Hello!
I am interested in buying an apartment, but for it to be worth buying, we would need an additional bathroom. The place where I want to build the second toilet is adjacent to the existing bathroom, but that wall is load-bearing (I have checked the construction drawings with the municipality, and I would guess it's made of brick or possibly concrete). I understand that I need the association's approval, but I mainly want to check how complicated it would be to have an additional toilet with the toilet bowl roughly where the fridge is today and the sink and washing machine where the stove/pantry is today. If you make an opening for this and connect to the apartment's drainage and water, would you then (likely) need to structurally reinforce the wall? I understand that it may also involve ventilation issues, but I thought we could start by considering water and drainage.
It looks like the pipes for water, sewage, and possibly ventilation are in the way between the bathroom and the kitchen. How easy/complicated it will be to add another bathroom depends on how easy it is to access the pipes from the "wrong" side.
When making openings in load-bearing structures, it is common to need reinforcements. Interventions in load-bearing structures require an approved building notification from the municipality.
Regarding ventilation, there should be exhaust in the new kitchen, and it likely needs to be connected to the same duct as the exhaust in the current kitchen. The new bathroom should also have exhaust, and it may not be allowed to be routed through the current kitchen's exhaust.
It looks like the plumbing for water, sewage, and perhaps ventilation goes in the way between the bathroom and the kitchen. How easy or complicated it will be to create an additional bathroom depends on how easily the plumbing can be accessed from the "wrong" side.
When making holes in load-bearing structures, it is usually necessary to reinforce them. Interfering with load-bearing structures requires an approved building notification from the municipality.
Regarding the ventilation, there should be exhaust in the new kitchen, and it probably needs to be connected to the same duct as the exhaust in today's kitchen. The new bathroom should also have exhaust, and it's not certain that it can be via today's kitchen exhaust.
Ok! Thank you! Does a new bathroom need its own exhaust if it only has a toilet and sink plus a washing machine and no shower?
Toilets should have exhaust ventilation, but it may be possible to connect to existing bathroom ventilation if the building's ventilation system can handle it. Washing machines require a floor drain and therefore drainage through the floor.
BirgitS said:
