There’s a downside to open concept renovations – the high costs and headaches. Are they worth it?

Article by Jude Kamal, Founder & Registered Interior Designer of Sansa Interiors

Creating an open concept within a renovation is one of the most popular design approaches in Toronto’s interior design scene—with its unmatched ability to brighten up a home, create the perfect entertaining space, and bring in a more modern and contemporary feel, an open concept floor plan can really make a huge impact and change the physical and visual boundaries within a home.

Many Toronto homeowners dream of their own open concept living space. We can see this in current real estate trends—with open concept apartments and houses being snatched off the market first.  We see people asking for “an open concept” within their home all the time.

But what does it take to bring your open concept dream to life? Is it really going to solve all your functional problems?

People always want the open concept layout without realizing that this design configuration doesn't work for every house. There are sometimes spatial, structural, and budgetary limitations that need to be addressed. 

While they look stunning, there's a lot of time, money, and work that needs to go into transforming a home into an open concept house. From extra costs to structural loads to heating and cooling considerations, there are many factors to think about before you start taking down walls.

Inside this blog, we'll dive into everything you need to know—from the pros to the cons, and yes, even the costs of an open concept renovation.

What is an Open Concept Renovation?

An open concept renovation refers to a space that combines two or more rooms into one unified room. In residential buildings, this often looks like opening the main floor by combining the kitchen, dining room, and/or living room spaces.

Although, not all homes can accommodate (or easily accommodate) an open concept layout. 

While some houses may be better suited to this renovation style than others, it's not uncommon for homes to need steel beams or other major structural reinforcements to replace a load-bearing wall.

It's always recommended to work with a structural engineer to help you determine if an open concept renovation is right for your house. They'll be able to assess the structure and foundation, as well as find out which walls are load-bearing (and which aren't). A general rule of thumb, 90% of interior walls that are hindering your home’s flow are most likely structural walls carrying the entire load of your home.

The Advantages of Open Concept Renovations

First, let's explore some of the advantages of an open concept renovation…

• More natural light. When we tear down walls and open up rooms, we give space for natural light to easily flow in. This can make all the difference for dark and outdated spaces—helping any home feel more bright and spacious.

• Opens up the home. When adding more square footage isn't an option, open-concept layouts are the next best thing to make a space feel big, bright, and open. With no doors to open and close and no walls to go around, this layout creates an easy and effortless flow within your home.

• Ideal entertainment space. This flexible, spacious layout is perfect for hosting parties and socializing with guests. By opening up your main floor rooms, you're able to create a beautiful flow that can easily accommodate more people. As an added bonus, most open concept floor plans center around the kitchen, letting you prepare food and drinks while still interacting with guests relaxing in the living room.

• Family-friendly. Open concept floor plans create a better line of sight into all of your main living spaces—making it an ideal place to keep an eye on the kids. With greater flexibility and all its multi-use features, the whole family can rest, cook, and play all in the same space.

• Increased real estate value. Open concept homes are extremely desirable within the Toronto real estate market. Their popularity, versatility, and beautifully modern feel keep these homes as the first choice pick with both buyers and renters. An open concept renovation may be pricey, but it's an investment in the overall value of your home.

The Disadvantages of Open Concept Renovations

Open concept renovations are undeniably beautiful, but they still have their downsides to consider...

• Lack of privacy. While they're great for entertaining, open concept renovations also make it harder to find a quiet space on the main floor. The majority of activities inside the home will now be occurring in one central spot.

• Poor sound control. Those walls you demolished may have been keeping the light out, but they were also keeping the sound in. Without partition walls to block noise, open concept homes can become very noisy. 

• Heating and cooling. This is one point that most people don't think about… the increased cost to heat and cool. When we create great rooms with high ceilings and large windows, we're also creating a space that takes more energy to heat and cool. Traditional floor plans give you the option to only heat or cool certain spaces, but with an open floor plan, we need to adjust for the entire space.

• Clutter. Yes, clutter! When we open up the floor plan to create one larger space, it becomes harder to hide any mess. If one area is cluttered, the whole floor will appear cluttered. This is one advantage of traditional floor plans—their divided spaces make it easier to hide or confine a mess.

• Construction costs. Doing any kind of renovation will cost you, but open concept renovations come with their own high price tag. Without partition walls, open concepts often depend on steel or laminated beams for support, which are costly to install. And then there are additional costs to consider like flooring, plumbing, electrical, and interior design (see below for more).

How Much Does an Open Concept Renovation Cost in Toronto?

In Toronto, the average cost to do an open-concept renovation and remove a wall ranges between $1,500 -$3,000 for a non-load-bearing wall. And anywhere between $4,500 - $15,000 for load-bearing walls inside multi-level homes.

The price will ultimately depend on both the size and the scope of your project.

There are a few additional points to consider when factoring in the cost…

• Electrical. How will this wall removal affect your electrical system? An electrician may be needed to help you create an operational open-concept space.

• Plumbing. Do any pipes need to be removed or relocated? If the renovation disturbs your current plumbing system, you'll need to hire a plumber. 

• Drywall Installation. You'll need to cover any exposed pieces of wall with new drywall—taking into account both the cost of drywall and installation. This part will come after any necessary plumbing or electrical fixes and once the wall is removed.

• Flooring. Once the wall, or walls, have been removed, you'll need to replace the flooring beneath them. And if the flooring differs between the rooms you've now opened up, additional flooring replacements may be necessary to create a more solid and unified feel.

• Painting/Wallpaper. To create a cohesive look in your new open-concept space, wall colours or patterns may need to be adjusted. Depending on your space and aesthetic, this could look like removing and replacing wallpaper or repainting entire walls. If the rooms you're joining already have the same look, you may not need to change much.

Open concept renovations are incredible at bringing new life to outdated spaces.

Though they may not work for every home (and every budget), they're one of the most popular floor plans for a reason—their ability to bring in more light, create lively entertaining spaces, and even increase the value of your home, is highly desirable.

We love the dramatic transformation that an open concept renovation can bring.

If you're ready to explore transforming your home into the open concept layout of your dreams, our team at Sansa Interiors is here to support you.

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