands. It's as part of a bigger schedule of works, so the labour costs are pro-rata as everything will be on site already.


Moving a loo can be costly if the soil stack has to be moved and/or new access installed to sewer.

babyblade41

Thanks for the price .. the loo isn't being moved .. the disabled shower will be removed and not replaced .

I think 2.5 k should be able to take the wall down and remove shower ..or m I looking in la la land ??

FreeBear

babyblade41 wrote: »

I think 2.5 k should be able to take the wall down and remove shower

Don't forget to include building control fees. As you are making changes to a structural element of the property, it must be signed off by BC or you could struggle if/when you come to sell.

babyblade41

Yes thanks for that Freebear

Doozergirl

Doozergirl is on a beach in Cornwall. I was supposed to be home, but I'm a bottle of wine in and not going anywhere today.

Can I have a picture, please?

£2.5k is tight with the addition of electrics and plumbing, if you're including the SE and building control.

babyblade41

Doozergirl wrote: »

Doozergirl is on a beach in Cornwall. I was supposed to be home, but I'm a bottle of wine in and not going anywhere today.

Can I have a picture, please?

£2.5k is tight with the addition of electrics and plumbing, if you're including the SE and building control.

My saviour .. will post some picks tomorrow... I must warn you it's grim

babyblade41

https://imgur.com/a/d7nKJcs


Knocking down this wall would make the kitchen18ft in length , we have a lovely avocado bathroom upstairs which has to be stripped but it is useable so no need for a shower downstairs

Doing it this way rather than extending outwards will still give us the downstairs loo and a porch as they are already in situ but instead of 21 ft kitchen it would only be 18ft but without a 40k plus bill

Doozergirl

It's all down to whether it's structural.

If it isn't then it won't cost much in the scheme of a complete kitchen overhaul. I'd probably pay our SE £180 plus VAT for the calcs, half that if it isn't structural, just for the call out. I think he's cheap though, compared to anything I see here, and can never fathom why as they're a professional outfit.

The best option is always to make the space you already have work harder to suit you, so it's a good idea to lose the shower room in favour of a decent kitchen.

I think you'd be unlucky if it were structural, given the proximity of the RSJ and the window wall. Thats a good span for joists without the wall you want to lose. What's directly above it?

Have you knocked on the wall to hear what it sounds like?

babyblade41

It's solid wall but it's an old house and no stud walls anywhere .

Above is a small bedroom

Thank you for expressing what's usable as this was my thinking. It's not a long term house (about 5 years max) , but I do like a biggish kitchen and hate open plan living dining rooms so this seems a sensible more cost effective option.

I'll send you over a virtual bottle of nice vino for your input... many thanks

babyblade41

Just to add the span from existing RSJ to exterior wall is just over 8 ft, there is no wall above this wall upstairs ,

The existing RSJ is supporting the upstairs bedroom wall

So now would instructing an SE confirm whether it is a load bearing wall ??