Open plans more desirable or not?

[estebancolberto]

We are buying a 1930s 3-bed house. We are considering whether we can remove the 3 internal walls downstairs to connect the kitchen, dining room, and living room. Is this a good idea? Are open plan houses desirable or not for buyers as we would like to sell this house after 5 or 10 years.

The very annoying structural engineer thought he knew best and insisted on pillars to hold up the steel supports in our open plan room, this is why we have a pillar (as well as walls) - to hold our house up!🤓

I don't think it's compulsory!😂

My DH is a structural engineer and we don’t have pillars. Until you have a very wide span, you do not need them. Some engineers do not think much about aesthetics!

I think a pillar for structural support is less costly than a reinforced steel joist going across the ceiling leaving the space completely open. You do lose load bearing walls by going open plan (whether that's the whole downstairs or just kitchen/diner) and you don't want the house to fall down!

Let's start with assuming we aren't idiots - the people who designed and built our extension weren't idiots and the natural conclusion is that our open-plan space is rather large! I'm assuming your dh isn't an idiot either and wouldn't decide on the need for steels or lack of before asking any questions😌

We have a steel joist embedded in the ceiling and a pillar to hold two horizontal steel beams up - actually it's a massive steel frame - we have steel in the walls too! - we had it done quite a number of years ago - maybe times have changed and the solution is more refined but we ain't changing it now!

This is what I have in my small victorian semi which I extended.
It's fantastic. All the space to be sociable. Underfloor heating in the kitchen/living/dining area with a door shutting it off from the stairs. Cosy and economical as this I don't have to heat the other rooms unless theyre being used.
The other side of the stairs is the original front room. Peaceful, quiet and lovely.
It's maximises all the space in a small property.

@TizerorFizz doors keep my 8yo out. She knows I’m in a meeting. Also others can’t hear her if I am in a teams meeting. I also have an older one and she knows a close door means meeting and she knows to get her print outs from the printer by quietly opening the door, grab the print out and close the door again.

We are talking about open plans and teenagers. They don’t want to see you with friends over in the living room on the game console.

I was thinking of much younger children re doors. Lots are talking about open plan with smaller children. Clearly mn children are trained to the minute. Many are not. However wfh with Dc is never easy in any scenario.

My DDs had friends over and we never opened a games console. Luckily they were ok talking and sometimes hung around the kitchen talking to me!

Just as a point of interest, look at the new mansions on the Wentworth Estate. All are steel frame. No columns inside and some are in excess if 25,000 sq ft with huge rooms. It’s amazing what steels can span.

Amazing isn’t it! Sounds very cosy.

Well I guess the super rich don’t value cosy. Vast rooms - yes!

Good point. We had very few sockets and difficult to put them anywhere near middle of the house so all at far corners. Not ideal for modern living.

Ooh I guess I’m an ideal world, all the lamps would be wired in to a single switch. Instant on ambiance!