small project in ex council flat

[dalston]

My project summed up in one sentence:
Convert studio flat into one bedroom flat by moving kitchen units into main space and make kitchen space into bedroom.

This forum is a great resource and I am posting this thread in the hope of getting as much feedback as possible.

See below drawings (approx)

Current


Intended result


Job #1
Moving kitchen into main space:
Fortunately, soil and water pipes enter/exit the flat in corner. I intend to set up new kitchen units against north wall (left wall in drawing) I will extend plumbing along wall a few meters and over this stretch there should be a sufficient drop for wastewater to flow freely back to soil pipe.
Main space will need cables and plugs to be used for fridge, electric oven and hob, washing machine, plus a couple of outlets for toaster etc.
Electric wiring and pipes will go trough wall between kitchen and main space, which becomes part of job #2 below.

Job #2
"Straighten" wall between kitchen and main space.
I am quite annoyed that there are small closets built into the walls. These are constructed of the same one-brick structure as the wall itself. I would like to knock trough wall where closet is built between kitchen and main space (see drawings) and erect stud wall in line with rest of wall.
Stud wall facing main space should ideally be clad in material where I can hang shelves. What is the cheapest insulation? No need for anything fancy, just want to make sure wall doesn't have hollow sound and feel.
Piping and electricity mentioned above will run trough stud wall.
The other bit of wall to be knocked down is a 40 cm wall sticking out from east wall (top in picture) and partly covering built in closet in south east corner of kitchen. Closet will stay as it is, only I intend to enlarge opening.


Job #3
Freshen up main space.
Paint ceiling. Rip off wallpaper. Remove carpet.
I would like to go over bare wall with either Polyfilla or Easifilla then sand down and paint. I imagine many of you will be aghast at this, but I need to go cheap.
Which is better; Polyfilla or Easifilla? Do I cover filler with adhesive like PVA or similar before I paint?
Rip out old carpet and cover naked concrete floor with garage floor paint. I will consider other flooring in a year's time when I have a bit more money.


Project management
Hackney council tells me over the phone that this project doesn't require a planning application, but must have approval of Building Control Dept.
The latter are mostly concerned about whether internal walls are load bearing and that plumbing and electrics must be done by pro's.
I am 99% sure that the walls around the kitchen are not loadbearing given the overall size of the flat. I just need to find the cheapest way I can have this confirmed. I am wondering if I just tell the council it is when I hand in the paperwork and wait for them to inspect and confirm? Alternatively, will plumber's assessment be adequate? If not, how much would it cost to have an engineer visit?

I will need a plumber. Is this one day's work? How much for materials?
I will need an electrician. How much approx?
I intend to knock down brick and make stud wall myself.
I intend to fix wall in main space and paint myself.


This ex council flat in North East London is valued just over the 100 K mark so I feel that the budget of the improvement must stand in proportion to this - otherwise I might not get my investment back when I decide to sell.
For everything I have described I imagine you must have plenty of comments. All suggestions, criticism and help will be received with thanks!

 

[1john]

Just a few pointers -

1 - bedroom door should open into the entrance hall, not the kitchen area, this also gives you scope to make an L shaped kitchen and poss a breakfast bar

2 - if you were to block up the opening to the cupboard you want to remove and open it up the other side you have another built in wardrobe

3 - If the kitchen is ripped out ready then the plumber will need two visits, first and second fix

4 - easyfill is something i prefere, dont PVA anything you want paint to stick too!!

 

[freddiemercurystwin]

To comply with Building Regulations your bedroom needs to have a protected fire escape or alternative. So unless its on the ground floor and you can climb out the window it needs to open onto the hallway. This is because the kitchen is considered the highest fire risk area and there is no escape from the bedroom should a fire occur in the kitchen. Building Control will expect a door into the hallway as 1john mentioned although I don't know if he had the regs in mind when he mentioned it.

 

[1john]

Kind of but wasn't 100% certain, It's unclear if the window would/could be a MOE.

 

[dalston]

ah, this is excellent stuff guys. thank you so much for reading all the way trough my post.

I think I should be OK as regards fire escape from proposed bedroom? window leads directly out to landing/corridor outside. below I've linked to a picture from similar building with balcony type corridors running outside flats. hope this explains.
Link
and I think I would be OK to exit proposed kitchen area trough existing hallway?

 

[OwainDIYer]

Will people walking on the balcony disturb your sleep - especially in summer if you want the window open?

