Laundry Space Conundrum

10 years ago

My laundry room just got nixed from our remodel plans and my husband and our architect believe I should place our washer/dryer in the hall. We would only have room for the machines and a couple of cabinets above. No room to the side for a trash can, no hang drying, etc. I am seriously considering placing a nice sized working laundry room in the basement. They insist this is a poor design idea. Any thoughts? I know it's a hassle to carry with stairs, etc but I would rather have a good working space. Am looking for thoughts including resale. Thank you!

Featured Answer

ncpagano
Original Author

10 years ago

Exactly! We're upland hunters with 2 bird-dogs who are total indoor snuggle buddies when not out hunting, stirring up skunks etc. Not to mention we fish, golf etc...and have 2 babies so laundry is constant & very often full of feathers, fur, mud...not what you want sitting in a bedroom. All of that makes me seriously think about the basement location. (Basement will remain unfinished). However, being able to do a ton of laundry near babies is a big plus. I'm totally overthinking at this point. Both have their pluses and minuses.

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Comments (10)

Gerry
10 years ago
My son just bought a house with the laundry room in the basement and even with a big remodel planned, they will keep it in the basement. My sister had it in the basement in her first home and hallway in her second and she preferred the basement because she had room for baskets, and hanging space.
havingfun
10 years ago
My opinion is 2 fold. The person who does most of the laundry should decide where it goes and how big the room should be. I have heard a million times form follows function- lay that one on them.

secondly, placing it in the basement, is a great idea, until, you are older or become disabled. My basement laundry is positively useless to me, so it will have to be squeezed - hopefully soon, into my too small kitchen-oh, and don't think that is long away. I am in my fifties, and people get what i had in their 30s and 40s, wasn't I the lucky one.

so if I had a vote, even for resale, it would be first floor, large enough to be useful.
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mariekylco
10 years ago
I loved my basement laundry at the house we just left (moved cross country). It was part of a one room finished basement. Cabinets, island, pantry cabinet, hanging space, huge deep Kohler sink, glass tile backsplash. We did it all ourselves. I even took my fancy knobs and put in plain ones before leaving to use in the new house. It was a selling feature for us. I told our realtor that a closet laundry was my lowest rated choice for our new home. This one has a first floor laundry room, not huge but adequate.
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
10 years ago
I have always had my laundry in the basement until this house and I have to admit my laundry is in a large closet with a cabinet above the W/D that holds a small trash can and all my supplies and I love that it is on the main floor and would probably do that again .I find I have no need to hang anything to dry with the dryer i have so don’t miss that.
mariekylco
10 years ago
Just a thought, would it be way too expensive to rough in laundry receptacles in both the basement and hallway? Then you could have the basement now, and be able to switch to hallway when you age or if a new owner liked it. That would be the best of all worlds! Sounds like a dream scenario. BTW, I am excited to have a mudroom setup off the garage since I will now get my dream- a dig wash!!
mariekylco
10 years ago
Oops, dog wash
ncpagano
Original Author
10 years ago
Thank you everyone! I really like the idea of finishing a room in the basement now with a rough-in on the second floor so we could move it if need be. Good thinking! And I daydream of a mudroom with dog wash for our bird dogs! This has been a tricky architecture project as the whole house is coming down but we are using the existing foundation (lovely Colorado soil) which means working with an existing footprint. I really appreciate all of your thoughts as my eyes seem to cross at this point!
Pam Fisher
10 years ago
"working with exsisting footprint" - would it be possible to add the laundry room as a slab extension? just a thought.
mariekylco
10 years ago
ncpagano We just moved to Fort Collins! We have 2 dogs (one big one little) and it has been my dream forever to not carry my big pups up to the guest bathroom to clean their feet. My pup is spoiled and doesn't like cold hose water. LOL. And being an outdoors couple, I also do not want to bring muddy sweaty clothes upstairs. I like leaving them by garage or throwing them down to of basement stairs. We used to keep a laundry basket at the base of the stairs and just throw stuff down.