Where do I even start?

[FirstTimeReno84]

I have had an offer accepted an on Victorian end terrace. It needs a lot of work as other than new windows and reroofed nothing has been done in 40 years. Extending isn’t possible due to neighbouring property, but I want to redo the ground floor to create an open living space just can’t quite work out the best way to do this, very lacking in creative vision but I’m sure it could be lovely! Just don’t know who to ask for help!

 

[a twig]

An architect would be the usual port of call

 

[FirstTimeReno84]

Thank you. I wasn’t sure whether an architect was the first person I need to speak to, and whether I should also be looking at builders, electricians etc right from the start, as well as some kind of interior designer. I’ve read so much online and I didn’t know if an architect would just put your ideas on paper or actually come up with ideas/designs/options for you, ie are they technical people or creative people.

 

[a twig]

Architects are very much creative. Use them for ideas on how to re-configure the layout to suit how you want to live.

Then once you have settled on the idea and have outline drawings, ditch the architect and start talking to builders etc

 

[a twig]

There will inevitably be some compromises to the architects original vision dictated by the house, what is there already, budgets etc but it gives you something to aim for

 

[paulc]

Then once you have settled on the idea and have outline drawings, ditch the architect and start talking to builders etc

If walls are being removed, you will need to consult s structural engineer. Do not trust the opinion of a builder.. Even stud walls can be structural.
Should you go ahead with removing walls, you'll need to involve Building Control, and they will want to see structural engineer's calculations for any supports that are needed.

 

[fernicarry]

are they technical people or creative people.

You don't need an architect for an internal reconfigure. They are useful if you have a green field site or are extending but for anything less they are just overhead. Their fees can be exorbitant and they do so love to spend your money by gold-plating everything and insisting on all sorts of other professions getting involved. A friend of mine was told by his architect recently he needed a list of surveys as long as his arm for reconfiguring an old workers cottage. Apparently a bloke with a tape measure no longer suffices.

In your case the obvious one is to open up the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. Keep the front room separate as your "good" sitting room. Caveats would include whether that is a supporting wall and how you deal with period details like cornices, floor boards, skirting boards that would need to span the gap where the wall used to be if you choose to remove it completely (better option IMO is to remove most but not all of the height/width of the wall so that most of those details are unaffected). The storage at the back of the kitchen could be incorporated to give you more floor space or kept as a pantry which would allow you to have fewer cabinets in the open part of the kitchen which seems to be a bit of a trend at the moment. Spend your architect budget on a high end kitchen designer to make the most of the resulting space. The one we used came up with quite a different layout to what I had in mind and it works much better, the benefit of having done hundreds of similar projects no doubt.

You will fall into building warrant territory if there are structural alterations so you'll need a structural engineer to produce drawings and calculations in support of the application. A decent multi-trade builder should be able to do the works and will bring in subbies as needed. If you are refinishing external walls then you should ensure breathable materials are used which most builders will not naturally gravitate towards so find one who will respect traditional construction (this will be difficult!). There may also be opportunities to improve the thermal performance of the building depending on to the extent to which you strip it back (IWI, UFH etc.).

I suspect your bigger problem with the livability of the property is the single shower room upstairs shared between 4 bedrooms. Running downstairs to the one at the front door won't be a popular option. If you don't need all 4 bedrooms then bedroom 4 could potentially make a lovely family bath and could donate some space to bedroom 2 for built-in storage and the existing shower room made en-suite to the master. You could then put a WC in the utility room and incorporate the shower/inner hallway (very odd space) into your open-plan area.

 

[FirstTimeReno84]

You don't need an architect for an internal reconfigure. They are useful if you have a green field site or are extending but for anything less they are just overhead. Their fees can be exorbitant and they do so love to spend your money by gold-plating everything and insisting on all sorts of other professions getting involved. A friend of mine was told by his architect recently he needed a list of surveys as long as his arm for reconfiguring an old workers cottage. Apparently a bloke with a tape measure no longer suffices.

In your case the obvious one is to open up the wall between the kitchen and the dining room. Keep the front room separate as your "good" sitting room. Caveats would include whether that is a supporting wall and how you deal with period details like cornices, floor boards, skirting boards that would need to span the gap where the wall used to be if you choose to remove it completely (better option IMO is to remove most but not all of the height/width of the wall so that most of those details are unaffected). The storage at the back of the kitchen could be incorporated to give you more floor space or kept as a pantry which would allow you to have fewer cabinets in the open part of the kitchen which seems to be a bit of a trend at the moment. Spend your architect budget on a high end kitchen designer to make the most of the resulting space. The one we used came up with quite a different layout to what I had in mind and it works much better, the benefit of having done hundreds of similar projects no doubt.

You will fall into building warrant territory if there are structural alterations so you'll need a structural engineer to produce drawings and calculations in support of the application. A decent multi-trade builder should be able to do the works and will bring in subbies as needed. If you are refinishing external walls then you should ensure breathable materials are used which most builders will not naturally gravitate towards so find one who will respect traditional construction (this will be difficult!). There may also be opportunities to improve the thermal performance of the building depending on to the extent to which you strip it back (IWI, UFH etc.).

I suspect your bigger problem with the livability of the property is the single shower room upstairs shared between 4 bedrooms. Running downstairs to the one at the front door won't be a popular option. If you don't need all 4 bedrooms then bedroom 4 could potentially make a lovely family bath and could donate some space to bedroom 2 for built-in storage and the existing shower room made en-suite to the master. You could then put a WC in the utility room and incorporate the shower/inner hallway (very odd space) into your open-plan area.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. We do need all four bedrooms but hoping to extend the bathroom to include part of bedroom 3, to make it bigger and possibly look at adding an en-suite to bedroom 2. There is currently a wet room shower in the (as you say) odd space of the inner hall but I wouldn’t want to keep that (struggling for ideas on how to use this space, which is why I was trying to find out what professional might have the vision to help with layout).

I want to open up and add doors possibly between the kitchen and dining room so we can have an open plan kitchen/living/dining area and then keep the separate sitting room.

Starting to think this may not be the best decision I’ve ever made!

 

[Stevers]

It's good practice for all sorts of reasons not to remove the entire wall between rooms. In our case we left 500mm of wall each side and at the top, which made it easier to block it back in, with a single door through, when we needed a ground floor bedroom for mothercare, and it will stay blocked in once the extra bedroom is no longer needed, as it was that extra doorway that made all the difference.

We still have roof tanks, so we put our shower downstairs to take advantage of the greater water pressure. The upstairs bathroom just has a bath without all the shower style carp (curtains etc.) so is a lovely little bathroom perfect for a nice long soak. This has proved an entirely satisfactory arrangement for us - until the bath my mother craves ended up at the wrong end of a staircase she can't use, but we'll put in a temporary stairlift rather than change it.

 

[fernicarry]

struggling for ideas on how to use this space

If you want to keep it separate it could be a little nook for a home office, or a reading/gaming space. Close off the door from the porch and make the one from the dining room side "secret" (hinged book case, or pocket door decorated to match the wall). Yes, I watch far too many home make-over programmes...

Starting to think this may not be the best decision I’ve ever made!

Live in it for a bit and let your ideas crystalise. We didn't do anything really for the first year. Some would say that I still haven't achieved very much in the decade or so since...