Is one side of the building quieter than the other?

 

[dalston]

You do have a point Owain. But the flat is on the top floor and is located so that it will only have residents of one neighbouring flat passing in front of it. Unless the neighbour turns out to be a proper ASBO family I should be no worse off than most London dwellers. Lots of bedroom windows facing the streets around here.

OK, so for the Job no 3 fixing the walls: Does the below sound right?

I rip off dodgy wallpaper.
Go over with tools to have any loose material come off - i.e. gently knock with a hammer here and there.
Fill and smoothen with Easifill
Sand down Easifill. Use a machine here perhaps?
Paint directly onto easifill surface? (Not many sq m of wall so think I will allow for premium paint, Dulux is good right? And sheepskin roller FTW)


P.S. A do reckon myself a fairly handy chap, but being Scandinavian I have only worked on wood houses. Brick, plaster etc is entirely new to me.

 

[1john]

Doubt you'll need a machine for the sanding, just a good sanding block and some elbow grease, you dont want to be sanding through the gypsum plaster as it will expose a grain. Mist coat the wall with some watered down MATT white paint, two or three quick coats will seal the plaster which will stop it sucking the love out of your top coat and then one good top coat.

 

[Donkmeister]

With respect to your plan to lift the carpet and paint the floor: Firstly, you may find there are covenants that prevent you from doing this, soft coverings such as carpet are generally preferred in flats to prevent noise.

The good news, however, is that concrete floors in flats are a wonderful thing as the large mass of floor helps prevent noise transfer. I had such a flat, and my downstairs neighbours claimed never to hear a peep from my late-night film watching or bass-playing. So, without these abnormal sources of noise you may find that even without carpets you are just fine.

You'll also get a decent amount of heating from the flats below.

Check the covenants before you throw out the carpet though...

I love the plans for the new layout. It reminds me of buying my first flat; 20-25 square metres, and when I modernised it the challenge was making the absolute most of every square metre.

Invest in a good dust mask if you're planning on sanding lots of filler: it makes very fine dust. I'm talking a £50-100 mask with replaceable cartridges. You'll be glad you did!!!

 

[sterowley]

This ex council flat in North East London is valued just over the 100 K mark [/quote]

100k for a flat in london. My rents 3 bed semi only worth and 30k. Glad I don't live in london. Looks like a good set of plans.

 

[ferrisb]

hey, I know this thread is pretty old but I wanted to ask if you had any trouble getting a license from the council to alter your flat? I want to do something very similar and I'm afraid they won't allow me to move the kitchen due to possible noise disturbances to the flat below...

 

[mrgoosey]

Hi dalston

Stumbled across your post whilst searching for info on the subject

I too am looking at the possibility of converting a studio into a one-bed by moving the kitchen into the main space and using that room as a bedroom.
The place I've got my eye on is also an ex-LA and in NE London (Newington Green)

Its on for 180k which I think is way over the mark, but wondering whether they might countenance something more like 150

It has quite a big garden which is why I'm particularly interested, pretty rare in this price range

Did you finish this project and how much were your costs in the end? I've got in mind a budget of £15k for complete renovation and moving kitchen

 

[dalston]

Hi,

No I never bought the flat in question so project never happened. But I still think this is a great concept in terms of adding value and would like to return to the idea for next home purchase.

I did however investigate this in some detail at the time. Councils vary when it comes to how accepting they are, but Hackney had no problems with it as long as I provided sufficient ventilation for new kitchen and a direct access from kitchen to front door in case of fire. This means that you need to check with freeholder that they will accept a ventilation pipe coming out of the external wall where your new kitchen will be. (I don't see why they wouldn't). I suggest you look at the website for South London based company Kiltox for prices and info on vent solutions. Having bought another flat in a cheaply built block of flats I now realise how important ventilation is, small flats become damp very quickly.
I also think door between open plan kitchen/living room and new bedroom must be a fire door and bedroom must have separate means of escape. Firedoors cost from 40 quid and upwards. You have probably done this already, but it would be good to get an idea of how the plumbing from the new kitchen will hook up with existing plumbing. You don't want too much fiddling around and there should always be a fall for wastewater.
Getting the electrics done by someone who can issue a certificate will also take a bit of your budget.
But 15 000 sounds OK to me. Budget a bit over half for building, decorating, electrics and plumbing. You'd still have enough for a decent kitchen, white goods are cheap these days.

Good luck. (P.S. I love Newington Green)