Should we re-instate this wall?

[KoalaSar]

Basically, we want to sell our house next year.

It's a family semi with a large extension (35m sq kitchen), four bedrooms (one is a box room), two bathrooms, downstairs loo etc.

We bought the house 12 years aso, when the trend was for knocking down walls. The previous owners removed the wall between the sitting room and dining room, and although it's never bothered us, I must admit that now we have an "eat-in" kitchen, we no longer use the dining room end of the sitting room and I kind of wish the two rooms were separate so we could have a playroom.

I'm wondereing whether we need to re-build the wall before we sell up. Everyone thinks our house is lovely, it has lots of character and the kitchen is "to die for" apparently - I know loads of people who would like to buy it but, I'm wondering whether having separate rooms will increase the selling price?

We would need to create a door into the sitting room as part of the process. The original door was bricked up and access is through the dining room. Hence we would need to completely redecorate the hall also.

I ought to add that the sitting room is not huge - I'm always struck by how pokey they seems when I go into our neighbour's house. An alternative is to put us some bi-fold doors but not sure if this will make a difference to the price in the same way.

What do you all think?

I would be really surprised if it would increase the selling price - tbh I think it might even put some people off (especially if sitting room not big) as it seems to be the norm to have those two rooms open plan nowadays and a separate dining room would probably be unused by a lot of people.

Ironically I was just thinking of posting a thread about doing the precise opposite - we have an open plan sitting/dining room (had bifold doors when we moved in but got rid of them as they were never used and got in the way) - but I want to get rid of the architrave round the opening where the bifolds were so it looks neater, and block up the sitting room door which is never used and therefore takes up valuable wall space - it looks stupid to have furniture in front of a door in my opinion!

Anyway just goes to show that everyone has different ideas of what they want and if you are planning to sell I really don't think the cost and effort is worth it.

No. I'd prefer the two sitting rooms open plan myself. Even if I didn't it would be no big deal to put the wall back and so I wouldn't pay more for one that already had the wall there.

We're just about to reinstate the wall between our dining and living room. We've found that as the DC's have got older, open plan living has become a noisy, messy nightmare. I can't wait to have 2 separate reception rooms!

i think that i would sell it as it is but point out to purchasers that it is easy to turn into 2 rooms and i would brief the estate agent accordingly.

i dont think it would increase value- might make it easier to sell but only to a part of the market. i personally would not go throught the faff myself- different story if you cant sell.

Ooh I'm really pleased with your responses - you have completely altered my view!

When we bought the house, the previous owners explained they had been undecided about the bi-fold doors so as a compromise, they had made the hole in the wall exactly the right size in case they wanted to add the doors later.

The thing that made me worry was this - before we extended the house (and I might add it really is a massive extension, added the kitchen, conservatory, bedroom, en-suite, downstairs loo and utility), it was valued at £220k (2004 price). Afterwards, a different estate agent valued it at £260k (despite £90k work), arguing that "it only has one reception room".

Perhaps he had no idea what he was talking about....

Absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

Most of the houses near me are the kind with a double reception room - they are always described as having two receps, or a double recep. Everyone who looks to buy round here knows what that means.

Sounds like he wasn't taking into account all you had added at all, and that's just a stupid thing to say re the reception room - but then I am also in an area where pretty much every house has the two front rooms knocked through, I think its only ones which are "unmodernised" which don't.

As a buyer, it wouldn't fuss me either way - I would look at the total floor space and general layout. So I would say leave as is. Let the buyers do what they prefer when they move in - it would be very easy for them to put a new wall in if that's what they prefer.

Good luck with selling your house. Wish we were in your area as that is exactly our budget and pretty much our requirements, but there is no way we would find aything round here (damn SE England) at that good a price.

Ah good luck with your search. The neighbour has just sold his for 298k after it being on the market for 2 weeks at 305k so I'm hopeful we'll get £300k, though as I said, not selling until next year so who knows?

Problem is, the leap up to the next sort of house is huge - about £450 - £550k. Wish there was more around £375k but sadly not.

as a buyer, I think the prospect of building a wall is a better one than knocking a wall down.