Open Plan Renovations
Singleton NSW
Singleton's older homes — particularly the brick veneer and double brick houses built between the 1960s and 1990s — were designed with compartmentalised floor plans that made sense for their era but feel cramped and disconnected by modern standards. Opening the kitchen, dining, and living areas into a single flowing space is the single renovation that delivers the greatest change in how a home feels and functions. Belvedere Building & Electrical transforms Singleton homes with open plan renovations — structural assessment, engineer-designed beams, wall removal, flooring, kitchen renovation, and complete electrical — under one fixed-price licensed contract.
Removing a Wall in a Singleton Home — Why You Need a Structural Engineer Before a Single Brick Comes Out
The most dangerous thing a Singleton homeowner can do during a renovation is remove a wall without first confirming whether it is load-bearing. In brick veneer construction — which describes most Singleton homes built from the 1960s onward — internal walls can be load-bearing timber frame walls carrying roof loads, intermediate floor loads in two-storey homes, or hip roof load paths. A wall that looks purely internal may be critical to the home's structural integrity. We engage a structural engineer to assess the wall construction and design the replacement beam before a single brick or stud is touched — every time.
The engineer's beam design for a typical Singleton open plan renovation is a steel or LVL (laminated veneer lumber) beam sized for the span and load path. The beam sits in the wall plate positions at each end of the opening, with posts carrying the load to the footings. Getting the beam size wrong — typically by underspecifying it — leads to deflection in the floor or ceiling above, cracking, and in extreme cases structural failure. We don't guess beam sizes. We use an engineer's calculations every time, and the engineering is included in the fixed price.
The Most Common Open Plan Configuration in Singleton — Kitchen to Dining to Living
The most requested open plan renovation in Singleton removes the wall between the kitchen and dining room and the wall between the dining room and living room — creating a single flowing kitchen-dining-living space of 40 to 60sqm from what were previously three separate rooms of 10 to 20sqm each. The transformation is dramatic — the home feels twice as large without adding a single square metre of floor area. Natural light from the rear windows and sliding door reaches the kitchen and the front living area simultaneously. The family can see and interact across the full depth of the home. This is the most value-adding renovation available to Singleton's older housing stock.
Combining Wall Removal with a Kitchen Renovation — the Optimal Scope
An open plan conversion without a simultaneous kitchen renovation almost always produces an anticlimactic result — the walls are gone, the space is open, but the 1980s kitchen with its tired cabinetry, laminate benchtops, and fluorescent tube lighting is now more visible than ever. We recommend combining the open plan wall removal with a kitchen renovation for the same reason a body shop wouldn't repaint half a car — the finished result is only as good as its weakest element. We offer combined open plan and kitchen renovation packages with a single fixed price for both scopes.
Flooring — The Element That Unifies the Open Plan Space
When walls are removed, the flooring beneath them is exposed and reveals the original room boundaries as a line of different flooring, different tiles, or exposed substrate where the original wall sat. Resolving this requires either extending the existing flooring into the newly opened area (which works for tiles and some timber floors) or relaying new continuous flooring across the entire open plan space. We advise on the optimal flooring approach at the design stage and include the flooring scope in the fixed price so there are no post-wall-removal surprises when the floor condition is revealed.
Open Plan Renovation Services in Singleton NSW
Complete open plan conversion — structural assessment to finished floor — all under one Belvedere fixed-price contract.
Structural Assessment & Engineering
We assess the wall construction, load path, and framing system before any work begins. Where the wall is load-bearing, our structural engineer designs the replacement beam — steel or LVL — and the post and bearer system to transfer the load to the existing footings. The engineer's design includes the beam size, post sizing, connection details, and temporary propping requirements during construction. The engineering fee is included in the fixed price — not charged separately as many builders do.
Learn MoreWall Removal & Beam Installation
Temporary propping installed to carry the roof or floor load during the wall removal. Wall removed — framing cut out, brickwork demolished where applicable, ceiling and floor made good at the wall line. Steel or LVL beam lifted into position and connected at each end. Posts installed to carry the beam load to the footings. Ceiling lining patched and plastered flush. The entire wall removal and beam installation typically takes 1 to 3 days depending on wall length and beam weight.
