Your budget is about what it would cost for a consult from the structural engineer that you need to create a report for the city to get your permit. Then there is the permit cost and the contractor cost. If the wall has electrical or HVAC in it, besides being load bearing, then your cost also just went up. On a good day, with there being no hidden structural issues, what you want might cost you 2K if you DIYed it all. For a contractor to do the same job, you might be looking at 3K and up. More if the electrical and HVAC prove to be problematic. Plus permit costs. And now onto the door project. That obviously needs the HVAC for the room to be re-engineered. How complex that may be will depend on the type of baseboard heating that you have as well as the insulation and window type and a whole host of other issues. You need to have a HVAC person come in and take a look at the system as a whole because if the current system is at the end of it's normal lifespan, just doing one change to it could take it over the edge, or, it could be an extremely cost foolish decision to not address the whole home. Then, after the HVAC is addressed, you have all of the structural and cosmetic issues to deal with that you would have with any cutting a hole in the exterior envelope to your house. You want to be sure that it's done in a way as to keep your house weathertight as well as done in an aesthetically pleasing manner for the exterior and interior patches to the wall components. This is probably more than a 5K project and could cost as much as 20K if the whole home's HVAC and insulation will need to be addressed.

Thanks. My fatal mistake was not turning off the AC...so there's a barely noticeable layer...everywhere. I got most of it up...just need to mop and remop a few times. Thanks. OH...do you have tips for getting drywall plaster out of the "margins" alont the side corners and ceiling? Most pieces are down, but I can't seem to chisel the stuff out well.

oasisowner, you could get a home that functions much better for you if you're willing to do it in phases and are willing and able to spend more $$ on the remodel. Here's how: Phase 1 Basement stairs doorway relocated to hallway (I explained how in an above post). Knock down the wall between kitchen and 3rd bedroom to create an open kitchen/DR. I did not include counter seating since the table is right there. Remove the lower half of the "windows" in the LR/hallway walls so that you have a better connection between kitchen/DR and LR. (This could wait until Phase 2, if necessary, but you'd have to add floor repair at that time, might be easier and cheaper to do it all at once.) The current DR becomes a den; no walls or doors added. Phase 2 You close off the "windows" from LR to den and create new walls for a relocated MBR, MBA and closet in its own wing of the home. Next, remove the existing MBA to create bedroom #1 with a new entry. Closets for bedrooms #1 & #2 are built between the 2 bedrooms. I'm assuming existing closet in bedroom #2 is along a wall so relocating it should create a larger bedroom. Rearranging the bedrooms and eliminating the existing MBA could wait for Phase 3. Or you could leave them as is and have a dual master bedroom home. This is a much larger undertaking but I went back to the issues you have with your home - not a large enough kitchen, unused DR, too small bedrooms - and addressed them with this plan. Doing the projects in phases will make it easier on the budget and on one's sanity. If you intend to stay put for a long time, then it might be worthwhile to pursue remodeling to gain a home that functions better for you now and in the long run, especially if your neighborhood will support these improvements.

Some of this is really dependent on your budget and how long you intend to live in this home. You don't want to overspend if you are only going to be there for a few years. If you could substantially improve the flow and function of the space by adding money to the insurance claim that is allowing you to renovate the kitchen it is an ideal time to do this work. If you really want some good ideas on what can or can't be done you have to do some more work. We need an accurate floorplan of the first floor. You can create it in excel - just make the cell size the same going up and down and side to side or use old fashioned graph paper and draw it with every measurement and each door and window opening. With windows let us know the height from the floor to the bottom of the window. Tell us everything that we need to know - what works, what doesn't work. There are some great designers with wonderful vision that contribute to this sight, but they can't help you without having all the information. Some of what we don't know What may be possible - You say the laundry is what it is. Why? Could the W./D be turned or moved and incorporated into the kitchen instead of wasting space by enclosing it? Don't get me wrong, a separate laundry is great, but if you have limited space sometimes it is better to have it in the kitchen or a bathroom. In a kitchen it can have Pantry Doors in front that make it look like part of the kitchen. Lowering part of the ceiling isn't all that hard. Opening it up and matching to the high ceiling is more problematic. A couple of ideas: It may be a really good use of money to have a talented designer help you with a plan. Tell them your budget and share all the pertinent information and see what they come up with.