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For many people, rural living is about embracing a rustic way of life. Many properties out in the sticks are open plan or have the space and potential to be open plan. But if you want to update your property to incorporate one big open plan living area there are things you need to consider. It gives you a bright and flexible space to do whatever you want, but what are the things that you need to think about before you undergo this?

Think About How You Going to Use the Room, Now and in the Future

While knocking walls down to create a group of rooms together certainly looks impressive, you need to think about what you wanted for right now and if it has the potential to change. Knocking down a few walls will create more room, will you be able to live practically? The best approaches to go towards the experts. Consulting builders like David Strudwick Design & Build could provide you with guidance on the best course of action due to the experience but ultimately, the final decision is yours. But you don’t want to be tinged with regret later on. 

Pinpointing the Load-Bearing Walls

If you plan on removing a wall, you’ve got to figure out if it is a load-bearing one. If so, it might need a steel beam known as an RSJ to carry the weight of the missing wall. It is crucial to acquire the help of a structural engineer in this respect. When you get their advice, they will be able to tell you if you can make your home an open-plan. Almost any home can be transformed into an open plan area, but load-bearing walls are not to be trifled with.

Consulting the Neighbours

Living in a property means being considerate especially if you are in a terraced house or a flat. You need to consider whether these alterations will affect your neighbour’s property as well. The Party Wall Act 1996 is a framework for resolving disputes in relation to boundary walls or party walls near neighbouring buildings. And it’s important that you consult this before undertaking any extensive work.

Will You Need to Bring In More Light?

While removing walls will greatly light in the space one end of the new space might be darker than the other. It’s important to tackle this by incorporating a well-balanced sense of light throughout the space. You don’t want a vibrant and big living space with a dark and dingy corner. You should also think about how a big room like this will affect your privacy. It may feel more invasive. In which case you may want to create the separate zones in this open plan area to get the best of both worlds.

Open plans are all the rage but you need to consider, not just the aesthetics, but the practicalities of the space. One big room can result in higher energy bills. Open plan is a very stylish approach to renovating a space, just as long as you consider if it is genuinely suitable for your property.

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