Learn MoreKitchen Renovation — Combined Scope
An open plan renovation combined with a full kitchen renovation delivers the complete transformation. New kitchen cabinetry, stone benchtop, splashback, and integrated appliances positioned to maximise the flow of the open plan space — with the island bench or breakfast bar acting as the visual boundary between the kitchen zone and the dining and living area. The kitchen renovation is designed simultaneously with the wall removal to ensure the kitchen island position, pendant light heights, and appliance locations are all correct in the final space.
Learn MoreElectrical — Lighting Design for the New Space
An open plan kitchen-dining-living space requires a completely different lighting design to three separate rooms — zone lighting that defines the kitchen work area, warm pendant lighting over the dining table position, and ambient lighting across the living zone, all on separate circuits so each zone can be independently controlled. Our in-house licensed electrician designs the lighting layout for the new open space as part of the renovation scope. New circuit runs, LED downlights, pendant lamp points, and any required switchboard upgrades are all included in the fixed price.
Learn MoreFlooring — Continuous Through the Open Plan Space
New continuous flooring through the full open plan area eliminates the original room boundaries and completes the open plan transformation visually. Options include engineered hardwood timber (warm, premium look), large format porcelain tiles (durable, suits Singleton's climate), or hybrid/vinyl plank (waterproof, cost-effective, excellent underfoot). We advise on the best option for your specific Singleton home — construction type, sub-floor condition, and lifestyle — at the design stage. The flooring is included in the open plan renovation fixed price.
Learn MoreCeiling Patching, Painting & Cornice
Removing a wall always leaves a ceiling patch where the wall top plate sat — a line of patched plasterboard that is visible if not properly resolved. We cut, patch, and sand the ceiling plaster flush using the same plasterboard thickness as the existing ceiling, apply cornice where required, and paint the entire open plan ceiling in a single coat after patching so the finished result is seamless. This final finishing detail is what separates a renovation that looks professional from one that looks like a wall was removed and painted around.
Learn MoreWhy Singleton Homeowners Choose Belvedere for Their Open Plan Renovation
Six reasons Singleton families trust Belvedere to safely and correctly open their home's floor plan.
Structural Engineer Engaged Before the First Wall Is Touched
We never remove a wall without a structural engineer's assessment and beam design. Not because we're cautious by nature, but because in Singleton's brick veneer and double brick homes, the internal wall layout is frequently part of the structural system. A beam that is underspecified or a wall removed without adequate propping creates a safety risk and a structural defect that may not become apparent until months after the renovation is complete. Engineering is included in the fixed price, not charged separately.
Licensed Builder — Required for Load-Bearing Wall Removal
Removing a load-bearing wall in NSW is structural building work requiring a licensed builder's contract and, in most cases, council approval or certification. An unlicensed handyman or tiler who removes a wall as part of a renovation is performing unlicensed structural work regardless of whether the result looks fine initially. We hold NSW Builder's Licence 329 075C — every open plan renovation involving structural wall removal is properly contracted, engineered, and certified.
Asbestos Awareness — Many Singleton Walls Contain ACMs
Singleton homes built before 1985 — which is a significant portion of the older housing stock — may contain asbestos-containing materials in internal wall sheeting, particularly fibro or fibrous cement sheet linings. Before any wall is demolished, we identify whether ACMs are present and, where they are, ensure they are removed by a licensed asbestos removalist before structural work begins. This is a legal requirement under SafeWork NSW regulations and is managed as part of the fixed-price scope where applicable.
Electrical Redesigned — Not Just Relocated
When walls are removed, the existing power points, light switches, and circuit paths in those walls need to be relocated or abandoned. Many renovation contractors simply cap the existing outlets and leave the switching arrangement unchanged — resulting in an open plan space lit by separate circuits with multiple switch positions that don't correspond to the new space logic. Our in-house electrician designs the electrical layout for the new open plan space from scratch and installs it as part of the renovation scope.
