Are you considering knocking down the walls of an existing property in New Jersey? If you have already arrived at such a decision, you may want to give it a second thought as this step might cost you in the long run. Let’s see how it works.
Floor Plan
Anyone buying an older home prefers the idea of renovating it. You have separate spaces, with the walls separating one room from the other. Knocking down the walls may give you an open space, but what will you do with it? The windows are still positioned as per the floor plan, and things may not work out the way you want to.
Positioning Furniture
When you are planning to carry out major renovations, it is important to keep in mind furniture placement. Right from your sofa set to piano table, everything needs to be positioned in a way that adds to the overall visual appeal. If you knock down the walls, you may end up with an undefined open space, with some sections being unusable.
Sagging Ceiling
When an interior wall is taken down, it can interfere with structural support. You don’t want that ceiling above your head to be sagging in any way. Without consulting with a contractor, one should never make such decisions. If you are a homeowner in New Jersey, or looking to own one, make sure to consult with a professional first.
Housing Trends
You may be doing it completely wrong by combining the kitchen, dining room and living room into one single rectangular space. The space that was once a traditional colonial design may turn out to be something else now. If you are opting for an open floor concept, there should be a better plan for this.
A majority of home buyers fancy the idea of open living spaces, but they hardly know what to do with this undefined space. There’s a high probability of getting things wrong in a fix and flip project. You may end up placing your furniture wrong or distorting the visual appearance of the open space. The concept of everything open is a thing of the past, since it may not work for most of the home buyers. If you are looking for energy efficient options, these open spaces can burn a hole in your pocket as well. They will cost you more to get them re-conditioned. The sound will travel through, as well as odor from the kitchen. Most importantly, there’s no privacy.
What Works in this Case?
Have you already purchased a property or looking to buy one? The ideal scenario is a kitchen opening into a dining area or family room or both. People look for defined dining rooms and defined living rooms, but the kitchen is always the center of attraction. Opening up that area may define other spaces that flow nicely with the entire setting. You must always consider every possible factor before knocking down the wall, and have an experienced architect provide sound advice.
