Visited and looked at a house where the floor plan didn't appeal to me, so I've gotten help to come up with some different alternatives. The suggestion I liked the most was this one.
However, I have some questions about which walls might be load-bearing. I'll eventually bring someone in to assess, etc. But I want some initial insights to be able to calculate what the renovation might cost.
The floor plan on the left is how it looks today. The desired one is on the right.
However, I have some questions about which walls might be load-bearing. I'll eventually bring someone in to assess, etc. But I want some initial insights to be able to calculate what the renovation might cost.
The floor plan on the left is how it looks today. The desired one is on the right.
When was the house built?
If it is a house from the 1940s or earlier, all walls can be more or less load-bearing and/or stabilizing. If it is later, it is usually only the wall under the ridge that is load-bearing. Construction drawings are needed.
You also want many facade changes, which require a building permit, and depending on what is stated in the detailed plan and similar, it may be more or less possible.
If it is a house from the 1940s or earlier, all walls can be more or less load-bearing and/or stabilizing. If it is later, it is usually only the wall under the ridge that is load-bearing. Construction drawings are needed.
You also want many facade changes, which require a building permit, and depending on what is stated in the detailed plan and similar, it may be more or less possible.
BirgitS said:
checked it today, it was built in 1926.
Unfortunately, there are no construction drawings at all, contacted the municipality, but they don't have anything on the property.
It would have made things much easier if they existed, that's for sure.
What I've noted is that the wall between the kitchen/dining room doesn't line up with the wall between the living room/lounge.
Best regards,
It is not uncommon for there to be no drawings for houses that old, and then a structural engineer with experience in 1920s houses needs to come out and investigate.
Since the load-bearing capacity in such old houses often concerns how the beams in the floor above are placed and where their endpoints are, one cannot know which walls are load-bearing, and they absolutely do not need to be in a straight line. Since the beams are hardly 9 meters long, some walls you want to remove are load-bearing. It also looks worrying to want to remove so many walls as it will affect the stability of the house, for example, it may become very sensitive to wind, causing the walls to move when it blows.
It is better to learn to live with more rooms (it's part of the charm of 1920s houses) and, for example, install double doors or partially open up walls for more openness.
Since the load-bearing capacity in such old houses often concerns how the beams in the floor above are placed and where their endpoints are, one cannot know which walls are load-bearing, and they absolutely do not need to be in a straight line. Since the beams are hardly 9 meters long, some walls you want to remove are load-bearing. It also looks worrying to want to remove so many walls as it will affect the stability of the house, for example, it may become very sensitive to wind, causing the walls to move when it blows.
It is better to learn to live with more rooms (it's part of the charm of 1920s houses) and, for example, install double doors or partially open up walls for more openness.