Flooring and Ceiling Patching Included — No Unfinished Details
Many builders quote open plan renovations that include the structural work but leave the flooring, ceiling patching, and painting to the owner to arrange separately. This leads to an unfinished outcome — a newly opened space with a visible wall-line on the ceiling, different flooring surfaces meeting at the original wall positions, and bare concrete substrate visible where the wall sat on the floor. Our fixed price includes all finishing work — continuous flooring, ceiling patching, and full painting of the open plan space.
Fixed Price — Engineering to Finished Open Plan Space
Our fixed price covers the complete open plan renovation scope — structural assessment, engineer's beam design, temporary propping, wall demolition, beam installation, ceiling patching and painting, flooring, and electrical redesign. The kitchen renovation can be added to the scope as a combined fixed-price package. No provisional sums for engineering that turns out to be more complex, no separate electrical invoice, no flooring that wasn't in the original quote.
How Your Singleton Open Plan Renovation Gets Done
Five clear stages from free structural assessment to the day you walk into your transformed Singleton home.
Free Structural Assessment
We visit your Singleton home, identify the walls proposed for removal, assess whether they are load-bearing, check for asbestos risk in pre-1985 homes, and discuss the brief — wall removal scope, kitchen renovation, flooring, and lighting. Indicative fixed-price range provided within 48 hours. No obligation.
Engineering & Design
Structural engineer engaged to assess load path and design the replacement beam and post system. Kitchen renovation designed simultaneously with the wall removal to ensure optimal position of island, pendants, and appliances. Electrical layout designed for the new open plan space. Fixed-price contract signed. Construction Certificate or Owner-Builder approval arranged where required.
Asbestos & Propping
Where asbestos-containing materials are present in the walls to be removed, licensed asbestos removalist engaged and clearance certificate obtained. Temporary propping installed to carry the structural loads during wall removal. Propping design follows the structural engineer's temporary works specification. Day 1 of construction.
Wall Removal & Fit-Out
Walls demolished and removed. Beam lifted and fixed to structural posts. Temporary propping removed once beam is installed and certified. Ceiling patched and plastered. Kitchen renovation constructed. Flooring laid continuously through the open plan area. Electrical installed — new circuits, downlights, pendant points, power points, and switches. Painting completed throughout.
Handover
Walk-through with Vincent or Clarence. Any defects resolved before handover. Electrical certificate of compliance issued. Structural engineer's certification for the beam installation issued. All compliance documentation provided. Your Singleton home now has the open plan layout it was always capable of.
Hunter Valley Homeowners Love Their Belvedere Open Plan Transformations
There isn't any job these brothers cannot do! Belvedere removed two load-bearing walls in our 1975 Cessnock brick veneer to create an open plan kitchen-dining-living space. The structural engineer's beam design was included in the fixed price, the asbestos in the old wall lining was removed correctly before demolition, and the new LVL beam is completely concealed in the ceiling. The new kitchen renovation is spectacular. Our home is unrecognisable — in the best possible way.
Top quality work from top quality people. Belvedere removed the wall between our Singleton kitchen and dining room, installed an engineered steel beam, relaid the flooring continuously through both rooms, redesigned the lighting with pendant lights over the new island, and renovated the kitchen simultaneously. The fixed price covered all of this including the structural engineering. The finished result looks like a house from a magazine. Outstanding work.
Vincent recently completed renovation works at our Singleton home — opening the floor plan and renovating the kitchen simultaneously. He was very prompt, polite and pleasant to deal with. His workmanship was excellent. The beam installation is structural perfection and you'd never know it wasn't original. The ceiling patch is completely invisible. The new pendant lighting over the island is exactly what we wanted. I was so incredibly pleased with the finishes. Highly recommend.
Clarence identified asbestos-containing fibro lining in the wall before any demolition — something another contractor we'd asked hadn't mentioned at all. Belvedere managed the licensed asbestos removal, obtained the clearance certificate, then proceeded with the wall removal and beam installation exactly as planned. The fact that this was handled correctly and safely gave us enormous confidence in their professionalism. The open plan renovation is outstanding.
