Brits opt for open-plan living

Posted: 29 Jan 2008 11:37:23 GMT

Millions of rooms have disappeared from UK homes in the last five years as people choose to live in an open-plan environment.

Millions of rooms have disappeared from UK homes in the last five years as people choose to live in an open-plan environment.

According to Halifax Home Insurance, around 2.9 million rooms have been lost as a result of open-plan modifications since 2002.

In addition, a further 2.2 million rooms have been earmarked for changes in the next 12 months.

According to Halifax, the traditional segregated dining room could be a thing of the past by 2020 as more and more people choose to live in an open-plan environment.

"Britons have clearly fallen for open-plan living and are looking at ways in which they can make better use of the space inside their homes," said David Rochester from Halifax Home Insurance.

"In many ways it's sad to see the decline of the formal dining room, but it appears that they may have become superfluous to modern living where people are perhaps less likely to eat together," he added.

Mr Rochester did issue a word of warning however, for anyone considering knocking down a wall to create a larger living space.

"Not only do we urge homeowners to make sure a qualified person carries out any structural work to their home, we also recommend seeking the advice of a qualified structural engineer before progressing work to knock down any walls," he continued.

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