When we were house-hunting, we deliberately looked for a place with a split floor plan of some kind so the separate bedroom could be for my mother-in-law someday. We found a 50s split-level where the lowest level looked like it could easily be used as a MIL suite - it's got a large room (LR), small room (BR) and bathroom - plus the laundry room. We're not planning any kind of kitchen/ette.

The question is if we can improve the floorplan at all. The laundry/utility room is *extremely* cramped - there's barely room to move, let alone try to fold laundry. I was thinking we could combine laundry space with the bathroom, but the wall separating the is the wall with the breaker box on it. I don't think we want to have to move that. It's right next to the exterior wall. And, the stall shower in the bathroom is also quite cramped (and claustrophobic - why would anyone put chocolate brown tile on all four walls *and* the *ceiling* of a shower stall?)

Is there any way you can see to move things around? Put the machines in a hallway alcove? Combine the rooms after all? Is moving the breaker box really a big deal? Also - the big room is actually a garage conversion (we think done immediately after construction), so that dividing wall is probably load-bearing (right?).