We opened the floor plan of our Hunter Valley investment property before re-letting it — removed the wall between kitchen and dining, new hybrid flooring throughout, redesigned lighting, and a kitchen renovation. Belvedere managed the structural engineering and the complete renovation scope under one fixed price. The property re-let at $50 per week more than before and the new tenants specifically commented on how much better the kitchen-living area feels. Excellent investment.
Belvedere opened our 1968 Singleton double brick home — three walls removed including one carrying the hip roof load. The structural engineering was complex and Belvedere managed it without a single issue. The finished open plan space is 58sqm of continuous kitchen-dining-living that feels like a completely different house. The engineered beam spans 4.2m and is completely concealed. Continuous porcelain floor tiles through the entire space. Exceptional technical capability and outstanding finish.
Open Plan Renovation Questions Answered
The most common questions Singleton homeowners ask before starting an open plan renovation with Belvedere.
Ask Us DirectlyOpen plan renovation costs in Singleton in 2025 range from approximately $15,000 to $45,000 for the wall removal, beam installation, ceiling patching, flooring, and electrical scope — depending on the number of walls removed, beam span, asbestos presence, and flooring type. A single wall removal with LVL beam, ceiling patch, and electrical relocation typically costs $12,000 to $20,000. A combined open plan conversion and full kitchen renovation costs $35,000 to $80,000 depending on kitchen size and specification. We provide a fully itemised fixed-price quote after the structural assessment. Book your free structural assessment today.
The only reliable way to confirm whether a wall in a Singleton home is load-bearing is a structural assessment by an experienced builder or engineer. General rules of thumb — walls running perpendicular to the roof ridge are more likely to be load-bearing; walls running parallel to the roof ridge are less likely — are useful indicators but not reliable confirmations in Singleton's brick veneer and double brick construction. Hip roofs (common in Singleton's 1960s to 1990s homes) have load paths that are less intuitive than gable roofs. We assess every wall at the free structural assessment before any design cost is committed.
Yes — load-bearing walls can be removed and replaced with a structural beam. The beam takes over the load-carrying function of the wall and transfers the load to the existing structure at each end. The engineering requirements depend on the span of the opening and the loads the wall was carrying. In Singleton's brick veneer homes, spans of 3 to 5 metres are common and achievable with LVL beams or steel. In double brick homes, the beam installation requires additional work at the bearing points. We engage a structural engineer for every load-bearing wall removal — the engineering is included in the fixed price.
Structural alterations to a dwelling in NSW — including removal of load-bearing walls — require either CDC approval from a private certifier or DA to Singleton Council. Where the work is confined to internal structural alterations without any change to the external appearance of the home, CDC is typically available. The CDC application requires the structural engineer's design documents. Non-load-bearing wall removal may qualify as exempt development in some circumstances. We confirm the correct approval pathway for your specific renovation at the free structural assessment and manage the application as part of the fixed-price scope.
A straightforward single-wall open plan renovation in Singleton — structural assessment, engineering, CDC approval, wall removal, beam installation, ceiling patch, flooring, and electrical — typically takes 6 to 10 weeks total from contract signing to handover. This includes 3 to 6 weeks for CDC approval and 1 to 2 weeks of construction. A combined open plan renovation and kitchen renovation typically takes 8 to 14 weeks total. We provide a detailed construction program at contract signing so you know exactly what to expect each week of the project.
Yes — in most cases Singleton families remain in the home during an open plan renovation. The most disruptive days are the wall demolition day and the day the flooring is laid — both of which typically run 1 to 2 days each. Where a kitchen renovation is combined with the open plan work, the kitchen is out of service for the full kitchen renovation period of 3 to 5 weeks. We advise on the specific disruption periods and how to manage access during the renovation at the pre-contract stage. Dust barriers between the construction area and the rest of the home are installed on the first day of construction.
Open Plan Renovation Areas — Singleton & Hunter Valley
Licensed open plan renovation builders serving Singleton, Cessnock, Maitland, Muswellbrook, Newcastle and the wider Hunter Valley region.
Ready to Open Up Your
Singleton Home?
Book a free structural assessment. We'll visit your Singleton home, identify the walls that can be removed, and deliver a fully inclusive fixed price within 48 hours — engineering included, no obligation.