Given the context of the question, I'll expand a little on my answer above. I assume the question is not knowing if you have one, but rather determining which ones they are. External walls are nearly always load bearing, as they take the load of the external wall of the story above or the roof. Joists usually run between two load-bearing walls; floorboards are laid perpendicular to the joists. Therefore a wall that is parallel to the floorboards is more likely to be load-bearing than one that is perpendicular to them. However, trimmer joists might be used for stairwell openings for example and these might not be immediately apparent without looking at the full length of the wall. An internal wall that continues up through the next floor is bearing the load of the wall above. Though if the upper floor is a stud wall, the load will be less. Masonry walls are more likely to be load-bearing than stud walls, but that is definitely not a hard and fast rule. Modern roofs are generally supported by the external walls only, but that is not always the case in older houses. You'd need to check the rafters in the attic to see is anything is resting on an internal wall. Where a house has been extended, an internal wall that used to be the external wall might still be load bearing. That is the case in our house as I can see the attic is bricked up where the house used to end. There are probably a 101 other things to look for. And then call a structural engineer.

If I were to take a swag at the "what would it take" question, I'd guess that you'd need to run full-length joists (rafters) along these 2 planes (yellow highlight). They would need to span from outside wall to outside wall. The process of removing existing and installing new isn't rocket science, but it is painstaking. Support roof on either side of the LB wall with temporary stud walls 2. Carefully cut out existing joist (remove existing joist hangers, drop or cut rafter out) Install new, full-length joist (make sure you have it engineered for the needed load). 4. Re-attach rafters to the joist with joist hangers. 5. Remove temporary wall We DIY-ed something similar in the 2nd floor ceiling of our last house with a flush laminate beam. The trickiest part might be that the roof sheathing is likely nailed into the joist. You can cut the nails out with a sawzall, but you won't be able to nail into the new one unless you are re-roofing.

Wow. I’m just gonna be straight. I’m very offended. I have no plans to do this myself. This started as just a question about COST. I get that it might be difficult to assess over the internet. I NEVER said I was doing the work myself. I WILL BE hiring a contractor. In fact I mentioned that one is coming on Monday. I was just trying to COST things out. I’m not an idiot. I don’t base decisions on HGTV. WTF? Just to help commenters in the future ... maybe you shouldn’t make assumptions about the OP’s motives, plans, capabilities, thought processes... I got some good info here but I really wasn’t expecting to be insulted in the process. So I’d appreciate it if everyone just dropped it. Pretend you never even read such a stupid question as “how much does this cost” so you can all sleep at night. Oh, and for those of you that think I’m an idiot for wanting to open the wall, please don’t waste my time. I asked about cost. Heck, I just expected someone to say that either there’s a huge cost difference, there’s no cost difference or it’s not possible to know without seeing it in person. I did get that last response and some great info from a few folks. But then I was called an idiot, that I lack a multitude of capabilities, that I base decisions on HGTV, that I have horrible tastes, etc. Wow. Maybe I just don’t know the etiquette. Is it okay to ask questions on Houzz that I don’t know the answer to? Is it okay to not be a professional contractor? Is it okay to not know what I don’t know? Maybe I’ll update this thread after I’ve destroyed my house and I’m living in a shed. Because I’m just that stupid, right?

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.