Knocking down walls, new kitchen, garage conversion - where to start?!

[HurryUpPlease1234]

We’ve bought a house which is a dire need of renovation - long galley kitchen and separate lounge/dining room area. We also have a free standing garage which we’d love to convert into a summer house/play room.

Problem is - where to start?! Having never done this before, do we need an architect first? Or a structural engineer? Or a kitchen designer?

Basically we’re clueless..

Any help?

Yes - an Architect. The reason for this is they have qualifications and experience about utilising space and working out what would be best for your needs.

However: you need to establish costs if the Architect gets carried away! If you have a budget, say what it is. The Architect will talk to you about your needs for a kitchen because you need electrics, drains, water and other necessities in the right place! So talking to your architect greatly helps plan space and when you have plans, speak to a kitchen company. Don’t get anything put in that cannot be changed before looking at kitchen layout. Changes and amendments are expensive but a good Architect will understand about lighting, water, drains etc.

The Architect will know a Structural Engineer so you don’t start with them first. Don’t be afraid to open up spaces. Structural engineers can work wonders with beams!

How much money are you planning on spending? If you're not planning on doing a 'big' reno, completely rejigging your downstairs space etc, then I wouldn't bother with an architect. I'd get a structural engineer in to do your load bearing calculations for the wall you want to knock down - you then need to submit them and your plans to the building regulations department of your local council to line up building regs approval.

It really depends on how big a project it is. You could spend half your budget with an architect if it's only a small one!

That’s great - thank you!

I'm interested in this too... currently struggling to decide whether I need an architect... I know I'll need a structural engineer.

We have an l shape kitchen and dining room, split in two by a structural wall so the kitchen is long (previously extended).

We want to knock out the internal wall, then square off the room by extending sideways. End up with a roughly 7x7m room, and not sure what to do with the space then!

New part of extension will be 4x3 so imagining approx 20k for the build, plus kitchen? Would you get an architect for this?

New part of extension will be 4x3 so imagining approx 20k for the build, plus kitchen? Would you get an architect for this?

I think £20k is probably very optimistic (or at least would be where I am in London). Don't forget you also need the steel where you knock the wall down, plus building all the floor the same, plus moving water and electrics as appropriate.

Truthfully, there’s s “can you” and “should you”. Can you plan renovations converting with knocking down walls without an architect, of course you can. But should you?

Having proper plans will help you with the buildings regs, help with builders quotes to ensure you are all referring to the same plan. This will help avoid common pitfalls/misunderstandings about what you want and builder’s interpretation. I say this from experience.

Yeah ok, so sounds like getting an architect would be worth the money as would be better/more thoroughly planned.

Anyone know anything about joining steels? Presumably there is already one where the current extension is. I'm guessing then I'd need to extend that across for the new extension, then another for the internal wall at a tangent. Would end up T shaped. Sound possible?