wall removal - enclosed stairs

It may be possible, but don’t assume the wall is non-load-bearing because it sounds hollow. As there’s a bedroom above, it could still have a structural function. The wall may also provide fire protection to the staircase. I’d get an experienced builder to inspect it first. If there’s any doubt, a structural engineer is worth the cost before removing anything.

Hey Ben "Sounds hollow" doesn't settle it either way: a stud or dry-lined wall can sound hollow and still be doing structural work (carrying joists, or bracing an external wall), while a solid-feeling wall can occasionally be non-structural, but to be fair plasterboard stud walls are generally extremely unlikely to be load-bearing, but a wall built in block work or brick — even a thin skin of it — needs a proper look before you assume anything. The bit that matters most in your case is that the wall continues up to ceiling height and forms part of the box bedroom above. Masonry walls that run through both floors "often carry joists," providing stability to buildings. There's also a fire-safety angle that's separate from load-bearing: because this wall currently encloses the staircase, opening it into the lounge changes how the escape route from upstairs is protected. Building control will often want interlinked smoke alarms fitted (and sometimes a fire door somewhere in the plan) as a condition of signing off that kind of opening, even where the wall itself isn't structural. On cost — you're not wrong that £500 feels steep just to answer "is this load-bearing." A cheaper route: ask two or three general builders for a free look-and-opinion visit first (most will do this to quote the job), and only bring in a paid structural engineer if the builder thinks it's carrying load or you want it in writing for building control. It's also worth checking if a similar semi nearby (mirror-image layout) has had the same wall removed — not proof for your house, but a useful real-world data point. It would also be very helpful if you uploaded as many photos as you can on here to give as much supporting information as possible.

Yes — it may be possible, but from your description I would not remove the wall simply because it sounds like a hollow/stud wall. The important detail is that the wall continues upstairs and forms part of the box bedroom. That creates two separate issues: 1. Structural support — the upstairs wall may be sitting on the downstairs wall, and the downstairs wall could therefore be carrying the floor/roof or the wall above. Planning Portal specifically identifies a wall directly above an internal wall as one of the things that can make the lower wall load-bearing. 2. Fire protection around the staircase — staircase enclosure walls can have a fire-safety function, even when they are lightweight stud construction. Building Control guidance specifically warns that altering walls around stairs can affect escape from the house. The fact that it is hollow is not enough A timber/metal stud wall covered with plasterboard can be completely non-load-bearing, but it can also support something above it. The fact that the wall is lightweight doesn’t establish what it is doing structurally. The key question is what is happening above the ceiling and how the first-floor joists/roof are arranged. For example, if the upstairs bedroom wall sits directly above the lounge/stair wall, there are several possibilities: the downstairs wall is just a partition and the upstairs wall is supported independently; the downstairs wall supports the upstairs wall; the downstairs wall supports floor joists; the wall is part of the staircase’s required fire protection; or there could be a combination of these.

You might be able to remove the wall, but because it continues upstairs and if the wall forms part of the box bedroom, there’s a real chance it’s load‑bearing, even if it sounds hollow. The safest, cheapest way to check is to get an experienced builder or carpenter who does structural wall removals to inspect it — they can usually confirm in minutes without a £500 survey. You could expose the wall at the head on the ground floor to see what the box bedroom wall sits on, use a borescope to look though a small hole, don't forget to check for pipes and cables before drilling the hole!