Knocking through a wall for kitchen diner

[NicolaLesley123]

Hi all
Just wanted some opinions please!
I live in a 3 bed 1930's style semi. Downstairs is a lounge and dining room (which are about the same size) and a decent size galley kitchen though it's not too narrow. I'm debating getting the wall knocked through between the kitchen and dining room so it is more of a family room. The pros are: 1. I could see the garden through patio doors when in kitchen 2. It would be more sociable 3. Dining area would be used or atleast seen more. The cons are 1. I've got a dog and cats so when I'm out their muddy paw prints when they are in and out of the cat flap won't be contained to just the kitchen any more 2. The rooms would be unequal in size - would lounge look tiny in comparison? 3. When entertaining I would see mess in kitchen 4. Cost and mess!
What are your views? Has anyone done it and regretted it?

Our 1930s terrace had already had this done before we moved in, but we saw enough other unmodified houses in the same area to know that knocking through is so so much better. The kitchen / dining space just makes so much more sense, is more sociable, and makes the kitchen feel bigger. I think it's an essential renovation for all 1930s terraces / semis.

I am desperate to have wall between tiny kitchen & dining room knocked down but due to £££ childcare costs currently mean that we have no spare cash at all and it is a supporting wall so assuming that it would be costly. Have you had any quotes?

I did the same in the first flat I owned and it made an amazing difference. I really can't see any real cons except for the cost.

We knocked the wall through in our 1930s semi, and we love it.

It is THE family room in our house, where everyone meets, where dh and I chat in the mornings when everyone else is still asleep, where homework is done, etc.

If I had an endless pot of money I'd extend the whole room out into the garden, to have an even bigger kitchen/diner.

Do you have an utility room? Somewhere the cat/dog can come in where you can put a sink and their towels?

Yes, most likely this wall is loadbearing and needs a steel. Then you'd need a plasterer. Probably also a plumber if there are radiators on the wall. I have no idea how much ours was, as it was just one part of a major gutting process, rewiring, replumbing, etc.

Our living room doesn't feel small in comparison, as it's almost clutter free. It's just for watching TV, and playing games.

In short, I'd do it again.

I'd definitely do it. I love our kitchen diner and is the real hub of our home now. I'd definitely recommend getting a big turtle mat or similar for in front of the cat flap...since I've got one of these I've had no muddy paw prints at all. Wish I'd got one years ago.

Hose your dog down at the back door. If you are having an island you could add a high upstand so any cooking mess could be hidden.

Oh and on our 1930s terrace the wall between the kitchen and dining room wasn't load bearing. We know this because we got a structural engineering check under the floorboards before buying, as the survey mentioned the fact that the wall had been removed. There is one massive joist going from front to back. If yours was the same it would be pretty cheap to just smash down the wall then make good the edges.

Thanks for your replies. Can I ask, have you got the same flooring in both or have you got tiles in kitchen part and somethingelse in dining part?

We did something very similar with our 1990s house about 3 months ago. I love it, the new kitchen-diner-playroom works brilliantly. As doze the new, grown up " front room".

Same flooring throughout, basically the kitchen and dining room are now one room with no obvious division between the two.

Same flooring - wood- throughout. We didn't go for an island and only have a small peninsula because we like the "big room" feel.

Not sure how 1930's terrace are but I have a Victorian terrace where extension on back of kitchen and old kitchen knocked through a square arch type thing it's great as old kitchen is now sort breakfast/diner/kitchen thing and kitchen is massive with lovely velux windows for light
Only thing I'd do differently is perhaps have bifolding doors from kitchen like these more modern extensions but I still love my set up and I think it's the point that sold the house as there is great scope to change the kitchen to how I want though cannot justify as it's 7-8 years old.
My neighbours are currently doing this though they have also done side return incorporating dining room and the space they have is great and light

We've just do finished extending and knocking through in the same way you're thinking of. Cost quite a lot , well over 60k in the end but only because we went for a nice wood floor throughout and a lovely range cooker etc. Think you could do it for cheaper if you don't get over excited by the finishing touches

Our wall removal plus RSJ was probably around 3k.
Wooden floor was around 2k and I put it down myself, carpenter put the beading down for £50.

60k for knocking a wall down Must have been some finishing touches Tipsey

I am heartened by your 3 k though Cinnamon!

Oopps, just noticed that you had said you had extended as well Tipsey, I am hoping that just knocking one supporting wall out will go into double figures!

Yes Yawning - was an extension as well , went out the back and the side a bit and got a downstairs loo squeezed into the understairs cupboard and a utility room (well more like a cupboard) as well. We spend all our time in here now and the living room has become the 'movie/take-away' room really.

We did it in our previous house. It was about £2k for knocking wall down, making good the plastering and re-positioning the radiator. Kept the flooring different for each 'room'. Was doing it all on a budget.

This house (also a 1930s semi) we have just done it after being here for 4 yrs. Building work just for the wall was about £2.5k but we had extra work done elsewhere. Have put solid wood down throughout, about £1k for the floor + underlay etc but H has laid it. Slight issue trying to level floor (kitchen was lower than dining room).

Was it a supporting wall Mandy? 2k sounds almost manageable.

Yes. Stand to be corrected but I think the wall between the kitchen & dining room in 1930s semis is almost always a supporting wall. It depends on the actual design thoughaskto what else there is (we had pipes running floor to ceiling on that wall, plug sockets, controls for central heating, radiator which made it a bit more expensive but I would certainly say it should be £2-3k.

Thanks again everyone. I've been given one quote of 850 quid for knocking wall down and putting support in, plastering and moving radiator. Seems pretty reasonable doesn't it? I am also going to get loo fitted under stairs at same time I think.

That sounds quite a good price, does it include the building regulations fee as well?

That probably won't include BR fee and structural engineers fee though. If you were near me, I would probably charge around £350+VAT for the calculations, you may get it cheaper depending on where in the country you are.

No I don't think it included that fee. It was purely for the building/plastering work.