would i be mad to remove a utility room?

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

I have an eat in kitchen (22ft x 11ft) it has a utility room at the rear which is a good size 11ft x 7ft. It currently houses a fridge freezer, washing machine, sink, another freezer and some open shelves.It has turned out to be a bit of a wasted space and a dumping ground.

I would like to knock down the stud wall and still keep everything but the sink (its on the stud wall) and hide it all behind floor to ceiling cupboard doors that match the kitchen. I would lose the sink and would have to reduce the size of the window.

Cost may make it impossible as there is a boxed out area which i think has plumbing for the bathroom upstairs (new house to us and massively extended at some point).

This would give me another 5ft or so of extra space allowing me to put in a sofa making it more of a family space.

Has anyone done this or am i just mad to lose a utility room?

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Oh should have said i have a very large double garage with plumbing and currently a tumble drier in it so i am tempted if funds allow to set up our washing machine there and making a bit of laundry area with shelves and washing lines/airers etc.
I can access it via the rear kitchen door and it has a covered path to approach rear door.

[Believeitornot]

Would you use the sofa though? Seems a lot just to put a sofa in...
I am not sure I would but if you can brick up some of the garage to make a utility then this makes sense to do anyway.

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Its the washing that makes the room a mess, so even if i didnt lose the utility room i might try and do this. Our garage is a double one but its a weird shape so its more like 3 garages in footprint. I wouldnt mind carting the washing there and back. I end up sticking the clothes airers in the utility then i have to squeeze past and i ahve baskets of clean and dirty washing, atleast if they were in the garage i wouldnt have this problem. Perhaps i just need to be better at washing and kondo!

This is our forever home, the kitchen is relatively new, 5 years old or so and whilst its not to our taste its perfectly serviceable at the mo but when funds allow -eventually, i would think of redesigning it and removing the breakfast bar. My DC are young at the mo but i can see a point when an additional seating area might come in handy.

I have never had a utility room before and perhaps i need to learn how to use it properly, its not the saving grace i thought it would be!

[WellErrr]

Yes. You would be mad and regret it!

[Octagoneaway]

I did that and I love it! It's now a massive square room, with an island and a big dining table. Washer, dryer and boiler moved into the garage. It's a fabulous use of space, and I don't have to listen to the washer whirring away. I say do it.

[Cressandra]

Get some drying space off the floor - a hanging airer or one that folds out from the wall.

I can see why you'd get rid of a utility for a complete kitchen transformation, but just to get 5ft for a sofa, it seems a waste to me.

[Lighteningirll]

No, no and God no utility rooms add ££££s to a house hunting it onto the garage means you lose the garage/workshop I wouldn't do it.

[namechangedtoday15]

I would absolutely not contemplate a family house without a utility room.

BUT - personally, I wouldn't mind if that utility room was in the garage / former garage and walking outside the house to it (but I know lots of people would be put off by that). I would however want it to be clean etc and not to feel part of the garage so I'd do it properly if you are going to use the garage - put up a partioning wall, get it plastered etc.

If you already have one, I would see how you can re-jig the space first to make it work for you before embarking on something so expensive. Agree to ceiling dryers (on a pulley), perhaps taking out the additional freezer and converting the space into compartments for baskets for clean / dirty washing.

[namechangedtoday15]

*partitioning wall!!

[princessconsuelabannahammock]

Oh lots to think about. I will investigate a ceiling airer and get better at washing!!
Its not so bad in the summer as most of the washing goes outside. Moving the other freezer might be an idea then i would have 2 washing machine sized voids for storage of washing baskets - clean and dirty. I have seen that on pininterest and it looks good.
I have a couple of old kitchen wall units that i could put up in place of the open shelves - they would give me more storage and look better.

I think i will have to investigate using the space better - does anyone have any tips?

Maybe in 5-10 years when funds allow and we redo the kitchen i would lose the utility room and convert a small part of the garage properly to make a proper utility there. I would love an island, seating area and big table - just need a lottery win now! There are lots of jobs that NEED doing first.

Thanks all

[budgetsbonus]

hi, i know its an old thread! what did you do in the end? did you go for it or keep the utility? i'm interested because we want to buy a 15 year old house on a large-ish estate that has an amazing large kitchen with island ans space for sofa and six place setting dining table and current owners got rid of utility which would have held just washer, tumble and sink. is it working out?

[dotdotdotmustdash]

I'm just about to change a large L-shaped kitchen into a smaller kitchen with separate utility room. I'm so looking forward to having one room for dogs/laundry and another for food preparation and dining.

[bibbitybobbityyhat]

Absolutely barking mad! I am seriously considering spending something like £35,000 in stamp duty just to move to a house with a utility room.

[christinarossetti]

I heart my new utility room, but couldn't be doing with the open shelf clutter aka Pinterest.

I bought some wall mounted clothes dryers from Ikea, which go over the sink area and in the corner behind the door. Washing gets taken out, hung up to dry, put away the next day and repeat. It'll go outside in the summer, but I think wall or mounted clothes hanging is the way to make it feel less of a dumping ground.