Brits hungrier than ever for open plan living

More and more Britons are knocking down internal walls to satisfy their craving for open plan living. Indeed the latest report from Halifax Home Insurance finds that 2.9 million rooms have disappeared over the past five years. In 2008, a further 2.1 million homes are set to go under the hammer losing at least one room in each property.

Death of the dining room…

Once a place strictly reserved for formal occasions and Mother’s best china, it seems that the formal dining room has become a largely unused space for many Britons. It’s certainly the most popular room to ‘knock through’ with more than half a million (590,000) dining room walls earmarked for demolition in the next twelve months. If this trend continues, the traditional dining room could be extinct by as early as 2020.

But it’s not just dining room walls set to topple. 190,000 living room walls will be lost to create larger lounge areas, and around 170,000 utility rooms will become incorporated into kitchen areas. 125,000 studies will be combined with adjoining rooms to create more spacious bedrooms, lounges and bathrooms.

Put the hammer down….

Halifax Home Insurance is concerned after finding that one-in-four (24%) of those planning to knock down a wall in the next twelve months intend to carry out the work themselves rather than employ a professional tradesperson. Halifax warns that any damage caused by homeowners is unlikely to be covered by their home insurance policy. Using a professional tradesman greatly reduces the risk of any damage occurring in the first place, and a reputable builder should have the necessary public liability insurance in place should any damage to property occur while the work is undertaken.

The insurer also urges homeowners to notify their insurer prior to undertaking any building work, especially after its research found that that only half (49%) of homeowners that have removed an internal wall in the past five years notified their provider. This is a standard requirement across the insurance industry, as internal changes can often affect the level of risk associated with the property and could consequently invalidate a policy. It's also important to seek advice from the local authority as you may need to get building control approval.

David Rochester, Head of Underwriting at Halifax Home Insurance, said: “Britons have clearly fallen for open plan living and are looking at ways in which they can make better use of the space inside their homes. In many ways it’s sad to see the decline of the formal dining room, but it appears that they may have become superfluous to modern living where people are perhaps less likely to eat together."

He continued: “Not only do we urge homeowners to make sure a qualified person carries out any structural work to their home, we also recommend seeking the advice of a qualified structural engineer before progressing work to knock down any walls. Any damage to a weight-bearing wall that results in ceiling collapse or other damage could also invalidate a buildings insurance policy. They should also seek building regulations advice from their local council or risk difficulty trying to sell their home further down the line.”