“We can move the kitchen into the bedroom.” An expert on how to increase space and functionality in a small kitchen

Moving the kitchen into the living room

The kitchen is the soul of the Russian home. This includes relatives, friends and neighbors. Household members gather here many times a day: they eat, communicate, exchange news, make plans, celebrate holidays, and celebrate significant dates. If the kitchen space can no longer accommodate those who want it, it becomes important to move the kitchen to the living room or a more suitable place. This article highlights the issues surrounding this difficult event. Content links will help you quickly find answers to the most pressing questions.

Content

• Relocating a kitchen from the point of view of current legislation
• Using the space of a dismantled bathroom
• Placing a kitchen in a living room
• Problems with sewerage, ventilation, lighting when moving the kitchen into an apartment
• The main obstacles to obtaining permission (legalizing the transfer)
• Conclusion

You can: combine a kitchen and a room if the wall is not load-bearing

This redevelopment, like any other, requires approval. As a result, you can get rid of an unnecessary corridor or create a spacious dining room. If gas is used for cooking, it can be turned off, but this procedure is time-consuming and expensive. Let’s assume another method: install a gas sensor and create a sliding partition between the combined spaces, and designate the living room as a non-residential room.

The photo shows the interior of a Khrushchev building with combined rooms, between which a mobile partition is installed.

Relocating a kitchen from the point of view of current legislation

Many of those wondering whether it is possible to move the kitchen into the living room are captured by erroneous judgments. Some believe that such a change in layout is impossible, others - that the path to obtaining permission to move the kitchen is littered with insurmountable problems, and others - that in your own privatized housing (apartment, house) any alterations are allowed, as long as there is enough space. Still others are convinced that they will be able to retroactively legitimize everything that is arbitrarily altered and transferred.

The result is numerous violations, refusals to legalize redevelopment and fines, damaged equipment, frayed nerves, shed tears, lost time and wasted funds. The above troubles can be avoided. To do this, you need to know and take into account the attitude of the legislation to changing the configuration of living space. Let us immediately note that the law allows for the redevelopment of an apartment with the relocation of the kitchen. The mandatory conditions are:

• Preservation (not deterioration) of your own living conditions and neighbors after moving the kitchen;
• Following current sanitary (SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10) and construction (SNiP 31-03-2003) standards and regulations;
• Compliance with the procedure for obtaining permission for redevelopment and agreeing to move the kitchen to a room or another place;
• Legalization of unauthorized modification of the layout in accordance with the prescribed procedure.

To be fair, we note a number of legal reasons for moving a kitchen to a new location. Permitting procedures will be simplified as much as possible when:

1. The apartment to be rebuilt is on the ground floor (no one’s living conditions and interests are affected, you can safely do the redevelopment, based on building regulations);
2. The reconstruction was started by the owner or tenant of a two-level housing (the interests, sanitary and living conditions of the neighbors below are not affected);
3. The kitchen area is “relocated” above the corridors, storage rooms, and other non-residential premises located on the lower floors.

During renovation work related to the placement of a kitchen space in another area, it is necessary to solve typical problems in linking the actions performed with the existing requirements of regulatory documents. These include:

• Use of space vacated as a result of demolition (liquidation) of a bathroom;
• Transfer of the kitchen itself and kitchen equipment to the living room;
• Modification of sewerage and water supply;
• Ensure proper ventilation and natural light.

We will lay out subsequent material in the same order.

Is the neighbor a controlling “authority”?

Exactly. The housing inspectorate, the management company and even other residents have the right to initiate proceedings regarding illegal redevelopment. A statement from a vigilant neighbor to the BTI, or even the prosecutor's office, is enough for a competent inspection to come.

On a note. Based on the information received, regulatory authorities have the right to carry out an unscheduled inspection to identify and suppress violations of housing legislation. Based on the identified facts, administrative proceedings are initiated with the possible transfer of materials to the court.

It is better not to bring the situation into conflict with the law by agreeing on the upcoming work in advance.

You can learn how to properly legalize redevelopment in an apartment by watching the video:

See also Phone numbers for consultation 07 Jan 2020 kasjanenko 625

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Discussion: 4 comments

1. Ivan says:
   06/08/2019 at 13:39

   Many transfers and redevelopments can cause security threats to other residents of this house. Are there any rules regarding criminal punishment for officials who gave permission for the reconstruction of an apartment, which then caused damage to the entire house?

