How much work to remove this wall? (pic included)

[Curiosity101]

I have recently bought a house and this is the layout upstairs (roughly to scale)

Untitled

• Curiosity101
• 22 Mar 2013
• 2

I would really like to remove the wall coloured red. It is a 'walk in cupboard' but as it stands is completely useless due to the wall that is there at the moment.
Once you 'walk in' you can't use the space you're stood in obviously so you either only have the space above the stairs bulkhead or you only have the open doorway space.

The bulkhead itself is coloured in grey and currently is roughly a 1m cube. I'd look at minimizing it's height if possible but that is all. I'd like to ideally open up the wall and incorporate the bulkhead into a desk/dressing table type thing with cupboards/storage overhead perhaps.

The wall itself is a solid, probably load bearing wall (runs directly above the living room wall.)
I know it'll almost definitely require an RSJ so I know I probably need a structural engineer and to inform building regs? But how big a job will it be and could anyone estimate a cost?

Still not decided on whether it will be worth it in the long run or not as fully done up the house is probably only worth around 65-70k and we're unlikely to be there more than 5 years.

 

[RonnyRaygun]

I have recently bought a house and this is the layout upstairs (roughly to scale)

Untitled

• Curiosity101
• 22 Mar 2013
• 2

I would really like to remove the wall coloured red. It is a 'walk in cupboard' but as it stands is completely useless due to the wall that is there at the moment.
Once you 'walk in' you can't use the space you're stood in obviously so you either only have the space above the stairs bulkhead or you only have the open doorway space.

The bulkhead itself is coloured in grey and currently is roughly a 1m cube. I'd look at minimizing it's height if possible but that is all. I'd like to ideally open up the wall and incorporate the bulkhead into a desk/dressing table type thing with cupboards/storage overhead perhaps.

The wall itself is a solid, probably load bearing wall (runs directly above the living room wall.)
I know it'll almost definitely require an RSJ so I know I probably need a structural engineer and to inform building regs? But how big a job will it be and could anyone estimate a cost?

Still not decided on whether it will be worth it in the long run or not as fully done up the house is probably only worth around 65-70k and we're unlikely to be there more than 5 years.

I'd be surprised if it's loadbearing. Joists usually span front to back in houses of that style.

It's possible the ceiling joists span locally onto that wall, but even if they do it would be a simple job for a builder to do. If it is carrying joists it would just be a case of sticking in a timber trimmer. You wouldn't even need an SE as span tables would give you what you need.

Only way to be 100% sure though is to look in the attic and see if anything spans onto the wall.

 

[Curiosity101]

Thanks for the reply. I'd resigned myself to the fact that it was load-bearing but you've given me some hope.

And you are right about the joists I reckon as the floorboards are laid length ways rather than front to back.

I'll get my dad to have a look up in the loft (he's very good with all this stuff, I'm very new to it with this being my first house)
I know he wont 'guess' and if he is in anyway unsure we'll get a builder in.