10 -20k +_

Having gone through this just a couple years ago... I can certainly tell you it's not just a "couple" thousand.

We remodeled a split entry ranch near Boston (HIGH COLA) and opened up our kitchen to the adjacent dining room and living area. We needed a 26 foot Lam beam (I believe it was 3 ply by 14 inches) to span the length of the wall we removed. The contractors built two temporary walls on either side of the wall to be removed and demoed the existing wall. They then brought in the three (2x14"?) components of the lam beam and screwed/glued them all together. They had to add structural supports to each end of the beam to support the new weight. Additionally, the structural engineer required a new footing to be added as my house sits on a slab. So, demo through the concrete.. add a 4x4x4 foot footing add the needed support (also a LAM... 6x6 or 8x8".. and refinished the slab/tile.

I believe the price just for this was just around 12K. Expensive? Yes... but it really changed the whole feel of the house. It was part of a complete kitchen renovation with demo down to the studs, moving electrical and plumbing, new cabinets, appliances etc.

Interestingly two of our neighbors with nearly identical homes both did kitchen renos before us.... one did a complete open concept.. and the other kept posts to eliminate the need to do the major lam beam... the difference is substantial.

Now a cape may have totally different issues ... having a second floor. A structural engineer is going to be your best friend.

Good Luck!

Gusman

Thank you all so much for your responses. They were very helpful and appreciated

as now I know I can put that particular project to the side for the future and put my focus (and money) into smaller projects and save for my dream kitchen.

There are WAYS to incorporate load and support into kitchen design. .......

That anyone can advise on what you are "certain is load bearing" ? Here?

As a first time home buyer, you don't "assume" anything. You call a structural engineer, and you keep your pants on until you do. Then.......you plan, plan , plan plan, and save and save and plan some more, WITH PRO help.

I wasn’t planning to do anything without professionals. It’s the main wall in a cape so it is load bearing. It’s the only wall in half of the home. I just wasn‘t sure if it was something I could work into my current budget now as I plan before I get into the home in 2 months or something that was out of the realm for right now which it is because I wouldn’t do it in anyway that was a shortcut. I will wait until I can remodel the entire kitchen.

thank you to everyone for the information.

You are not telling us what you think youcan afford so there is no way for us to even guess. Get a structural engineer to look at this and tell you what you need and then get some quotes in your area. IMO this would be something I would want to do before move in but not without a plan for the whole space .

My overall budget for work upon move in is $20k. BUT that includes updated flooring on the first floor and refinishing the existing hardwoods on the second that are scratched which both eat up a significant amount of my budget. Then painting, one of the bathrooms needs a new vanity, the cabinets are solid wood so I’m going to sand and paint them myself and replace the counter, new appliances and fresh paint instead of wall paper I think could keep me happy for a few years. Attached are two. photo‘s for reference. Shows wall from the view of the kitchen and the living area. The flooring is the same throughout the first floor. I’m leaning towards a cosmetic refresh initially and then when my budget allows making a larger change.

Several years ago there was discussion on this. Cost seemed to relate to geographical location. We had a load bearing wall taken down from kitchen to center hall (have both second floor and basement). Over 10K approx 10 yrs ago in northern NJ including required civil engineer sign off. Didn't include new wood floor. So so worth it. added almost 5 ft in width to spread out in our kitchen.

I’m on Long Island so this proje would probably be on the higher end.

You don't go to a structural engineer. You go to a general contractor who has done this job many times before; he'll have an engineer if you need one. If you'd like to pay for perfectly good math that ends up having no cost effective use, call an engineer first.

You don't just make an appointment with a cardiologist, you get a referral from your GP who may just make you stop drinking caffeine. Same thing here.

Thank you Joe. I will reach out to a GC once I close to get a better sense.

Removing the wallpaper in the kitchen would be a big improvement. Wood is ‘in’ plus is classic, and the cabinets look to be in good condition. With a warm white paint on the walls and new countertops, this kitchen would be very nice. And add some under cabinet lighting, if it’s not already there. Maybe down the line, a floor update to wood or wood look vinyl planks or even stone look LVP - but I don’t know if that is even necessary. Personally, I would consider doing these minor kitchen updates, prior to moving in. These couple of changes would make a big difference.

As far as the wall:: Personally, there is no way I would remove it. Not only is it load bearing... but it serves an important aesthetic function. Open concept is really a bit overdone, at this point. Everyone is not interested in sitting in the living room and looking smack into the kitchen. Plus, with your setup, I think you would also have a grand view of the kitchen from the foyer - without that load bearing wall there. I would personally have zero interest in spending a ton of money and tearing up a house for the end result of less privacy and less graciousness. But it is a matter of personal preference, of course.

I see now that the tile goes throughout. A rug in LR could be nice

Just a rough view, rug could be a bit larger. And that may be all you need, if you’d like to vary the tile. Or, if you prefer, down the line wood or wood look vinyl plank throughout.

And if that is a tv, hugging the ceiling, you could for sure have yours lower, if you plan on having one in the space. :)

I will for sure be removing the wallpaper (which will be a great time I’m sure), painting all the walls a soft gray with white trim, and having lvp installed throughout.

I was wondering about the TV, it did seem to be raised a little high. There is a pellet stove in the space so that may be why. I know I will need a hearth apron for the stove with the lvp.

I noticed the stove after the fact, and didn’t know if it was staying. That is probably why they put tv so high; that, and to line it up with top of window frames... 🤷🏻‍♀️

The current paint scheme in the space + the bit of wood trim is actually very much ’in’ as far as design trends. If you could see yourself bringing in the greys in furnishings, art, maybe rug, and/or other accessories, you could potentially save yourself money, energy, etc. - plus potentially have a more current space in terms of design trends than you would with the grey walls, white trim, etc. I don’t know what your style is, but the current paint scheme in your space can work with any number of design styles. These Scandinavian inspired spaces, for example:

But if you just love grey and want grey on all the walls, too - it is certainly doable.

Thank you freedomplace1, the wood tones with the tile are unfortunately just not my taste. I’m not quite sure how I would describe my style exactly but I do find myself drawn to gray, white, navy and gold.

I like a dark floor , similar in color to jacobean.

I loved the bones of the home, but not so much the style. Felt very masculine to me and my taste is much more feminine.

Just remember that if you have flooring put down bf removing wall, when wall is removed you will have to repair and replace flooring again When we took out our kitchen wall, we also factored in new wood floors in our kitchen, The new flooring was threaded into the original oak flooring in our center hall. Quite expensive.

The masculine would be the dark + a bit bulky leather furniture - the lines on the pieces are not streamlined... although, the overall scale of the furnishings appears to be ok for for the space. Not suggesting that you keep the tile, as noted in previous comments. Wood for cabinetry, etc., as well as whites for wall paint are very much trending and are gender neutral. They are also classics.

Congratulations on your new home. Best wishes!

"I’m on Long Island so this proje would probably be on the higher end."

Oh yeah it will be, depending on where quite possibly higher than just about anywhere this side of California.