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Widening a Hallway

GlennZ | Posted in General Discussion on October 24, 2011 08:52am

I am looking for some feedback.  I have a ’70s ranch that I’ve owned for for about 6 years.    The main hall to the bedrooms is only 33 inches wide.  We’re already planning to make a change to the linen closet and I am trying to figure out if it makes sense to widen the hall to 38inches.  Neither of us realized how narrow the hall was when we bought it.  The work doesn’t both me.  I’m thinking resale.  Is it worth it?

Obviously the amount of work to move the walls is a lot more than throwing up a wall and cutting in a new door for the new linen closet.  Moving the walls is not a big deal structurally-the roof is built on trusses.  I am having a hard time justifying the time and effort just to gain about 5 inches.

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  1. florida | Oct 24, 2011 09:36pm | #1

    Probably not. That's a ton of work and it sounds like your plan is to move both walls. Basicaly you're going to take space from the living area and put it in a hall which you only use ot walk in. There will be lots of drywall work, electrical that will require extensive rewiring, possibly water, sewer and/or vent stacks, filling in and refinishing wood flooring or replacing carpet or both, removing, repairing and replacing old trim, saving or replacing doors, and repainting everything.

    I'd suggest trying some brighter lights and a lighter colored paint first and see if you can fool your eyes enough to make the halls seem bigger. Unless you live in an area where people demand big halls and are willing to accept smaller rooms to get them you'd never come close to gettign your time and money back.

  2. calvin | Oct 24, 2011 09:38pm | #2

    feedback

    Well, if I took a look and bid it, because of the age of the home-I'd be having to follow the lead rules re. renovation and containment.  That would add work and dollars.

    For you to do it, you should follow the rules and probably would be advised to either get direction from a certified renovator or should take the class.

    or

    You can just hope to do your best on containment and cleanup and call it done.

    For 5 inches, up to you.- just the frame and drywall/plastering will eat up time-material negligeble.

    Any heat, plumbing or electric in those walls?  What will that add to the equation.

  3. User avater
    hammer1 | Oct 24, 2011 10:07pm | #3

    To gain 5" in the hall, you

    To gain 5" in the hall, you will loose 5" somewhere else. You need to consider a lot of things, heat, electrical, variations in floors, structure. There can be a fair amount of work to it depending on how many corners, inside and out, ceiling, what needs to loose the 5" and what has to move to do it. Resale value? I doubt it.

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