I Begin to Regret My Purchase

May 6th of 2009, 11 days after the close of escrow and still no word from the homeowner's association about my renovation plans. I took the initiative to bring in a structural engineer to give me a verdict on whether the two walls I want to remove are load-bearing or not. The homeowner's association cannot provide any structural plans. The first wall is in the foyer, blocks a window, and creates a dark, depressing entry when the rest of the unit is filled with natural light. The second wall separates the kitchen from the dining room. I would prefer an open kitchen and so would a large majority of potential buyers upon resale. I don't know if people want to show off their kitchens more than they used to or if cooking has become more of a social activity than it has been in the past, but no one wants closed off kitchens anymore.

Unfortunately, the wall between the kitchen and dining room is load-bearing and cannot be removed. Even if the homeowner's association would permit me to transfer the load with a beam and columns (which they won't), the price tag of anywhere from $8,000 to $15,000 to do so, makes such an endeavor cost-prohibitive. If I would've known this wall was unalterable, I wouldn't have bought this place, or at least I would've drastically reduced my offer. Well, at least the foyer wall is not load-bearing and can be removed. Thanks to Gerald Joo, P.E. at Solid Structural Engineering for the prompt and affordable structural consult.

Load-bearing wall separating dining room from kitchen.

Partition wall in the foyer with embedded circuit-breaker panel and low-voltage HVAC relay panel. Notice the plumbing and electrical conduit on the left. This portion of the wall will remain.