Service

Open Plan Kitchen Conversions

Turn a cramped rear kitchen and unused dining room into a single open plan kitchen-diner — structural work and kitchen fit-out handled as one project by one team.

Typical price from: £14,000
Typical duration: 4–6 weeks
Coverage: Greater Manchester

The highest-value change to a Manchester house

The standard Edwardian terrace and 1930s semi across Chorlton, Stretford, Urmston, Sale, Prestwich and Timperley shares a layout problem: a small rear kitchen separated from a dining room that nobody uses. Knocking the two together produces the single kitchen-living space that both tenants and buyers now expect, and it does it without extending the footprint.

For landlords, the effect on marketing photographs alone is worth the money. For homeowners, it is usually the difference between moving and staying.

What the project involves

The wall between those two rooms is nearly always load-bearing, so the opening needs a properly sized steel beam. Our structural engineer designs it, we submit to Building Control, and we install with temporary propping and correct padstone bearings.

Once the opening is formed, the space needs rethinking rather than just decorating. Radiator positions almost never work in the new layout, lighting needs zoning between the cooking and living ends, and ventilation has to handle a hob in a room people now sit in. We plan all of that at design stage.

Structural survey and engineer's beam design
Building Control application and inspections
Wall removal, steel installation and fire protection
Floor levelling across the two former rooms
Heating redesign and radiator or underfloor relocation
Zoned lighting design and full electrical first fix
Extraction sized for an open plan hob
Kitchen installation, worktops, tiling and flooring
Plastering and full decoration throughout

Open plan versus broken plan

Fully open plan is not always right. In smaller houses, keeping a downstand beam visible and using a partial opening or a wide cased opening can give you the light and connection without losing every scrap of acoustic separation — which matters in a shared house.

We will show you both options at survey and be honest about which suits the property. A house with a single reception room left after the knock-through can actually be harder to let, and we would rather say so before you spend the money.

Questions

Open Plan Kitchen Conversions — frequently asked

How much does an open plan kitchen conversion cost?

A knock-through with a steel beam, Building Control, making good and a new mid-range kitchen typically runs £14,000 to £28,000 depending on the kitchen specification. The structural element alone is usually £3,000 to £5,500 of that.

How long does it take?

Four to six weeks. The structural work is a week, and the remainder is the kitchen installation, worktop lead time, flooring and decoration.

Do I need planning permission for an open plan kitchen?

No, internal alterations do not need planning permission unless the property is listed or in certain conservation area circumstances. You do need Building Regulations approval for the structural work, which we handle.

Will the beam show?

Usually a downstand beam sits below the ceiling line and is boxed in. Where a flush ceiling is essential, a flitch beam or a deeper steel set within the floor zone can achieve it — it costs more and the engineer will confirm whether the floor structure allows it.

Is it cheaper than an extension?

Considerably. A single-storey rear extension in Greater Manchester typically starts around £45,000. An internal knock-through with a new kitchen delivers much of the same benefit for a third to a half of that.

Open Plan Kitchen Conversions near you

We deliver open plan kitchen conversions across Greater Manchester and everywhere within ten miles of the city centre.

Ready to price up your open plan kitchen conversions?

Tell us about the property and the work you need. We survey, price properly, and give you a dated programme — no estimates that drift.

Request a quote 07932 955295