   Answer

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2. Nikolay says:

   07/31/2019 at 08:23

   I don’t understand, if the kitchen is gasified, then you can’t demolish the partition, but sliding panels can. What good are these sliding doors if there is a gas leak? Can they compare with a solid solid wall, of course not.

   Answer

3. Oleg says:

   01/16/2020 at 16:09

   How should a tenant act if he suspects that one of the apartments in his building is undergoing renovation work with the demolition of major partitions? Do the owners of such an apartment have a right not to let a local police officer inside if he doesn’t have a warrant?

   Answer

4. Anna says:

   08/18/2020 at 12:13

   At one time, almost half of our house, without any legalization, moved the kitchens to the loggias, breaking out the walls between the kitchen and the loggia, and then somehow some legalized it, and some still didn’t, but it seems to me that such alterations are generally prohibited . We wrote so many applications to replace the gas pipe. and here is such a change, moving the gas stove to the loggia. Why allow this at all? This is the safety of a huge house, and then houses explode from such remodelers.

   Answer

Using the space of a dismantled bathroom

By law, it is prohibited to move a kitchen to the site of a bathroom or bathroom that was liquidated for this purpose. The provisions of SanPiN 2.1.2.2645-10 (clause 3.8) and SNiP 31-03-2003 (clause 9.22) prohibit placing bathrooms above living rooms and kitchen areas. The only exception is two-level apartments. According to the law, by placing a kitchen on the “territory” of a former toilet, the owners are formally worsening living conditions.

Just five years ago, the problem was solved by contacting the competent authority with a statement about the awareness of such a step and the obligation to notify the buyer about this in the event of an apartment sale. Today, this loophole in the law has been closed. Exceptions are housing on two levels or living on the top floor, excluding the presence of bathrooms for neighbors above.

You can: expand the kitchen with a loggia

If the window sill block is left in place and a partition is mounted between the kitchen room and the loggia, then such redevelopment is allowed. The remaining ledge can be converted into a bar counter.

The loggia must be insulated, but the radiators cannot be moved. A balcony cannot be added to the living space.

The photo shows an example of the legal combination of a kitchen and a loggia.

Placing a kitchen in a living room

On January 26, 2006, the Government of the Russian Federation, by resolution No. 47 (see paragraph 22), clearly prohibited the transfer of the kitchen to the place where their own premises were located or under which residential premises were located on the lower floors. Having arbitrarily carried out such a redevelopment, the developer formally changed the status of the neighbor’s room below to “non-residential”. Such a legal conflict is unacceptable. But the law does not prohibit moving kitchen equipment to the corridor, former storage room or other non-residential premises. Placing an apartment on the ground floor or above non-residential areas also does not create restrictions for the plan.

Another unpleasant moment. If the mentioned redevelopment is successful, it will not be possible to arrange a children’s room, living room or bedroom in the vacant (former “kitchen”) space. According to the law, living rooms cannot be located under the kitchens of neighbors above. However, this situation has a legal solution. This is the design of these square meters as a work office. Legally, it will be non-residential, but it can be used at the discretion of the owner.

A few more nuances to consider:

• The newly equipped kitchen should receive natural light through an existing window or through a glass partition from the adjacent room;
• When arranging a kitchen-living room (studio), you will need to replace the gas stove with an electric one;
• Reluctance to switch from gas to electricity will result in the impossibility of making an opening from the kitchen to the living room in the partition between the rooms or the need to install a closing door (sliding partition) in it;
• When deciding to replace a stove (gas to electric), it is advisable to evaluate the increase in electricity bills.

Redevelopment of fully electrified apartments is much easier than gasified ones!

The kitchen is a niche, as one of the redevelopment options.

In most cases, when the kitchen is located in the hallway, the result is a long and narrow room - a kitchen niche, similar to a galley on a sea yacht. This is a walk-through or through option, in which household appliances are located on one side of the corridor, and cabinets on the other. The dining table with chairs is forced to be located in the living room. This option may not seem entirely convenient, but it is considered the most practical and compact, and with good design and finishing materials, it is original. And your family may have a galley attendant!

Problems with sewerage, ventilation, lighting when moving the kitchen into an apartment

Now let’s look at what moving a kitchen means for house communications.

