The Pros and Cons of Removing Walls

Reasons For

• Taking down a wall between two small rooms to make one room of a decent size can make the whole house seem more spacious.
• You may let in more light: knock down the wall that divides a north- and a south-facing room and you have a large south-facing room.
• A separate dining room may be rarely used, which makes it an obvious contender for combining to create a large living/dining room or spacious eat-in kitchen.
• Hall space can be incorporated into the living room.
• Combining two bedrooms may provide room to create a generous main bedroom suite with walk-in wardrobe and en-suite bathroom.

Reasons Against

• Can you afford to lose a room that may be used infrequently, but which offers space for working or reading?
• You may be knocking down just one wall, but in terms of accommodating furniture, shelves, and pictures you are removing two - one from each room. Can you relocate (or do without) the things that used the wall space?
• Will losing a room affect the value of your property? A house that boasts one luxury bedroom suite plus a second bedroom may not be as saleable as a three-bedroom home. Check with an estate agent in your area.

Practicalities

• The first step is to consult a building surveyor to find out if the wall is load-bearing. If it supports the weight of the floors or roof above, it may not be possible to remove it. If it can be removed, the surveyor will recommend the correct size and type of beam to span the opening, and the correct way to install and support it.
• The floor in one room is not always level with the floor in the next. If the difference is minimal, you may not discover it until you have created the new opening. A shallow step is likely to cause accidents - the solution may be to raise the level of the lower floor by laying a new layer of flooring.
• Extra work will be involved if there are radiators or wall lights to remove.
• Closing off one door will give extra wall space. The neatest method is to remove the door, frame, and architrave, and infill the opening with stud partitioning.
• Light switches may have to be relocated so that they can be operated from the new, principal doorway.
• There may be times when you would like, temporarily, to re-divide the room. Consider installing French doors in the new opening. If they are glazed, you still benefit from the increased light. Sliding or bi-fold doors use up less floor space but are more expensive.