!['We would like to [...] possibly open up the kitchen to the livingroom area to make the layout more open.' Photograph: iStock](https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/35UOYKQZQJHV5MJPRWK3QBPYLY.jpg?auth=7b9688b107abf998c24253496a6d7818cc76be1858f43f53e0b906b50e35cd49&smart=true&width=1024&height=704)
A few years ago, my husband and I purchased a home just outside of Wexford. The house needs some updates, but we fell in love with the land and the local area.
Since then, we’ve been saving up to do some renovations, and we think have what we will need to complete them.
We would like to renovate the kitchen, two bathrooms and possibly open up the kitchen to the livingroom area to make the layout more open. We haven’t started working with a contractor or anything yet.
What advice would you give homeowners who are working on renovating a home for the first time?
RM Block
It sounds like you have found your dream location and nearly perfect house. Restricting your renovations to finishes with some structural alterations is very doable.
Ensure to visit as many bathroom, kitchen and tile providers as possible and try to get the colour scheme right. Tiles especially go in and out of fashion, so if you are on the fence about the current colour scheme, wait a little longer.
This renovation will likely last for 20 years, so it’s important that when you outlay, you are happy with your decisions.
Kitchen suppliers often have design software, so I’d suggest you find out what measurements they need you to take and get them to show you a few layouts. Don’t forget to get them to look at the details around the immovable or proposed objects, such as doors, windows, sink or fixed cooker. The devil is in the detail and the more information you bring, the better the outcome.
Electrical points are often overlooked in a kitchen renovation. Have you enough or have you too many? Also, where are the light fixtures and are you looking to add more, reduce them or go for an entirely new look. A visit from an electrician would be very beneficial. They will tell you what the likely obstacles are so you can plan accordingly.
Opening one room into another is the biggest project you are considering. Before removing any wall, stand in each space and examine what you lose when you take out the wall. Where will your furniture sit? What happens to the ceiling coving or cornice? Are the floors on either side the same or is one concrete and the other suspended timber? How will the interface look? When you have answered or designed around these questions and still want to proceed, you move to the most important question: what is the wall holding?
Often, the roof is supported on midwalls. If you remove such a wall, you will need to replace it with something, such as a steel support. Ensure to get advice from a structural engineer before removing any such supports. I also suggest using a professional designer. Professional designers think of the things you probably won’t.
Speaking of contracts, the Society of Chartered Surveyors has a useful guide entitled, Engaging the Services of a Building Contractor – A Checklist for Homeowners, which you can find on its website.
Last but far from least, include a health contingency fund of between 10 and 15 per cent. Best of luck with the work.
Brigid Browne is a chartered building surveyor and a member of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland
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