A gas stove is an obstacle to a radical change in layout. When starting a redevelopment, it is advisable to replace the gas stove with an electric one!

Sewerage and water supply

The normal functioning of the kitchen involves ensuring the supply (transfer) of all types of household communications to a new location. Building codes require that the water supply to the dishwasher and kitchen sink, as well as the disposal of used water, must be uninterrupted (unobstructed) and constant. To supply water, old cold and hot water supply pipes are extended (extended) or new ones are laid. Laying is carried out in four ways:

• Along the walls in fines;
• Under the screed;
• Under a suspended or suspended ceiling;
• In decorative wall boxes.

It is advisable to re-lay sewer pipes in old houses. This is more technologically advanced and makes it easy to eliminate the structural differences between cast iron and plastic pipes. In new buildings this problem is solved even easier. Laying under a screed, especially at a distance of more than 3-4 meters, is not possible without installing a special pump: in order for wastewater to drain naturally, it is necessary to ensure a pipe slope of 3-5 degrees (about 3 cm per 1 linear meter of sewerage).

Wiring

To ensure sufficient illumination of the working surface and dining area, the correct and safe functioning of kitchen household electrical appliances, electrical wiring should be carried out. It must match the power consumption.

Moving a kitchen without a well-thought-out wiring design (scheme), without a reasonable choice of the type, material and cross-section of current-carrying conductors is a dangerous undertaking. Improper wiring is the cause of most fires. Therefore, the design of the electrical wiring diagram and electrical installation work must be entrusted to qualified specialists. Unlike new buildings, when remodeling old houses, it is better to completely replace the electrical wiring rather than move it.

Ventilation

Those wondering “is it possible to move the kitchen?” must be aware that a new kitchen must be equipped with ventilation. In accordance with SNiP 31-3-2003 (clause 9.7), it is entrusted with the task of removing air with substances formed during the combustion of household gas. Ventilation:

• It is connected to the old (which existed before the apartment was renovated) sealed ventilation duct, which sometimes stretches through other rooms;
• It cannot intersect with the neighbors’ ventilation, nor with the one installed in the bathroom, nor connect to the latter.

The main obstacle to installing ventilation is hiding the duct. Ways to get around are suspended ceilings, decorative boxes, grooved walls (including load-bearing ones) with holes made in them. For the latter, you will need to obtain a permit. It is advisable to equip long ventilation ducts with exhaust fans. In older houses, it is sometimes necessary to clean the ventilation ducts. In new buildings there is no such problem.

Lighting

The newly equipped kitchen should have sufficient lighting. According to SNiP 05/23/2010, the lighting standard for a kitchen room is not less than 150 Lux. According to SaNPiN2.1.2.2645-10 and SP 54.13330.2016, natural light should enter it during the day. Possible paths:

• From the street through the existing window;
• Through a fiberglass door;
• From the adjacent room through a glass partition, a partition made of glass blocks.

If the kitchen is moved to one of the former residential premises, problems with wiring and natural lighting usually do not arise. The option of moving it to a non-residential premises may cause difficulties with lighting, which will not be difficult for the designers and architects of our Redevelopment Coordination Bureau “PereplanHome” to solve. At the end of the article, we will focus on barriers that can significantly complicate permitting procedures.

The main obstacles to obtaining permission (legalizing the transfer)

Those who have at least once tried to obtain permission to move a kitchen, or have legalized the redevelopment when it has already been moved, know firsthand about the existence of bureaucratic obstacles. To move a kitchen into a room or other premises legally, you need to remember the following or probable:

• Deterioration of living conditions;
• Violation of the integrity of load-bearing walls;
• Unqualified intervention in electrical wiring;
• Improper modification of the water supply system;
• Unacceptable changes to the heating system;
• Miscalculations in ensuring temperature conditions.

If the housing is located above administrative buildings (shop, office, cafe, restaurant), you do not need to worry that it will be prohibited from redevelopment, since in this case the kitchen will have to be moved above non-residential premises!

Don't: demolish a load-bearing wall

If there is a solid wall between the kitchen and the room, combining the rooms is unacceptable. Demolition of a load-bearing wall will lead to a serious accident - the building will collapse. If dismantling is necessary, you can make an opening, the width of which will be calculated by the designers.

Redevelopment is carried out only by specialists according to a pre-approved project, since the opening needs to be further strengthened.

The photo shows a reinforced opening in the main wall.